Back to Brac

Kate Matthews on 19 September 2018
Croatia, where do I start? The 1,104 miles of rugged coastline, crystal clear waters perfect for snorkelling, island hopping adventures, national parks and waterfalls to swim in, fishing villages, medieval castles steeped in history, delicious local konobas to eat in, amazing wine. It sounds too good to be true - it’s not! There’s something here for everyone and its why I have returned time and time again.

This visit was a one-week trip with the family before the schools started back. I wanted to take the girls to the island of Brac, somewhere I had last visited 13 years ago and somewhere I vowed I would return to again one day.

We flew into Split and transferred to Split harbour where we caught the ferry to the island of Brac, the largest island of the central Dalmatian group of islands. The ferry transfer was very straight forward and took around approx. 1hr. You can either catch the car ferry which runs pretty much every hour and takes you to Supetar in the north of the Island or you can get the catamaran straight into Bol in the south of the island, but this runs less regularly.

We stayed in the resort of Bol, home to the famous Zlatni Rat beach otherwise known as the golden horn. The very tip of Zlatni Rat constantly changes its shape due to the influence of winds, waves and sea currents. This location is a protected natural area and a favourite spot for surfers and kite-surfers from around the globe. Zlatni Rat beach is only 2km from Bol. You can reach the beach either by car or take a leisurely 20-minute stroll along the coast through the shaded palm walk. During the summer months, every half an hour there is a small tourist train going to the beach, as well as tourist boats that take off from the port of Bol.

Our accommodation was situated between Bol town centre and Zlatni Rat, so each morning we would take a stroll and discover new and hidden beaches with lovely little beach bars. Beaches are mainly shingly/stony but comfortable enough to sunbathe on a towel and beds can be hired too. Bol town, although busier than I remember, still oozes charm and character and has a lovely selection of restaurants offering popular Croatian dishes as well as Italian food. You will always find a place to buy delicious ice cream to eat on the way home! My favourite restaurant was hotel Kastil, which was situated along the front but to be honest they were all lovely and in such a perfect setting.

We also hired a car for the day as I wanted to explore the West Coast of Brac and revisit a small village I had also visited 13yrs ago, Bobovisca. The drive only took us around 45 minutes before we arrived in the beautiful small village of Bobovisca. Nothing had changed here, and it was exactly as I remembered. Locals here are mainly engaged in fishing, wine and olive oil production and tourism. This place is ideal for a quiet holiday away from the city bustle, and swimming is possible in the area called Bobovisca na moru which is approximately 1km away from the village. We stopped off for a swim, there are platforms you can sunbathe on and this is where you access the sea, it’s gorgeous and quiet even in the height of the season. We had lunch in one of the only two konobas there. You can find accommodation in rooms and apartments, and the port is a perfect place for smaller boats.

Next stop Split, the second largest city in Croatia and a great place to see Dalmatian life as it’s really lived. Always buzzing, this exuberant city has just the right balance between tradition and modernity. Step inside Diocletian’s Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world’s most impressive Roman monuments) and you’ll see dozens of bars, restaurants and shops thriving amid the atmospheric old walls where Split has been humming along for thousands of years.

We stayed right in the centre of Split and had some fantastic views over the city. It’s an ideal spot to base ourselves for our last couple of nights as we booked onto a tour to visit KRKA national park for our last full day. KRKA is around an hour north of Split and the only national park in Croatia that allows you to swim in the waterfalls! On arrival we had a 30-minute boat ride along the river, I felt like Jane MacDonald on one of her river cruises! It was so beautiful and peaceful.

We arrived at the entrance to the National Park where you can decide on which walking route you wanted to do. There are a few options depending on how energetic you feel! You are left to your own devices once in the park, so you can either relax by the beautiful waterfalls, have lunch and a swim or take a casual meander through the park exploring off the beaten track and beautiful hidden oases of water. They aren’t designated swim areas, but you can pop in for a quick dip if you get too hot. We also found a small Water Mill museum on our trek and behind here were some great little places for a quick swim!

All in all, we all had a great time and the girls are sold on Croatia. We really packed a lot in for the week. You can keep visiting this country time and time again as there are so many beautiful, towns, villages, islands to experience. With a flight time of only 2hrs it’s not just a great destination for a summer break but also for a long weekend if you need a well-deserved rest!

If you would like to discuss your forthcoming travel plans please do get in touch, I’d love to help.