Croatia Long Weekender: Split & Brač
My new favourite beach. The stunning Plaža Kotlina
Croatia had been on our list for a while, helped by the number of friends who had come back with amazing things to say about it. When deciding where to go, one destination kept coming up in conversation: Brač.
A Croatian friend described it as one of their favourite islands, somewhere with a more relaxed atmosphere than some of its neighbours and somewhere Croatians still choose for their own summer holidays. That sounded exactly like what we were looking for.
Rather than trying to fit several islands into one short trip, we decided to keep the itinerary simple. We flew into Split, spent our first evening there and then caught the ferry across to Bol for three days of beaches, seafood and exploring Brač by car.
It worked really well for a long weekend of sea swimming, eating well and admiring the beauty of the towns and landscapes.
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A series of photos taken throughout our time on the island of Brač, Croatia
BEFORE YOU GO
A few things worth knowing based on our trip:
Four nights works well for a long weekend, although having been, I would happily stay for at least a week next time. We spent one night in Split and three on Brač.
Consider hiring a car for one day rather than your whole stay. Bol itself is very walkable and we didn't need a car there. Having one for a day was enough to explore a much larger part of the island.
July was hot. Perfect if your priority is swimming and spending most of the day by the sea, but I would personally consider visiting slightly outside peak summer next time.
Bring something for the pebbly and rocky beaches. Some of the beaches around Bol are much easier to get in and out of the water with suitable footwear.
Don't assume Zlatni Rat is the only beach worth visiting. It is the famous one, and absolutely worth seeing, but some of our favourite swimming spots were the smaller beaches around Bol.
Leave some room in the itinerary to do very little. Brač suited a slower pace much more than trying to fill every hour with sightseeing.
Bring mosquito repellent! I had some nasty bites by the end of the trip.
Take cash for payment. Many restaurants only accept cash and note that the ATM fees were very expensive.
Download your E-Sim before your travel. I personally use Airalo.
Planning your trip to Brač
We stayed in Bol, which I'd choose again for its combination of beaches, restaurants and walkability. If you're still deciding where to base yourself, there is a good range of hotels and apartments around the town.
→ [Find hotels in Bol on Expedia]
STARTING IN SPLIT
We only had one evening in Split, so I won't pretend this is a comprehensive guide to the city.
For us, it worked primarily as the starting point for the trip before taking the ferry across to Brač the following day. We spent the evening exploring the centre and had dinner at Bistro Toć, which was a perfect intro to Croatian food and wine.
A great way to start the trip
I would definitely like to return and give Split more time in its own right, but if you're primarily travelling for the islands, one evening is enough to get a little taste of the city before continuing on.
If you're spending a couple of days here, there's obviously far more to do than we managed to fit in, from exploring Diocletian's Palace to walking tours and the huge choice of boat trips leaving from Split.
→ [Browse tours and things to do in Split]
From there, we made our way across to Bol.
Some key moments from our time in Bol
WHY WE CHOSE BOL
Brač has several towns and places you could use as a base, but Bol worked really well for the kind of trip we wanted.
Everything we needed was within walking distance: the town centre, restaurants, the waterfront and several beaches. This meant that once we'd arrived, there wasn't really any need to think about transport until we hired a car to explore the rest of the island.
That was probably one of my favourite things about staying here. Our days could be quite spontaneous. We could walk into town for coffee, head to a beach for a couple of hours, go back to the hotel and then decide where we wanted to eat in the evening without having to plan much in advance.
For a short summer trip, that simplicity was exactly what we wanted.
→ [Browse tours and things to do in Bol]
WHERE WE STAYED: HOTEL SOL
We stayed at Hotel Sol in Bol, and I don't think we'd stay anywhere else if we returned.
The rooms were comfortable and clean, we had great sea views and the pool was pristine. More importantly, the location worked perfectly well.
The hotel sits between the centre of Bol and several of the beaches we wanted to visit, so we were able to walk virtually everywhere throughout the trip. We didn't need a car at all until the day we specifically hired one to explore the rest of Brač.
That location made a bigger difference than I expected. We could easily wander into Bol in the evening for dinner and drinks, while beaches in either direction were close enough that going for a swim never needed to become a full-day excursion.
If I were booking Brač again, I would prioritise this part of Bol for exactly that reason.
→ [Check prices and availability at Hotel Sol]
If Hotel Sol is unavailable, I'd look for somewhere between Bol town centre and the beaches to the west. This gives you easy access to the restaurants and waterfront in town while keeping Zlatni Rat and the beaches along the coastal path within walking distance.
The view from our room at Hotel Sol
THE BEACHES AROUND BOL
One of the things I liked most about Bol was that we didn't have to rely on one main beach.
There are several within walking distance and they each felt slightly different. Over the course of a few days, we ended up developing favourites depending on whether we wanted somewhere lively, somewhere quiet or simply somewhere good for swimming.
