---
url: https://sunsetdubrovnik.com/blog/what-to-wear-sunset-boat-trip-dubrovnik/
site: Sunset Dubrovnik
updated: 2026-10-02
facts: https://sunsetdubrovnik.com/llms.txt
---

# What to wear on a sunset boat trip in Dubrovnik, from April to October

> **In short:** Wear light layers and flat, non-slip shoes, and bring a light windproof jacket in every month: the boat makes its own breeze of about 33 km/h and the ride back is after sunset. Add a jumper in April, May and October. Pack swimwear and a towel only if you plan to swim.

Wear light layers and flat, non-slip shoes, and bring a light windproof jacket whatever the month. In April, May and October, add a jumper. The boat makes its own breeze and every route comes back after sunset, so the ride home feels cooler than the forecast suggests.

## Why it feels cooler on a moving boat after sunset

Three things add up on the way home.

**The boat makes its own wind.** Route A covers 6.1 nautical miles in about 20 minutes of actual running, and Route B 12.6 nautical miles in about 42 minutes. Both average about 18 knots, roughly 33 km/h. That is more wind across the deck than a typical summer maestral, which blows at 5–8 m/s, about 18–29 km/h. The [Met Office](https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/wind/wind-chill-factor) explains the effect: wind strips away the thin layer of air your body warms next to the skin and speeds up evaporation from it, so you feel colder than the air temperature. Damp skin and a wet swimsuit lose heat faster still.

**The sun sets while you are out.** Every route is back at Marina Frapa 15 to 30 minutes after sunset, so the ride home falls in the blue hour, when the light drains from the sky and the city lights come on. On Route B, that is the run back past the Grebeni lighthouse. Take 15 July: Route B leaves at 19:00, the sun sets at 20:24 and the boat is back about half an hour later, just before the blue hour ends at 20:58. On 15 April, Route A leaves at 18:30, the sun sets at 19:29 and you are back about a quarter of an hour later, as the light fades.

**The evening air keeps cooling.** Croatia's meteorological service, DHMZ, calculates a "thermal sensation" value for 21:00 at its Dubrovnik station, a measure that allows for [air temperature, humidity, wind and sunshine](https://meteo.hr/klima.php?el=Y6190&it=osjet&param=k1_9&section=klima_hrvatska). In its 1971–2000 [climate atlas](https://klima.hr/k1/k1_2/dubrovnik.pdf) the figure averages 7°C in April, 12°C in May, 16°C in June, 19°C in July and August, 15°C in September and 11°C in October. That is about 6°C below each month's average air temperature, on land, before the boat adds its own breeze. On settled summer nights, [DHMZ notes](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska&param=k1), the breeze also turns round and blows from the land down the slopes towards the sea.

## Dubrovnik evening temperature, sea and sunset by month

| Month | Evening air | Sea | Sunset (1st / 15th) | What to wear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | 14–17°C | 15–16°C | 19:13 / 19:29 | Warm jumper or fleece, windproof jacket, long trousers |
| May | 18–22°C | 17–19°C | 19:47 / 20:03 | Light jumper, windproof jacket, long trousers |
| June | 22–25°C | 21–23°C | 20:19 / 20:27 | Summer clothes, long-sleeved layer |
| July | 25–28°C | 23–26°C | 20:29 / 20:24 | Summer clothes, thin layer for the ride back |
| August | 25–29°C | 23–25°C | 20:08 / 19:50 | Summer clothes, thin layer for the ride back |
| September | 21–25°C | 22–24°C | 19:23 / 18:58 | Summer clothes, light jacket |
| October | 18–21°C | 20–21°C | 18:30 / 18:06 | Jumper, windproof jacket, long trousers |

How to read the table:

- **Evening air** spans DHMZ's average daily high for the month and its monthly average, from the 1971–2000 normals for the Dubrovnik station. Expect the upper end when you board and the lower end by the time you are back. DHMZ's [1961–2024 record](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_podaci&param=k1&Grad=dubrovnik) runs about half a degree warmer.
- **Sea:** the lower figure is DHMZ's 1971–2000 average for the same station, the higher one the 1991–2020 average published by [Weather & Climate](https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-water-Temperature,dubrovnik,Croatia).
- **Sunset** times are for 2027, from our own timetable, on the 1st and 15th of each month. After the clocks go back, the sun sets at 16:42 on 31 October. Every date and departure time is in our [timetable by month](/#best-time) and our [sunset times guide](/blog/dubrovnik-sunset-times/).

## What to wear, month by month

### April and May

April evenings are cool: about 14–17°C in the air and 15–16°C in the sea, with sunsets from 19:13 on 1 April to 19:47 on 1 May. DHMZ's 21:00 figure for April, 7°C, falls in the band its own scale calls cold. Wear long trousers and closed shoes, a warm jumper or fleece, and a windproof jacket on top. A warm hat or a scarf you can tuck in helps on the ride back.

May is milder, at about 18–22°C, with the sea at 17–19°C and the sun setting between 19:47 and 20:03 in the first half of the month. Its 21:00 figure is 12°C, which DHMZ classes as cool, so a light jumper under the windproof jacket is enough. If you hope to swim on Route A, remember the swim only happens when the sea is calm, and at these sea temperatures a towel and a dry layer for afterwards matter.

