Split - Brač - Hvar - Vis - Šolta - Split
Central Dalmatia offers beautiful beaches, small towns with great restaurants, cultural heritage, night life, safe anchoring bays and marinas. It truly does have a little bit for everyone. This route will allow you to sample all the things Croatian coast has to offer. It is 132 NM long and requires 2-3h of sailing every day. A general rule that many sailors prefer is to visit two spots every day. One is usually a nice bay where you can swim and have lunch during the day and second one is a safe port close by where you can have dinner and spend the night.
Sample all the things Croatian coast has to offer in one easy route
If you start from Split at around 17h, after completing check-in procedure, you have 3-4h hours of daylight. That will be more than enough to reach Milna (10 NM), your first stop. It is a lovely small town that has 3 marinas, decent restaurants but not much more than that. Milna is a first day stop for almost everybody so in the middle of the season make sure you book a berth with My Sea app as soon as possible.
Start this day early to make the most of it. Sail to Bol (14 NM) and drop the anchor (or catch a buoy) in front of the phenomenal beach Zlatni rat which is a unique natural attraction. Enjoy the scenery, swim, surf, dive or just have lunch there. In the afternoon go to Bol harbour and take a mooring line at the city promenade. Bol is famous for its night life but also for windy conditions so if the weather forecast doesn't look great or you prefer a more peaceful place sail to Vrboska (7 NM) before sunset and take a mooring line there. Vrboska is a beautiful and safe port. Long bay at one point starts to curve like a river and has 4 old stone bridges which are perpetual motives for many photographers and painters. Check out the view from the roof of the main church and have dinner at Škojic restaurant.
This part of the trip is the longest (22 NM) but it is worth it. Hvar town offers a lot of cultural heritage as Greek, Roman, Venice, Napoleon and Austrian empire left their traces here. Its vivid night life attracts people from all over the world. Don't miss the view from the fortress on the hill, check out city theatre and Arsenal. Because of its popularity it is hard to find a berth so come early during the day. Taking a mooring line on the city promenade is possible but super luxury yachts book those berths days in advance. Second option is to take a buoy in the harbour and third option is to go to ACI marina Palmižana and visit Hvar with taxi boat (15 min). From Palmižana you can walk (15 min) to Vinogradišce, a beautiful bay with sandy beach and Toto's restaurant that offers splendid ambient and cuisine.
If you want to do something special or the wind is too strong to sail, rent a car or scooters and head to Humac. This is the abandoned village in the centre of the island with one bizarre restaurant that is offering most authentic experience on the island Hvar. Leaving Hvar pass through Ždrilac, a passage between Pakleni islands and if you find a nice spot there, or in a bay close by, drop the anchor and have a swim or lunch. Next leg of the trip takes you to Komiža (21NM) a typical Mediterranean fisherman's village. Get a mooring at the pier or catch a buoy if the pier is full. Book a dinner at Jastožera restaurant, check out the Fisherman's museum and take a walk along the city promenade. If you are a diver, adventure seeker or just wine lover Komiža is a place to be.
Biševo is a small island in front of Komiža (5 NM) that has a famous Blue cave. The sea in front of the cave is 50m deep so you need to drop the anchor or take a buoy in the bay Mezuporat. Official staff will come with a dingy to organize a transfer to the cave and you will get a receipt with a waiting list number. Yes, it is that famous. As soon as you finish with the cave sail to a small island Budikovac (10 NM) and have lunch there but not at the restaurant, the service is terrible. Water is shallow there so be careful. On your way there stop for a minute in front of Stiniva bay just to check out that amazing natural formation. In the afternoon go to city the Vis (8 NM) and get a mooring line or a buoy. Restaurant Kaliopa is great but it is a bit expensive.
Tourists have been coming to Vis since the stone age, true story. Visit archaeological sites and learn a little bit about its history. . In the second part of the 20th century Vis was a military base so it was preserved from touristic development. Tour that explores ex-military tunnels can tell you all about it. Check out Forte George that was built by Brits, used by Austrians, abandoned for half of century and is now remodeled into a bar, restaurant and a music venue. At this point in your trip it should be obvious to you why so many nations fought to claim Dalmatian islands. Your next stop is Maslinica on island Šolta (20NM). Plan to be there by lunch time so you can have a swim or lunch among the small islands in front of the village. If Maslinica port is already full try to catch a buoy in Šešula bay right next to Maslinica.
This is sadly your last day but don't let it go to waste. Start early and head towards two small islands named Krknjaši in front of Drvenik island. Many people call this bay Blue Lagoon and there is a large hype around it, so check it out and if you like it have a swim or lunch there. In the afternoon prepare for the last leg of your trip that takes you back to Split. Expect long queues at the gas station in Split harbour so it might be smart to stop in Rogač (Šolta island) and fill the diesel tank there. It's not over yet. Split has grown into a major touristic destination in recent years so take your last night to explore it. If you did that on your first day than you might get an Uber ride and go to Trogir and learn why UNESCO thought it is worth protecting.