Zlatni Rat
Often referred to as ‘the symbol of the Adriatic’, Zlatni Rat is the iconic beach you will have probably already seen in photographs of Brač.
Its distinctive headland stretches out into clear blue water and, compared with the other beaches we visited, it has much more going on around it. There are beach bars, a huge variety of food kiosks and plenty of amenities, so it's an easy place to spend several hours.
Getting there from Bol is also part of the appeal. We reached it via the stunning tree-lined coastal walkway, which took us around 15 minutes. The pine trees provide some much-needed shade along the route and there was a lovely smell from them in the heat.
Unsurprisingly, Zlatni Rat was the busiest beach we visited.
I had half expected that to detract from it, but it didn't. It certainly felt more organised and touristy than the smaller beaches closer to town, but not unpleasantly so.
I'd absolutely visit it if you're staying in Bol, although I wouldn't make it the only beach you see.
Zlatni Rat beach, Bol
Martinica Beach
Martinica Beach was noticeably quieter than Zlatni Rat and we thought it was excellent for swimming. It had the largest dedicated swimming area of all the beaches we visited and the water was very calm.
The main thing to be aware of is the lack of natural shade. Compared with some of the other beaches around Bol, there isn't much protection from the sun, especially in the middle of the day.
You can buy beach umbrellas from local kiosks, which I'd recommend if you're planning on staying for a while.
If your priority is simply finding somewhere peaceful to swim rather than having bars and restaurants immediately around you, Martinica is a very good option.
It is also accessible by foot from the town of Bol.
Martinica Beach, Bol (left of the Monastery)
Plaža Kotlina
Plaža Kotlina was our favourite beach of the trip.
It is smaller than Zlatni Rat and sits directly opposite the Dominican Monastery, which gives it a completely different setting from the other beaches we visited.
The beach itself is rocky in places and feels a little more tucked away. There are trees around it providing a decent amount of shade, the water was excellent for swimming and the monastery across the bay gives you a lovely view from the water.
It is also the home of Riberska Kućica, which became our favourite restaurant of the trip. We liked it enough that we ended up eating there several times. I recommend to book in advance and take cash for payment.
This beach really is a paradise. It is possibly the most beautiful beach that I have ever visited.
Plaža Kotlina and the wonderful Riberska Kućica Restaurant
EXPLORING BRAČ BY CAR
If you're staying on Brač for more than a couple of days, I would recommend hiring a car for at least one of them.
Bol itself is easy to explore on foot, so I don't think you need to pay for a car for the entire trip. Having one for a day, however, gave us a much better sense of what Brač is like beyond the immediate area around Bol.
We hired a small Chevrolet from this car hire immediately next to Hotel Sol, for around €60 for the day.
Driving was straightforward. The roads were in good condition, we had no issues with parking and the distances were manageable enough that we could make several stops without the day feeling rushed.
If you're planning a similar day around the island, it's worth comparing rental prices in advance, especially if you're travelling during the summer months.
→ [Compare car hire for your trip to Brač]
Our route took us through a mixture of viewpoints, small towns and beaches before ending at Vidova Gora for sunset.
A series of snaps from our day trip around the island of Brač
Vidilica Viewpoint
Our first stop was Vidilica Viewpoint, only a few minutes outside Bol.
This is an easy one to add at the beginning of the drive and gives you a great view back across Bol, Zlatni Rat and the Dominican Monastery.
Having spent the previous couple of days seeing everything at sea level, it was interesting to see how the coastline fitted together from above.
You don't need to allow much time here, so it works well as a quick first stop before heading further across the island.
Pučišća
From there, we continued to Pučišća.
This was one of those stops where we didn't really have an agenda. We parked, walked through the streets and along the harbour, bought an ice cream and spent a little while watching everything going on around the waterfront.
It has a very different feel from Bol. There was less of a sense that everything was organised around visitors and it was nice just to spend an hour wandering without feeling that there was a list of things we needed to see.
You don't need a full day here, but I think it is well worth including if you're driving around Brač.
Walking around the harbour at Pučišća
Plaža Lovrečina
One of the main places that we wanted to visit on our drive was Plaža Lovrečina, partly because it is one of the few sandy beaches on the island of Brač.
This ended up being another favourite.
The water was shallow and calm, and noticeably warmer than the beaches we'd been swimming at around the southern side of the island. Looking out towards the mountains on the mainland while swimming was one of those simple moments from the trip that I remember clearly.
We stayed for lunch at Restoran Lovrecina Bay Postira, which I would also highly recommend.
If I returned to Brač, I would definitely make time to come back here.
The stunning Plaža Lovrečina and beachside restaurant
Supetar
We also stopped in Supetar, which felt considerably busier than the smaller places we'd visited earlier in the day.
It has a larger waterfront, more cafés and restaurants and generally feels more like a substantial town than somewhere like Pučišća.
We didn't spend a huge amount of time there, but it worked well as somewhere to stop, walk around the promenade and see another side of the island before continuing back towards Bol.