### June, July and August

Summer evenings are warm: about 22–25°C in June and 25–29°C in July and August, with the sea at 21–26°C. A T-shirt, light shirt or summer dress is fine on the way out. For the ride back, bring a thin long-sleeved top or a light windproof jacket. The 21:00 figure is 16°C in June, which DHMZ classes as pleasantly cool, and 19°C in July and August, which it classes as comfortable. That is on land: the boat's own breeze makes it feel cooler, more so if you have just been swimming.

From mid-June to mid-July the sun sets between 20:24 and 20:29. In August it comes earlier: 20:08 on 1 August and 19:50 on the 15th. You board in bright, low sun, so bring sunglasses, sunscreen if you have been out all day, and a cap or a hat with a strap. On Route C you swim in the late-afternoon sun before the golden-hour cruise.

### September and October

September afternoons still feel like summer, at about 21–25°C, and the sea, at 22–24°C, is about as warm as the evening air. The sun sets earlier, from 19:23 on 1 September to 18:58 on the 15th, and the 21:00 figure drops to 15°C, so pack a light jacket.

October brings 18–21°C in the air, 20–21°C in the sea and a 21:00 figure of 11°C. Sunset is at 18:30 on 1 October and 18:06 on the 15th, and after the clocks go back it is 16:42 on 31 October, the last evening of our season. Wear long trousers, a jumper and a windproof jacket.

## Bura, jugo and maestral: the winds that change the evening

The wind forecast matters as much as the temperature.

- **Maestral:** the north-westerly of settled summer weather, usually 5–8 m/s. The [Croatian Encyclopedia](https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/maestral) says it starts between 08:00 and 09:00, peaks around 14:00 and drops away around 18:00, or by sunset at the latest. It cools the afternoon and has usually faded by the time the sun goes down.
- **Jugo:** a south-easterly that builds gradually and blows steadily at 6–11 m/s, with bigger waves on open water. In its cloudy form it brings low grey cloud, high humidity and heavy rain ([Croatian Encyclopedia](https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/jugo)). It is more frequent in the cooler half of the year. When jugo is forecast, a waterproof jacket earns its place.
- **Bura:** a strong, dry, cold north-easterly that comes off the land in gusts, mostly in the cold season and stronger at night ([Croatian Encyclopedia](https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/bura)). [DHMZ](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska&param=k1) notes that it is usually weaker and less frequent in the south than in the northern Adriatic, though [Rijeka Dubrovačka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijeka_Dubrova%C4%8Dka), the inlet north of the city that the Franjo Tuđman Bridge crosses, is one of its well-known spots. A bura evening feels colder than the number on the forecast, so wear your warmest layer.

If we cancel because of sea or wind, you choose a full refund or a free move to another evening. To check the day's wind yourself, DHMZ publishes a [marine forecast for small craft](https://meteo.hr/prognoze_e.php?section=prognoze_specp&param=jadran) in English.

## What to bring on a sunset boat tour

- **Layers.** A T-shirt or light top with a long-sleeved layer over it. In April, May and October, a jumper or fleece as well: a warm one in April.
- **A light windproof jacket.** The most useful thing on the ride back, in every month.
- **Flat, non-slip shoes.** Trainers, deck shoes or sandals with a grippy sole. Decks get wet when swimmers climb back aboard.
- **Sun protection for golden hour.** You board with the sun low and bright, so put on sunscreen if you have been out all day, and bring a cap or a hat with a strap.
- **Sunglasses.** At the sunset stop you face the sun, and its glare comes off the water as well as the sky.
- **A small bag.** On a shared tour you share the boat with up to eight other guests, so a small backpack or cross-body bag is plenty.
- **A phone strap or waterproof pouch.** For photos over the side and anywhere near the swim stop.
- **Swimwear, only if you plan to swim.** [Route C](/#route-kolocep-swim) includes a swim of about 40 minutes in a sheltered cove on Koločep's east side. [Route A](/#route-golden-hour) has an optional swim of about 10 minutes that only happens when the sea is calm. [Route B](/#route-city-walls) has no swim. Wear swimwear under your clothes if you plan to go in.
- **A towel if you swim.** Towels are not provided. Pack a dry top for the ride back too.
- **One more layer for children** than you think they will need.

A prosecco toast for adults is included and life jackets are on board, so you don't need your own. If you are going on to dinner afterwards, wear the flat shoes on the boat and carry dressier ones in your small bag.

## What to leave at the hotel

- **Heels and smooth leather soles.** They slip on a wet deck.
- **Wide-brimmed hats without a strap, and loose scarves.** At 18 knots the wind can take them over the side.
- **Big beach bags and shopping.** A shared boat takes up to 12 guests, and a small bag is easier to keep with you.
- **Valuables you won't use on board.**
- **The car.** There is no free parking at Marina Frapa. Come by taxi, about 10 minutes and around €12 from Pile, by the number 6 city bus, or on foot: it is a 10-minute walk from Gruž harbour along Lapadska obala.

## Before you set off

Check tonight's boarding time on [our homepage](/#tonight) or this month's departures in [our timetable](/#best-time). Choose Route C if you want a proper swim, Route A for a short evening and Route B for the Old Town walls in golden light. Check in at our office with the yellow flag at the marina entrance, 15 minutes before departure. If you are still deciding between a boat and a paddle, read our [kayak or boat comparison](/blog/sunset-kayak-or-boat-tour-dubrovnik/), and the [FAQ](/#faq) covers the rest.