November is the wettest month of the year on the Dalmatian coast: 142.3 mm at Dubrovnik, 101.7 mm at Split, and 115.5 mm on the long Split Marjan record. The sea still holds 16.4°C at Split — warmer than it manages in April.
The rain is the story
Croatia’s coastal climate is often described as Mediterranean and dry, which is true of July and false of November. Dubrovnik takes 142.3 mm across 10.1 rain days, its highest monthly total of the year. Split takes 101.7 mm across 9.1 days; the long Split Marjan record puts the month at 115.5 mm. Only Zadar and Rijeka peak in October instead, and both are still above 100 mm in November.
| Station | Rain mm | Rain days | Mean air °C | Sun h/day | Sea °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Split (Marjan) | 101.7 | 9.1 | 12.0 | 4.5 | 16.4 |
| Hvar town | 94.0 | 8.5 | 13.3 | 4.5 | 18.0 |
| Dubrovnik | 142.3 | 10.1 | 13.3 | 4.5 | 16.6 |
| Zadar | 105.6 | 9.4 | 11.4 | 4.1 | — |
| Mali Lošinj | 125.1 | 9.5 | 12.0 | 3.8 | — |
| Rovinj | 98.3 | 8.1 | 9.6 | 3.6 | — |
| Rijeka | 181.9 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 3.7 | — |
| Pazin (inland Istria) | 123.7 | 8.7 | 6.9 | 3.0 | — |
Sunshine falls to 4.5 hours a day at Split and Hvar, 3.6 at Rovinj and 3.0 at Pazin. That is the second constraint after the rain: even the dry days are short. A November itinerary that assumes a full daylight programme will run out of light by mid-afternoon.
November rainfall by station, mm. Source: DHMZ (meteo.hr), climate normals 1971–2000.
The sea is still ahead of the calendar
At 16.4°C the sea at Split in November is 2.6°C warmer than in April, and Hvar’s 18.0°C is warmer than its own May reading of 17.2°C. This is the lag working in the last direction it will all year. It does not make November a swimming month in any practical sense, but it does explain why the coast feels mild in November and raw in March at the same air temperature: the water is holding the towns up.
Monthly rainfall at Split, mm. November is the annual maximum. Source: DHMZ (meteo.hr), climate normals 1971–2000.
What is still sailing
November sits wholly in the off-season tariff, which runs from 28 September to 31 December. The state network holds: line 634 keeps 14 sailings a day across its 20-minute crossing, line 807 runs four times a day to the Elafiti from Monday to Saturday and twice on Sundays and holidays, and line 9604 keeps its single daily rotation from Lastovo through Vela Luka and Hvar to Split.
What stops is the commercial half. Of the 68 routes in the 2026 register, 17 are commercial lines carrying no public service obligation, and nothing obliges them to run for a November passenger. The lines that survive are the ones the islands themselves depend on — which is a good rule of thumb for any winter trip. The route network makes the split explicit.
Booking a November island stay on a commercial catamaran
A booking engine will happily show a route in November that exists only as a summer commercial service. The register distinguishes state lines with a public service obligation from commercial ones without; only the first group has any duty to sail.
In practice a November island trip should be built on a car ferry or a state catamaran, and should assume one connection a day rather than several. Line 9807 out of Dubrovnik, for instance, does not call at Ubli, Korčula or Polače at all outside summer.
What November is for
Cities with roofs, and food. Zagreb is inland and unaffected by the coastal rainfall peak. Istria is into truffle season with Pazin at 6.9°C and Rovinj at 9.6°C. On the coast, Split and Dubrovnik are functioning towns with no queues and full restaurants. What November is not is a coastal outdoor month.
What to decide before you book
- You are going for the coast. Reconsider: 142.3 mm at Dubrovnik across 10.1 rain days.
- You are going for cities and food. November works, but plan for 4.5 hours of sun a day.
- You need an island. Use a state line with a public service obligation, not a commercial one.
- You are watching cost. Off-season tariff throughout: €6.40 to Hvar rather than €10.00.
Find November flights and hotels
What do you need to work out next?
November is an indoor month on the coast. Plan around that.
Where to stay
Is inland the better November base?
Zagreb sits outside the coastal rainfall peak; Dubrovnik takes 142.3 mm.
Getting around
Which lines still sail in November?
The state core does. The 17 commercial lines have no obligation to.
When to go
Does December get worse?
Rainfall falls back to 90.8 mm at Split, but sunshine drops to 4.2 hours a day.
Planning
Where does November sit in the year?
It is the annual rainfall maximum at Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik.
Climate data: DHMZ (meteo.hr), climate normals 1971–2000. Climate data: DHMZ (meteo.hr), Split Marjan station, 1948–2024. Ferry data: Agencija za obalni linijski pomorski promet (ZOLPP), 2026 state coastal line register and per-line timetables.