Personally, I still preferred staying in Bol, but I was glad we'd seen Supetar rather than spending the entire trip on the south side of the island. It is actually possible to take a more rapid ferry (20 minutes) to and from Split from Supetar should this be more convenient.
The busier town of Supetar on the east coast of the island
Vidova Gora at sunset
We finished our drive at Vidova Gora, the highest point on Brač.
After spending several days around Bol and Zlatni Rat, seeing the whole coastline from above gave us a completely different perspective on it.
We timed the visit for sunset, which I'd recommend if it works with your itinerary. By then, the light over Bol and the surrounding coastline was ideal for photos and we got some of my favourites from the trip here.
It was also a nice way to finish the day. We'd covered quite a lot of the island by that point, so stopping rather than trying to squeeze in another town or beach felt like the right decision.
The highest point on the island: Vidova Gora
WHERE WE ATE
Before travelling, we'd heard a few people describe Croatian food as “average” or “nothing special”. That wasn't our experience at all. Admittedly, we love seafood, so being somewhere where fresh fish and shellfish appeared across so many menus probably helped.
We ordered Dalmatian-style mussels several times. These were served in a light broth of white wine, garlic, olive oil and parsley, with plenty of bread for soaking up everything left at the bottom of the bowl. It's a very simple combination, but exactly the kind of food I want to eat next to the sea: fresh, garlicky, slightly salty and not too heavy when it's hot outside.
We usually paired them with a local white wine. The wines we tried were consistently dry, which is definitely to our taste, and we found them surprisingly affordable.
One of the other things that stood out was the value. Our evening meals generally didn't exceed €30 per person including drinks, which we thought was very reasonable considering the quality of what we were eating and the locations of some of the restaurants.
Our favourites were:
Riberska Kućica, Plaža Kotlina – our favourite overall and somewhere we returned to several times. Being right beside our favourite beach obviously helped.
Pumparela Restaurant, Bol – a good option in the centre of town.
Bistro Toć, Split – our favourite from our brief time in Split.
Vinarija Stina, Bol – a great place for wine right on the waterfront.
Restoran Lovrecina Bay Postira - an excellent spot for fresh seafood and wine.
Bol also has no shortage of very good ice cream, which became a fairly regular part of the trip.
A series of photos of our food and drink experiences on Brač
VISITING CROATIA AS GAY TRAVELLERS
As gay travellers, we had no issues at all during our trip.
No awkward questions. No weirdness. Nothing that made us feel uncomfortable.
Obviously, that is simply our experience rather than a guarantee of how everyone will find travelling in Croatia, but it is something I usually want to know before visiting somewhere with my partner, so I think it is worth including.
For us, staying together, checking into the hotel and travelling around the island all felt completely normal.
WHAT I WOULD CHANGE NEXT TIME
Brač turned out to be exactly the sort of place we'd been hoping to find, and I would happily return.
There are a few things I would do differently next time though.
I probably wouldn't go in July
It was hot.
That was obviously great for swimming and spending time at the beach, but there were points during the middle of the day when we didn't really want to do anything other than find shade or get back into the water.
Next time, I'd consider visiting just outside peak summer. Here’s the local climate data.
I would stay for longer
Four nights worked for this trip, but now that I know how easy Brač is to settle into, I would happily spend at least a week there.
Rather than using the extra time to cram in lots more sightseeing, I think I would mostly use it to revisit the places we already liked: Plaža Kotlina, Martinica Beach and Plaža Lovrečina, with perhaps another day exploring parts of the island we didn't reach.
I would leave a day for somewhere new
With a week rather than four nights, I'd be tempted to add one boat trip to see a little more of the Croatian coast.
Hvar or Dubrovnik would be the obvious choices, although there are also full-day boat trips from the Split area that combine several islands or take in places such as the Blue Cave.
We didn't do one on this trip, so I can't personally recommend a specific tour. It's something I would look at adding next time rather than trying to squeeze another destination into our existing itinerary.
→ [Browse boat trips and island tours around Split and Brač]
FINAL THOUGHTS
What I liked most about Brač was how quickly we settled into it.
There wasn't a huge list of sights we felt under pressure to work through. Instead, the trip gradually became quite simple: wake up, decide which beach we wanted to swim at, find somewhere for lunch, have an ice cream, go back into the sea and then wander into Bol for dinner.
Our day driving around the island added enough exploration to stop the trip feeling repetitive, but some of my favourite moments were the least complicated ones.
Swimming at Plaža Kotlina with the Dominican Monastery across the water. Sitting by the harbour in Pučišća with an ice cream. The warmer water at Lovrečina. Mussels, bread and cold white wine after a day in the sun. Looking back down towards Bol from Vidova Gora at the end of our drive.
I think that's ultimately why Brač worked so well for us.
It gave us enough to explore without making us feel that we needed to be constantly exploring.
For a long weekend from the UK, that balance is difficult to fault.
And next time, I'd stay for the week.