Croatia is a wonderful destination for culture, nature and food lovers. The country has more than 1,000 islands and a large number of beautiful beaches with clear blue sea. According to many, the island of Brač features one of the most beautiful beaches in the Adriatic Sea: Zlatni Rat (the golden horn). Brač is a wonderful destination to add to your road trip through Croatia, as a day trip from the city of Split or to tour around for several days.
8 fun things to do on Brač
The landscape of Brač is characterized by a mountainous inland with forests and rugged cliff and pebble beaches on the coast. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxed. Don’t expect big parties or boulevards full of trendy clubs. Brač is an island where you can mainly enjoy nature and culture, eat delicious food and have a drink in the evening. But there are plenty of activities and sights for both young and old!
1. Swim at Zlatni Rat beach
This beautiful beach is considered one of the most beautiful in the Adriatic and is often the reason people visit Brač. The beach, the Golden Horn, gets its name from its pointed shape and warm-colored sand/pebbles. The setup of food and drink stalls does show that many tourists visit daily, but it’s still a fine beach to spend a (half) day. There are sunbeds and plenty of shade thanks to the trees.
The water is crystal clear and is great to cool off in during the hot summer days. The beach is also worth a visit in the late afternoon as it is a great spot for watching the sunset.
2. Enjoy one of the water sports
Because of the strong winds on the coast, Brač is a perfect place for various water sports such as windsurfing, kite surfing and parasailing. The activities are especially popular at Zlatni Rat beach which, with its typical pointed beach, catches the most wind. But you can also find along the coast cool air cushion water courses, SUP rentals and jet ski rentals.
3. Climb the highest mountain Vidova Gora
The mountainous inland of Brač has Vidova Gora as its peak. At 780 meters, the mountain is even the highest point of all islands in the Adriatic Sea. From the village of Bol is a hefty hike of about 3.5 hours on a fine hiking trail. In total, the distance is about 11 km to the top and back.
But climbing is not necessary to reach the top. You can also get there just fine by car, scooter or quad on a well-paved road.
4. Visit one of the wineries
Brač is also a wonderful destination for wine lovers. You can count on well-filled glasses of wine in restaurants and there are even several wineries on the island (where they generally serve slightly less full glasses).
The most famous wine tasting is Stina Winery on the boulevard of Bol. Also in the inland village of Nerežišća, you can put your taste buds to the test at Wine Tasting Brač. In addition, you will find another authentic small wine and olive oil store, Bijelo Vino, in the coastal town of Milna.
5. Discover the Blaca Monastery
In the south of the island, about 24 kilometers from Bol, lies the Blaca monastery. This monastery was founded almost 500 years ago, in 1551, by two Glagolitic monks. The monks and workers from the surrounding villages produced olive oil, wine, cheese, honey, vegetables and fruits there.
There are two ways to reach the hermitage from Bol. The coastal route can only be covered by quad or motorcycle thanks to the sandy road and is shorter in distance, but not necessarily in time. The inland route is suitable for any type of transport.
6. Swimming and snorkeling on beautiful beaches
Dozens of beautiful beaches surround the island. These are actually all pebble or cliff beaches with crystal clear turquoise water. The top most beautiful beaches, including Zlatni Rat, are located on the southern coast. Thus, Murvica Beach, Dračeva bay, Veli Zagradac and Martinica Beach are definitely worth a visit. This can be done by boat or follow the road from Bol towards the west. Only there is hardly any shade to be found on these little beaches, so bring a cap or umbrella and plenty of sunscreen!
In addition, Beach Rt Povlja, Beach Sveti Rok and Plaža Prvlja are beautiful beaches on the north coast.
Martinica Beach
Beach Rt Povlja
7. Stroll through the charming villages
The villages on Brač are characterized by picturesque streets with whitewashed limestone houses and small harbors with crystal clear water. If you have visited a few villages, you will see that they are quite similar! Yet each village has its own charm.
