One day on the island

Šolta, an island located very close to Split, Dalmatia's administrative and cultural center, is the perfect getaway or day-trip spot. It is only 16 kilometers (about 8 nautical miles) away from Split, a 30-minute ride on the catamaran or a 50 minute car-ferry ride. If you fancy being physically active or maybe simply like to relax and enjoy the nature, visit this peaceful oasis, with its stunning beaches, unspoiled nature, miles of walking and biking paths, Mediterranean architecture, authentic atmosphere and home-made cooking.  

Šolta is famous for its top-quality extra-virgin olive oil, medicinal honey, authentic top-quality wine variety and locally produced goods. If you are infatuated with culture and history- this is certainly a place for you. This island has been claimed by nations since the Ancient Greeks, with the Roman Emperor Diocletian finding it the most peaceful and perfect spot to build his fish-pond. The legend says that Illyrian Queen Teuta built a castle on the slopes of Senjska alcove, but the fact certainly is that noted Renaissance poets found their muses here. 

Relish in its peace, explore this beautiful oasis, get active and reward yourself and your palate with divine tastes of honey and wine! And all of this is just a short summer car-ferry ride away from Split. Have a cup of coffee, feel the summer breeze against your skin, take a selfie to preserve the moment and dive into your day on a magical island that will, most definitely, make you want to come back. Discover why. As you get of the car-ferry in Rogač, you will find two buses, one taking you the east side of the island (to a town called Stomorska) and another one to the west side (to a town called Maslinica). Pick a bus and start you island adventure!

If you choose to spend your day in Rogač (where the ferry port is), we suggest you go for a swim at one of the local beaches (such as Kašjuni, Garma or Banje). If you are in need of information, brochures, advice or recommendations, head on over to the Tourist Information Center located in the center of the town!

This small town is home to three small restaurants, and Grohote- Šolta's largest town, is only a light, 10 minute walk away. Once there, you can enjoy the beauty of traditional Dalmatian architecture or visit the atelier of a local naive painter. Find a family-run farm that produces honey and learn something new about the world of bees. 

If you choose the bus that takes you to Stomorska, it will also take you through the towns of Grohote, Nečujam and Gornje Selo.

Nečujam is Šolta's largest alcove very popular with boaters, due to the safety they provide. This is the town with the longest history of tourism on the island, its beauty so great that is inspired the works of famous Croatian writers Marko Marulić and Petar Hektorović. In the center is a large pebble beach, several restaurants, a shop, some souvenir stands and a tourist office. 

The next town on the way to Stomorska is Gornje Selo, a small medieval town known for its long and illustrious tradition of olive and wine growing. Come visit the local taverns (called konoba) and an olive oil refinery and get a unique souvenir to remind you of your stay here on the island! 

The last stop is Stomorska, a small fisherman village and one of Šolta's old ports for skillful seamen who traded with the island’s limestone, olive oil and wine. The old stone houses are now neighbors to restaurants and konobas, a tourist agency, a souvenir shop, an Info center, and a multitude of private apartments and a small camp. Stomorska has several small beaches. The first, pebbly Điga, waits for you at the end of the waterfront (Riva). If you continue along the Riva, you will find beautiful natural stone plates, made for sunbathing and jumping into the sea. The pine forest on the other side of the alcove hides Veli Dolac and Zadušna beaches.

If you choose to explore the other side of the island, the bus will take you through Grohote, and then through Donje and Srednje Selo. Both of these medieval villages located in the Šolta Field (Šoltansko Polje) and towered over by local churches. If you choose to walk through these picturesque villages, you will be astonished by idyllic stone houses and konobas, and their Dalmatian rural architecture. These villages have no restaurants of shops, but if you take a walk through them, you will come across an atelier of a local painter of stunning renovated Dalmatian villas that can be rented.

The very west end of Šolta houses Maslinica, and its breathtaking archipelago of Seven islets, referred to as Maslinica's Islands (Maslinički škoji). The first thing to catch your eye when you arrive is the, now restored, Martinis Marchi castle. This luxury hotel used to be a fortress that defended the town against pirate attacks. This village came to be precisely in 18th century, when the Marchi family had columns shipped from the Dalmatian Inland to build their castle. Tourism is still a big part of Maslinica's life, so restaurants, shops, a marina, an exchange office and an Info center will not be far from your reach. Local beaches by the marina and on the opposite side of the Punta alcove are just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. And in close proximity, you will find Šipkova and Šešula alcoves, that you can explore by bike or by kayak that you can rent in the village.