Split and Central Dalmatia Feature

Central Dalmatia warrants weeks of discovery; even many locals admit that they haven't even seen it all. However, if your time is limited, the itineraries listed below aim to give you a taste of the major attractions.

If You Have 3 Days

Devote Day 1 to Split, exploring the historic monuments within the walls of Diocletian's Palace and attending an open-air opera performance if the Split Summer Festival is in progress. On the next day, take an early morning ferry to Supetar on the island of Brac, then a local bus to Bol, for an afternoon bathing on Croatia's finest beach, Zlatni Rat. Catch the late-afternoon catamaran to Jelsa on the island of Hvar, then a local bus to Hvar Town, the region's hippest island resort, where you should sleep. Next morning, either check out Hvar's Venetian-style architecture or take a taxi boat to Pakleni Otoci for a swim. Catch the late-afternoon ferry back to Split for your final night.

If You Have 5 Days

Spend your first day in Split. On the next morning, drive or take a local bus to Trogir, a compact settlement of stone houses built on an island linked to the mainland by a bridge, then proceed up the coast for an afternoon in Sibenik, where the most-visited monument is the Gothic-Renaissance cathedral. Spend the night in either Sibenik or Skradin. Give Day 3 to the waterfalls and dense woodland of Krka National Park, returning to Split for the night. Days 4 and 5 should be dedicated to the islands of Brac and Hvar, returning to Split for the final night.

If You Have 7 Days

Spend your first day in Split, the second and third days in Trogir, Sibenik, Skradin, and Krka National Park, as outlined above, returning to Split on the third night. Days 4 and 5 can then be given over to the islands of Brac and Hvar returning to Split for the fifth night. On the next morning, either drive or take a local bus down the coast to Omis, from which you can set off up the Cetina Valley and participate in adventure sports (by prior arrangement). In the evening continue down the coast to Makarska, where you should sleep. The final day you can explore Makarska and its beaches, or venture up Biokovo Mountain for spectacular views over the entire region. Return to Split for your last night.