Situated on the southern tip of Croatia’s Istrian peninsula, the seafront city of Pula is a major tourist destination – and a popular jumping off point for boating adventures on the glistening waters of the Adriatic sea.
Boats moored in Pula Marina (Photo: Klemen Tomše via Flickr / CC BY 2.0 DEED)
There are a huge number of boat tour operators in and around Pula, offering everything from one or two-hour guided trips through to full-day – or even overnight – excursions complete with your own captain and crew. For anyone keen to hire their own vessel, there are also several companies who provide bareboat rentals that allow you to helm the boat yourself, with no license required. Whatever your preference, we’ve picked out three of the best resources for renting a boat in Pula.
Click&Boat
Click & Boat is a peer-to-peer platform that invites boat owners post listings for their vessels along with pictures, spec and price. Renters can then contact them directly via an online messaging service to ask any questions, as well as view feedback from previous renters. Bareboat rentals are the cheapest option, but you can also have a captain onboard for an additional cost. When we searched for boat rentals in Pula, there were over 100 vessels available, with the cheapest option a 4.9-metre motorboat that can accommodate up to 6 people, available bareboat and priced at just €19 per day before fees. No licence is required to helm this boat, either.
SamBoat
Another well-regarded industry name, SamBoat lets you search for your preferred vessel based on price, size, dates of travel and other criteria. When you’ve identified one that meets your requirements, you send a booking request to the boat owner. If the request is accepted, you pay the rental fee directly to SamBoat who then send it to the owner once your rental period commences. On the day itself, you board the boat before signing your contract if happy. When we looked for Pula rentals, we found hundreds available, including both crewed and bareboat charters, with prices starting at €95 per day before fees for a 4.8-metre motorboat, available bareboat and accommodating up to six passengers.
Higanas Boats
Based at Pula’s Marina Veruda, Higana Boats are a highly reputable local company that offer a wide range of services that focus on delivering privacy, comfort and freedom to charter guests. Their fleet features two Croatian-made Leidi motor boats, both tailor made for cruising on the Adriatic. The smaller of the two is the Leidi 660, a 7.2-metre boat with one cabin that’s most suitable for a couple. The larger is the Leidi 800R, which features two cabins with king size beds and a large salon, making it ideal for families or groups of 4-5. Both vessels can be rented for any periods of minimum TWO nights with prices starting at €1,460 per week.