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1- Šolta
You can easily see Šolta island from Split’s port, but for some inexplicable reason it’s often overlooked in favor of its neighbors Hvar and Brač. People are missing out on this sleepy, laid-back place and its sheltered pebbly coves tucked into its southern coast – notably the turquoise waters of Senjska, Stračinska and Školjić.
Yachties might have already come across the village of Maslinica on the western coast, with its well equipped marina and deeply indented Šešula Bay nearby. Towards the eastern end, Stomorska is equally charming – it’s also close to some of the island’s wineries that produce the indigenous and full-bodied dobričić red wine. Stop by the convivial Kaštelanac Agroturizam for a wine tasting that includes homemade seafood pâtés and tapenades. In between are miles of olive groves that produce award-winning oil from indigenous Dalmatian varietals.
2- Brač:
The first image of Croatian beaches is usually that of Brač’s long V-shaped Zlatni Rat, whose tiny pebbles almost look like white sand. Not surprisingly, both the beach and its closest town, Bol, have become hotspots. To avoid the crowds, try some of the smaller villages along Brač’s jagged northern coast, including Pušćica, whose quarries produce the creamy Brač stone seen all over Dalmatia (and even the White House in Washington, DC). You can’t miss its handsome stonemason school, Klesarska Škola, lording it over the waterfront.
Over on the west coast, the relaxed village of Milna wraps itself around a deep harbor, while olive groves and vineyards stretch out around the surrounding countryside and offer gentle cycling. From here you can follow the dizzyingly twisting road for about 10 miles along the southern coast to reach a fascinating piece of Brač’s history, the UNESCO-listed Blaca Hermitage, built into the cliffs by 16th-century monks.
3- Hvar:
Lured by its hedonistic reputation, young tourists come flocking to Hvar Town in their droves. Away from the crowds, boat parties and it’s a different world of lavender fields, vineyards, pine forests, farm restaurants and olive groves.
See a mellower side of Hvar in Stari Grad, which, despite being on a main ferry route, is remarkably quiet. Explore its Venetian marble lanes before setting out for walks on Stari Grad Plain, a UNESCO-listed area of olive groves and vineyards created by the Greeks in the fourth century BCE. Carry on eastwards towards some of the smaller fishing villages – Jelsa and Milna both have lovely beaches. Vrboska is another one to add to your list – its white stone houses flank a canal which flows from the long, sinuous harbor.
CNN