A quick taste of Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast: Omis and Trogir
With such a great review and knowing Omis is less than two hours drive from Split airport, I couldn’t resist including a couple of nights here during my Croatia break. In fact, with the main highway hugging the coastline, our airport transfer made for a lovely introduction to the Dalmatian Coast, enjoying coastal views and passing a new bay at each turn. The coastal-highway traffic slows to a crawl as you reach Omis so it’s advisable to travel early to avoid the worst delays and be prepared to travel on foot or by bike once there. It is a lovely place: the canyon is as picturesque as promised, the old town is small but atmospheric with its maze of cobbled hillside streets, and there’s easy access to a long sandy-shingly beach stretching out to one side.
This beach is lovely but very busy in high season, so we wandered along the coast to neighbouring Brzet, home to a smaller pebble beach with fragrant, green pine trees edging the beach in a very cute fashion and providing some very welcome shade. There’s also a rather nice beach bar offering day beds, a great atmosphere and a lovely spot for sundowners. The water here is deeper, crystal clear and as the beach faces west the views of the mountains overlooking Omis are stunning. (Side note, the pebbles are sharp! Beach shoes are on sale in all the coastal towns for a reason and I highly recommend the investment.) Laying back in the water you can just about make out Starigrad Fortress, keeping watch over the town from a ridge 262 metres above.
To balance our beach time we took a very early morning walk to the Fortress, for which we were rewarded with stunning views across the coastline to the islands beyond. The light wasn’t in the right place for our photos, but the views were spectacular nevertheless.
Onto Trogir, a lovely medieval walled town sitting on its own tiny island, linked by bridges to the mainland and larger Ciovo Island. Just 30 minutes’ drive from Split, it makes a great alternative base - slightly smaller and less crowded, particularly at this time of year when Split can be crowded with cruise daytrippers.
As temperatures hit 38 degrees we worried the narrow alleys of the old town would feel oppressive but in fact the high limestone walls and marbled streets offered welcome respite from the heat of the day. The main thoroughfares were busy at times but it was easy to slip away via side alleys to find tranquil hidden spaces and feel like you had the place to yourself. Winding alleys link at open courtyards, home to cafes, bars, shops and restaurants. Large canopies protect from the heat of the day, packed away each evening to allow the night sky in. We had some fabulous meals – delicious breakfast, lunches, cakes and an amazing seafood platter for dinner. So fresh, just perfect! By day and night the courtyards are alive and atmospheric, as is the wide seaside promenade. It’s a lovely place and when you throw in a live band and mango daiquiri – well, you can’t ask for more from a holiday really.
Another ideal way to beat the heat of the day is to head to sea and that’s exactly how I spent my final afternoon, enjoying island hopping by speedboat. Crystal clear waters at the Blue Lagoon, fantastic panoramic views over Maslinica on Solta, and a peaceful, sheltered swim off the boat at Duga Bay before heading back to Trogir as the sun set. A very lovely trip that I would highly recommend!