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One of the most popular and most visited villages on Brač is the southern coastal town of Bol. The biggest reason the village is much visited is because of the Zlatni Rat beach which is located just outside the residential areas.
On the southwest coast is the village of Milna with its beautiful harbor. Milna is one of the few places on the island where the Čakavian dialect is still spoken.
The largest town on Brač is the northern Supetar. With about 3,500 inhabitants, it feels a lot bigger and busier than most other villages. Supetar is especially popular with domestic tourists. Despite its “city” label, it still has a pleasant atmosphere.
Further east lie the smaller villages of Splitska, Postira, Pučišća and Povlja with beautiful little beaches in between.
On the east coast is the somewhat larger port town of Sumartin located with deserted cliff beaches here and there.
Also inland are a handful of small villages including Donji Humac where you can eat delicious food at Konoba Kopačina.
Pučišća
Bol
8. Visit the neighboring island of Hvar
Hvar is known as the party island of Croatia with Stari Grad as its bustling center. There is plenty to see and do and it is also a lovely island to spend a few days.
On Hvar there are even more wine tasting facilities as the landscape is better suited for growing grapes.
There are multi-day boats from Bol, among other places, to Jelsa, Hvar Town and Stari Grad on Hvar. Boats also depart regularly to and from Split.
Transportation on Brač
If you want to explore the island, it’s best to have your freedom and be flexible. There is public transportation on the island, but it is fairly limited. There are buses running several times a day, depending on the season, on the route from Supetar via Nerezisca and Gornji Humac to Bol and on the route from Supetar via Splitska, Postira and Pucisca to Selca, Povlja and Sumartin.
The easiest and most enjoyable way is to rent a car, scooter or even quad bike. If you want to explore island by car, it’s best to travel to Supetar where you have this possibility.
But you don’t necessarily need a car to explore Brač. Scooters, motorcycles and quads can be rented from Rentamotorino, which is located both in Supetar and Bol.
The roads on Brač are in excellent condition. In fact, all villages are perfectly accessible by car and scooter. On the south coast from Bol to Murvica in the west, the asphalt road turns into a sandy off-road route. This route can only be covered by foot, mountain bike or quad.
How many days on Brač?
So there is plenty to do and see on Brač and 3 to 4 days is perfect to explore the island. I can recommend combining Brač with Split and/or Hvar for a complete trip in Croatia.
Where to stay on Brač?
I would say that Bol is one of the nicest places to stay on Brač. It’s a very cozy and quiet place where the large amount of day-tourists at night gives way to a quiet promenade with cozy restaurants and a handful of cafes. The village is easy to reach with a direct connection from the mainland and there are plenty of accommodations for every budget.
As soon as you get off the boat, you find yourself right in the small harbor with a cozy promenade. Here there are numerous small cafes and restaurants. The boulevard street runs all the way to Zlatni Rat beach, about a 20-minute walk from the center.
It is also pleasant in the evening thanks to the various bars and cafes. For example, Varadero is a popular cocktail bar and at Marinero Cafe and Bar, under a large tree, you can also watch sports games on a big screen.
Supetar is also a nice, somewhat busier place, to stay on the island. Supetar houses one of the island’s few hostels, the Funky Donkey Hostel.
How to get there?
The nearest airport from Brač is Split. The bus from the airport to Split bus station goes about half an hour after each arrival. A ticket costs 45 kuna (€6) and the ride takes about half an hour.
From Split to Brač
The boat connection between Split and Brač is excellent. Catamarans sail several times a day from Split to Supetar, Bol and Sutivan. Tickets can be booked at the port, or easily through GetByFerry. The price is the same at the port and online. The catamarans take from half an hour to over an hour, depending on the route.
It’s also possible to get to Brac with your own car using one of the car ferries. These sail between Makarska and Sumartin and between Split and Supetar. In high season, be on time because the queues are quite long and full is full!
