Islands of Brac and Hvar

From the coast of the Makarska Riviera as well as from Split you can take a boat trip to the islands of Brac and Hvar. The islands have a lot of small small towns, so routes may be different. We stopped in Jelsa (Hvar) and in Bol (Brac). It is worth saying that the islands are quite large and have almost no public transport. Therefore, if you want to travel around the islands, you will need to either come by ferry with a car/moped or take them at the spot. The islands are also ideal for hiking.

The most famous and interesting place on the island of Brac is the beach Zlatni rat (Gold horn). It can be seen on many brochures of Croatia. Beach is located 2 km from the town of Bol, where our ship stopped. Bol is located under the highest mountain of the island - Vidova Gora, with a height of 778 meters. In the town there is a Dominican monastery with a museum of different coins and other artifacts found in the sea.

However, when we got to the beach, we were slightly disappointed. Look closely at the picture, what looks strange?


All the beachgoers sit on the beach, no one in the water. The reason is simple, water is too cold. We were there in August, the hottest month, and swim just a couple of minutes. However, there is a positive side, the water is incredibly clear. Visibility is better than in the pool.

Hvar Island is known as the sunniest island of the Adriatic. 349 is the number of sunny days during a year. We visited the town of Jelsa. Other major towns are Hvar and Stari grad, but as for me, all of them looks the same.












There are a lot of lavender grown around the island, it became island's symbol and tourist souvenir.


From the sea is the best view of the Biokovo mountains








Leisure activities on the islands:
 - car rental costs $65 per day, scooter per $45 (there are also hourly rates)
 - in Hvar you can rent a boat and go to the Pakleni islands, they are very picturesque (photo). Rental costs from $70 to $150 per day with fuel, depending on the engine power. Better to rent not in the port, walk 500 meters to the south, there is cheaper. There are also water taxis which take you to the Pakleni islands.
 - Hvar has a fortress on the hill, which offers a scenic view of the city and the islands (photo)
 - the islands have many hiking and biking trails. Here are some useful links to route maps (link 1, link 2, link 3, link 4)

Getting there: In addition to pleasure boats there is a regular service.

Ferries:
Split - Stari Grad (Hvar) ($9, 2 hours, schedule), with a car $57.
Drvenik - Sucuraj (Hvar) (35 minutes, schedule)
Split - Supetar (Brac) ($5, 50 minutes, schedule), with a car $24.
Makarska - Sumartin (Brac) (60 minutes, schedule)

High-speed catamarans:
Split - Hvar (Hvar) - Vis (1 hour 10 minutes, schedule)
Split - Hvar (Hvar) - Vela Luka - Lastovo (1 hour 5 minutes, schedule)
Split - Bol (Brac) - Jelsa (Hvar) (schedule)

Companies with ferries and catamarans that go to the islands:
http://www.jadrolinija.hr/en/
http://www.krilo.hr/en/sailing_schedule.html
http://www.blueline-ferries.com/timetable
http://www.taxihvar.com