Croatia August 2023: Our Family Island Escape to Brač & Split

Croatia had been on our family wish list for a while, and in August 2023 we finally made it there. Our adventure started at Edinburgh Airport the night before our flight, using twilight check in. With bags dropped and boarding passes sorted, the stress melted away. The next morning we breezed through security, grabbed some breakfast in the departure area and boarded our on‑time Jet2 flight to Split.

Travel Day : flight to Split, coach to the ferry port, ferry across to Brač, then a minibus on to our resort. It was a long journey, but as the Dalmatian coastline came into view and the sea turned that incredible deep blue, it suddenly felt worth every connection. By the time we reached Milna, on the island of Brač, we were tired, sun‑kissed and completely in love with the scenery.

From Milna, the road to Osibova Bay is lined with 14 small stone chapels: the Stations of the Way of the Cross. Each one is different, and they quietly mark your way down towards the sea. At the end of the road, perched on the cliff edge, is the small church of St John the Baptist. Built in the 14th century and renovated in the 1990s, it looks out over Osibova Bay, simple and beautiful, with nothing but the water and the sky in front of it.

Our hotel had three outdoor pools and one indoor pool, but like so many places in Croatia, the real star was the sea. Around Brač it is all about the water: coves and harbours, little marinas, concrete platforms where you can slide into the deep blue, pebble beaches for a lazy afternoon, waterslides and inflatables to keep the children happy, fishing boats heading out in the early light and ferries gliding between the islands.

Croatia has the sort of crystal clear water that makes everyone, children and adults, want to jump straight in. People lay on the warm rocks sunbathing, paddleboards drifted past, swimmers climbed in and out using metal ladders fixed into the stone, and small boats came and went. The air smelled of pine and salt, and the loudest sound was the splash of someone diving into the sea.

The ferries make exploring easy. Jadrolinija ferries and catamarans run frequently from Split to Brač and on to other islands like Hvar and Korčula. Our ferry from Split to Supetar on Brač took about 50 minutes and cost just over six euros each way. From Supetar we caught the local bus across the island to Milna, around 40 to 45 minutes, passing olive groves, vineyards and stone villages clinging to the hillsides.

One day we took the bus back to Supetar, Brač’s main town and port. With around 3,500 inhabitants, it has a lovely balance of “proper place where people live” and “holiday town”. The harbour is perfect for a stroll, with ferries coming and going, and behind it a tangle of medieval streets hides cafés, restaurants and little shops. There is a coastal path, a pebble beach and that same mesmerising clear water. It is the kind of place where you stop for an ice cream and accidentally stay for hours.

Milna itself stole our hearts. The Venetians called it “Valle di mille navi” – the bay of a thousand ships – and you can see why. The harbour curves gently around the water, with stone houses lining the front, their shutters thrown open to the sun. Two marinas welcome yachts and sailing boats, and the village church, with its typically Dalmatian bell tower, looks down on it all. We bought pastries from the local bakery, lingered over simple meals in small restaurants and slipped into nearby coves whenever the heat became too much.

Another day we caught the catamaran from Milna to Hvar, paying around 15 euros each way. Hvar Town felt instantly different: busier, glossier, with sleek yachts in the marina and a lively buzz in the streets. We wandered past shops, bars and restaurants, and climbed up to the Spanish Fortress for those famous views over the harbour, the sea dotted with boats and islets like stepping stones.

Back on the mainland, Split became more than just our arrival and departure point. Diocletian’s Palace, right on the harbour front, is extraordinary: an ancient Roman complex that today is alive with shops, bars, hotels and winding lanes. Game of Thrones fans will recognise it as Meereen, and the Game of Thrones museum inside the palace is a fun extra for anyone who loves the series. Outside the palace walls, Split’s seafront promenade, market, beaches and marinas give it a relaxed, Mediterranean feel, with ferries and cruise ships constantly on the move.

By the time we retraced our steps to the airport – ferry from Supetar to Split, transfer along the coast, flight home – Croatia had quietly woven itself into our family story. We came for the sunshine and the sea, but we left with memories of tiny stone chapels on a hill road, the smell of pine at Osibova Bay, sleepy bus journeys across Brač, and warm evenings wandering harbours as the sky turned pink.

It is a place that suits families who like a bit of adventure with their relaxation, and who are happy to trade a simple rocky cove and a ladder into deep blue water for a sunlounger and sand. For us, Croatia was all about the journey as much as the destination, and we would go back in a heartbeat.

Croatia’s combination of clear blue water, good ferry connections and characterful old towns makes it ideal for families who enjoy exploring as well as relaxing. Whether you choose to base yourselves on Brač, add in Hvar or other islands, or combine with Split on the mainland, there are so many ways to tailor the trip to suit your family.

If you would like to create your own Croatian island adventure, I can help you design the perfect itinerary: from flights and transfers to island choices, hotels, day trips and ferries, all tailored around your family’s needs.

Contact me to start planning your Croatia escape.