It is impossible to talk about Split and its tourism without Brač. The island located just 50 minutes of the ferry ride from Split has a lot to offer. Brač features imposing history, beautiful buildings, interesting culture and beaches.
I decided to visit Brac on April 15, 2019.
Table of Contents
How to arrive to Brac
The most common way to arrive in Brač is ferry transportation. Ferries depart from the Split ferry port and arrive at the port in Supetar, the nearest Brac town. The ride to Supetar takes 45 minutes and the ticket price is 28 kuna (4.25 euros). You can buy a ticket online through Jadrolinija online shop, or in the shop at the port. If you are not well acquainted with Split's ferry port, follow the signs that will lead you to the ferry for Supetar. Jadrolinija ticket shop is just nearby.
I took the ferry which departed at 9:00 am. The trip to Supetar was comfortable, although it was windy. I wanted to stay outside to enjoy a beautiful view of the Adriatic coast. Variable spring weather forced some travellers to go inside the ferry.
Brač can be also reached by ferries from Makarska.
Arrival to Supetar
Supetar gave me an impression of a clean and decorated small town. I was impressed by the quality of the buildings and houses. The most common building material is so-called the stone of Brac ("Brački kamen"). Famous Croatian renaissance architects used that material to build monumental objects; for example, Juraj Dalmatinac used it for the construction of the cathedrals in Sibenik, Trogir and Split.
Things to do in Supetar
Just near the ferry port in Supetar, there is the main town square with the monumental church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. The church was constructed as a three-nave basilica in Baroque style. It was built at the remains of the old Roman church.
Together with the bell and clock towers, the church makes a unique architectural ensemble.
There are pieces of evidence that people lived in Supetar during the Roman age. The most important is the remains of the Roman basilica in the place of today's church and the remains of ancient walls in today's graveyard.
In the early Middle Ages, Supetar was a refuge place for the inhabitants of Split who fled to the islands in front of barbarian attacks.
Later in Middle Ages, Supetar was conquered by Venice.
From the 18th century till today Supetar has become the biggest town in Brac, with around 4000 people living there during the whole year. It is currently the only urban area on Brač, while the other inhabited places don't have the status of a town.
I recommend you to take a two-hour walk around Supetar called "Cultural trip", which is guided by educational boards, explaining interesting sights on the way. Many sights are related to Ivan Rendić, one of the most famous Croatian sculptors from Supetar.
There are two prominent beaches in the city centre: Vlačica and Banj. I will write more about these this summer because, at the time of writing (April), most beach facilities are closed.
Second day's visit to Brac
I decided to come back to Brac on April 16, 2019, a day after the first visit. This time I brought my car with me. The ferry ticket price for one direction for a car only was around 16 euros. I needed my car to visit other distant places in Brac, for example, Bol, Sutivan, and Postira. These places can also be reached by bus, but outside the summer season, there are not many lines. Most of them are arranged for elementary school students and their schedules.
Another option was to rent a car in Brač, which is not bad at all, but since I had a car in Split, it was a more comfortable option for me to bring it to the island.
Sutivan
I decided to visit Brac coastal places one by one, by making a circle around the island. The first interesting settlement located western of Supetar was Sutivan (or how locals call it "Stivan"). Sutivan is a peaceful place ideal for those who want to enjoy a quiet vacation and clean sea. There are no commercials, nightclubs or any kind of unnecessary noise.
Roads in the centre of Sutivan are narrow, so it is not really car friendly, especially if there is high traffic. I recommend leaving a car outside of the centre or arriving by using another form of transportation.
There are two monumental buildings worth mentioning: church of Blessed Virgin and church of St. Roko. Both of them feature bell towers, which can be noticed if you look at the settlement from the sea. Both churches are built in the Baroque style.
A few kilometres south of Sutivan and northern to Milna, there are a few small settlements: Bobovišće and Bobovišće on the sea. The latter is famous for the house of famous Croatian poet Vladimir Nazor. Since my time on the island was limited and I had still a few destinations to visit, I skipped these small places and continued to Milna.
Milna
Unlike previously mentioned settlements, Milna is a bigger place with more liveliness. I could already notice some foreign visitors. Most of the bars were already open, despite the season hasn't started yet.
The most monumental building in the settlement is the Baroque church.
Zlatni Rat
After visiting Milna it was time for me to visit the top destination of my whole trip: beach Zlatni Rat.
The trip from Milna to Bol and Zlatni Rat took an hour and at times was uncomfortable. Roads in the middle of the island were somehow tight.
That was not the case when I returned back from Bol to Supetar when the road was really good.
Parking at the beach was free since there were only a few visitors and guests of the hotel near the beach.
The view of the beach made me really impressed. It is a real pearl of the Adriatic coast. Its unique appearance, perfectly preserved nature and crystal clear sea make it the most beautiful beach in Croatia.
Bol
Center of Bol is one kilometre away from beach Zlatni Rat.
Bol was awarded many times as a top Croatian tourist destination. After my visit, it was quite clear to me why.
Everything in the town was clean and in its place. All the houses and the buildings had a well-decorated façades. The place has left me the impression of a real idyll.
There were quite a lot of visitors in the place enjoying sunny spring day, just like me.
When taking into account a fact that Bol is becoming overcrowded during the months of July and August, I recommend you to consider a visit outside peak season. You could feel and enjoy the intimacy of this beautiful tourist spot.
Conclusion of my visit
After spending two days in Brac, I can say I really liked the island. I liked the houses, beaches, Meditteranean atmosphere, and the culture. If you are spending your holidays in Split, then consider taking at least a day visit to Brac. Explore interesting Supetar's architecture and enjoy the beauty of beach Zlatni Rat.
Zvonimir Peran 2023-03-03
I enjoy Croatia, beautiful country with interesting places, history, culture, and people. I want you to enjoy it as well.
Contact me on email info@croatia-tourism.com, or using the form below.
