Secrets of Croatia
The Croatian city of Split is the ideal springboard for diving into the Adriatic. To explore the isles off the Dalmatian coast, simply jump on a ferry from the harbour in Split city centre. Who better than Peterjon Cresswell, author of Time Out Croatia, to give us an insider’s guide to island hopping
words by Peterjon Cresswell
For total escape / Mljet
Accessible from Split by taking a ferry from Korcula or Dubrovnik to Sobra, the main port, the wild, verdant island of Mljet is certainly worth the journey. Not as developed as the main tourist draws nearer the mainland, Mljet has a beautiful national park with two adjoining lakes and the remains of a medieval monastery in the middle. Although the national park, which covers almost a third of the island, is popular with tourists in high season, the rest of the island, with its pine forests and families of mongoose, is practically empty.
At the lesser-known eastern end, secluded sandy beaches await at Saplunara. The most beautiful one, at Blace, attracts nudists. There are also wonderful hiking trails from the main lake, Veliko Jezero: a path leads up to Montokuc, which is 250m high and offers superb views of Mljet and Korcula beyond. Hiking maps are available from the main tourist centres of Polace and Pomena. Try the restaurant at Hotel Odisej, the only hotel on the island.
For somewhere to dine with a great view, Mali Raj (meaning Little Paradise) is right on the lake. Although there are no clubs or bars on Mljet, if you’ve had enough of solitude and you fancy a little nightlife you can enjoy the lively music and crowds at Komarac, a bar with a panoramic view of the island’s administrative capital, Babino Polje.
For celeb-spotting / Hvar
The party island of Hvar attracts some serious celebrity attention as well as members of the moneyed yachting fraternity. Centred around the pretty Venetian port of Hvar town, the island is an easy, regular hop from Split – it’s either just under an hour by hydrofoil or just under two by car ferry. Car ferries dock at Stari Grad, a short drive from the island’s capital. The summer party crowd gather at key spots like the cocktail bar and DJ club Carpe Diem on the harbour, where the VIP area gets very busy. Drop by during the day and put your name on the door list for that evening. Bookings manager Ivan has a few tales to tell – apparently Roman Abramovich insisted on bottles of the best vodka, while Gérard Depardieu wanted the most basic house wine.
Other hangouts include the stark, white pre-club bar Zimmer Frei, just off the main square, and the landmark Kavana Pjaca on the square itself. Dining takes place in a nearby street parallel to the square: Petra Hektorovica, also called Groda. The main restaurants here are Macondo, known for its excellent seafood and starched white tablecloths, and the more laid-back Luna, with its roof terrace. A short walk around the coast from the Hotel Amfora, 10 minutes from Hvar town, is beach bar Hula Hula, a post-party destination that’s popular with locals.
After a night out in Hvar town, take the 30-minute boat taxi to the beaches of the Pakleni Islands: there’s a sandy one at Palmizana and a naturist one at Jerolim.
Jelsa on Hvar’s north coast is the other main destination. Here, the foreign crowds head for British-owned Vertigo, which has DJs flown in from London, or Dgigibaoo, where you can relax with a cocktail on the waterfront terrace.
For history (and getting naked) / Korcula
Two hours from Split by catamaran in summer, Korcula was named ‘Black Corfu’ by Greek settlers and then governed by the Venetians, who built the Old Town in a herring-bone pattern to protect it from the fierce bura (wind) and burning sun. The beautiful medieval centre is almost perfectly preserved. By St Mark’s Cathedral, a masterwork by local stonemason Marko Andrijic, the Town Museum contains remnants from Greek, Roman and Venetian times, and much is made of Korcula’s (somewhat sketchy) connection to the explorer Marco Polo.
The island of Badija, where free-roaming deer are fed by sunburned naturists, is just a short taxi-boat ride away, and the crystal-clear bay at Pupnat on the south shore is perfect for swimming. Vela Luka, where the car ferry from Split docks, is handy for Proizd and Osjak, two small islands popular with naturists for their pristine white-pebble beaches. For quality dining, head to Morski Konjic at the northern edge of the Old Town, where you can enjoy great seafood on the sea-facing terrace. A more modest establishment of the same name can be found in the heart of the Old Town.
