The city of Šibenik has many cultural sights. One of the most famous is the St Nicholas’ Fortress. Alongside the Cathedral of St. James, the fort is UNESCO World Heritage Site. That means Šibenik is the only city in Croatia that has two UNESCO attractions.
What has SUP (stand up paddling) got to do with it? SUP is a popular water sport that attracts many nature and active lifestyle lovers every year. People who have already tried SUP may be looking for a challenge or a new way to enjoy this activity. All water sports provide a completely different experience of the environment. We thought it would be a good idea to paddle from our bay to the fort and back.
We are happy to say that it was a great idea. We chose the brand new 2021 Fanatic Ray Air Premium SUP with Fanatic 35 Carbon paddle for this adventure. This is a touring board that provides enough stability in challenging conditions on the sea. This board is the perfect choice for longer routes. The board has space on the bow for two dry bags where we put 3l of water, a camera, a cell phone, shoes, and clothes. We just had to put a safety leash around the ankle, turn on the Suunto smartwatch and leave our beach from the Amadria Park hotel resort.
The forecast did not show much wind, but we nevertheless encountered moderate resistance immediately on the way out of our safe bay. We calculated that we need approximately 2.5-3 hours for this route. This route was a great opportunity to perfect the effective paddling technique we teach in the SUP course. We completed the first section to the end of the Solaris camp in half an hour. After the camping area, we entered uncharted waters. The island of Zlarin mitigated the influence of wind and waves, so it was an opportunity for a more relaxed pace and a chance to observe the beautiful coast. After 45 minutes we took a short break in front of Zablaće for refreshments.
During the last section, the colors of the sky and greenery from the shore create a beautiful turquoise tone of the sea. It was a true pleasure to paddle near the coast. After an hour of rowing, the outlines of the fortress appeared. The fort has proudly guarded the sea entrance to Šibenik since the middle of the 16th century. Interestingly, no one ever attacked this military fort from the sea. Standing on the small SUP board, it became clear why no one ever engaged in a battle with the sea guardian. St Nicholas’ Fortress looks impressive, scary, and really takes your breath away. We took advantage of the nice weather for a short tour of the fortress from the seaside. It is possible to visit St Nicholas’ Fortress if you take a boat trip organized by the Public Institution Nature of the Šibenik-Knin County. You can buy tickets here.
After a few Instagram stories, it was time to head back to our bay. We paddled a total of 11.72km, it took us three hours, and we burned approximately 2000 calories. SUP is a great activity to enjoy carefree moments with friends this summer. Also, if you are looking for a new challenge or a good workout, we have more advanced SUP boards for rent that you can try here at our center.
Until the next SUP adventure, stay salty.
WR team
