The island of Brač
Brač (pronounced BrACH, for our fellow English speaking friends) is the closest island to Split, and before visiting, I had only explored the island of Hvar—which was incredibly impressive—so I was eager to return to the region. However, when we asked locals which island they preferred, Brač won by a landslide. So, we hopped on a ferry, and within an hour, we found ourselves on the shores of Supetar.
The first time we visited, we stayed in Supetar, bringing along a cooler packed with lunch and drinks. We spent the day lounging on the beach, swimming with Vannah, sipping cold Croatian beer, and enjoying homemade sandwiches. We didn’t stray far from the beach, but it was exactly what we needed.
After chatting with our friend Ema (also our Airbnb host in Split), we realized we had barely scratched the surface and needed to explore more of the island. On our return trip, we rented a car for the day. The island isn’t large—you can drive from coast to coast in under an hour—so we decided to explore.
Our first stop was the small village of Škrip, where a hand painted sign caught our eye: “Olive Oil, Prosciutto, Wine, Cheese.” Intrigued, we stopped at what turned out to be an older couple’s home, where they hosted a charming little restaurant in their garden. The area had about seven tables nestled among grapevines and lime trees. They served us prosciutto, cheese, wine, and dried dates, all homemade, followed by a platter of grilled meats with ajvar, homemade EVOO, and fresh bread. The lunch experience was so perfect (and so filling), we canceled our dinner plans on the spot.
We spent the rest of the day driving along the olive tree lined coast, stopping at pretty swim spots for dips with Vannah. Our final destination was Bol, where we walked along the Riva, and spent time by the water as the sun began to set.
Brač is less popular with tourists, but its location is perfect. It’s the closest island to Split, yet right next to Hvar and Šolta, making it easy to hop between islands and return to Split with minimal effort.
Despite its rich cultural heritage, Brač is most famous for its beach Zlatni Rat in Bol, often listed among the world’s ten most beautiful beaches. Sadly, dogs aren’t allowed on Zlatni Rat, but we didn’t mind—it’s known to be crowded and can be expensive to access. If you go by car, there’s a fee to enter the area, and if by boat taxi from Supetar or Bol, expect higher fares. Supply and demand, after all.
We plan to return to Brač soon, and to dine again at the home of the couple from Škrip. As we were leaving, their daughter drove up and we chatted as she was very fluent in English, unlike her parents. We exchanged numbers and she is expecting my call a couple days in advance of our next trip so that they can prepare the Peka. More about that soon…