For families / Brac
Less than an hour from Split by ferry or catamaran, Brac is one of the few Croatian islands to be equipped with an airport, and it boasts what many consider to be the best beach in the whole of the Adriatic. Unsurprisingly, it’s the first choice for most visiting families. The beach, Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape), is a finger of fine shingle, the shape of which changes according to the tides. Gentle winds and high waves further out attract teenage windsurfers, while younger children can play on something more user-friendly than the stones you find on most Croatian beaches. All of this is only a short walk from Bol, one of two family-friendly resorts on Brac.
As well as the bars and restaurants around the harbour – Caffe Bar Loza with its home-made doughnuts and the tree-shaded Konoba Mlin are both good – Bol offers a fabulous view of the whole island. Head for the baroque church Our Lady of Mount Carmel, then keep walking and you’ll reach Vidova Gora, the highest point on Brac, with the Vladimir Nazor bar-restaurant at the top.
Supetar on the north coast appeals to an older party crowd, with a line of bars that runs down Put Vele Luke near the city beach. Pick of the bunch are the Caffe Bar Monaco and cocktail bar Bolero, with its scenic terrace for sundowners. Just above the harbour, Jastog is the best choice for meat and seafood prepared in the traditional way (under a metal bell on hot coals). Child-friendly shingle beaches beckon just west of the harbour.
For hipsters / Vis
The distant outpost of Vis is the place everyone’s talking about. A former army base that was closed off to Westerners when Croatia was part of Tito’s Yugoslavia, Vis’s very exclusivity has made it the place to go for famous actors, musicians and DJs. The action is centred on two harbours at either end of this remote, rocky outcrop: Vis town and Komiza. Ferries take two hours to make the regular journey from Split to Vis town, and there are also catamarans in summer. Buses and taxis serve the 20-minute route between Vis town and Komiza.
Eating options abound at Kut, near Vis town harbour, including the homely Pojoda and the superbly located Val. If you want to splash out, head for the Villa Kaliopa, halfway between Kut and the harbour. Have a drink in Katarina, near the ferry port, before following the party crowd to Lambik to listen to local DJs. For something more refined, Kantun, between Kut and the harbour, offers the best local Vugava wine.
Komiza boasts some of the best-known restaurants in Croatia, in particular the Konoba Jastozera, a lobster house where the dining tables are set on platforms above the waves. Crabs, clams and octopus are also available. Skor is the key bar here, although the Caffe Bar Bejbi should definitely be part of any bar crawl.
For daytime attractions, head to the famous Blue Cave of Bisevo, a little island just a short hop from Komiza. Excursions leave Komiza at 9am every day to see the submerged side entrance to the cave, which is bathed in fabulous blue light shortly after 11am.
plan your trip
Getting to the islands
Most ferries and catamarans are run by Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr). Foot passenger fares are deliberately kept affordable for locals – a one-way ticket to Brac, Hvar or Vis will cost about 30 kuna (¤4). The timetable is also scheduled to suit working locals; some services leave Split very early in the morning. Bear in mind that there might not be any more convenient options later in the day.
Staying in Split
For an overnight stay on the mainland, Split has a number of options. The brand new five-star spa hotel Le Méridien Lav (www.lemeridien.com/split ) is a short taxi ride from town. The Hotel Peristil (www.hotelperistil.com ) offers comfortable lodgings in a central and atmospheric location near Diocletian’s Palace in the city centre. For something simpler, the Adriana (www.hotel-adriana.hr) has reasonably priced rooms above a popular restaurant and pizzeria overlooking the waterfront, and it’s just a short walk from the harbour.
Staying on the islands
In high season many visitors opt for a private room in a family house – travel agencies by the main points of arrival can provide details and arrange bookings. In the off and shoulder seasons there are bargains to be had at the resort hotels; most offer half and full-board add-ons. Details on resort hotels close to Zlatni Rat beach on Brac can be found at www.zlatni-rat.hr.Suncani Hvar (www.suncanihvar.hr) runs a group of hotels on Hvar. The best accommodation on Vis is at the Hotel Paula in Vis town (www.paula-hotel.htnet.hr). The HTP Group (www.htp-korcula.hr) runs the resort hotels on Korcula. The only hotel on Mljet is Hotel Odisej (www.hotelodisej.h).
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