Travel Dates: September 2024
Things to do in Split
Klis Fortress – ~20 minute drive outside of Split city center, this medieval fortress offers beautiful views of Split as well as a nice stop for Game of Thrones fans (it was used as a location for the city of Meereen). We spent about an hour here, making it a great quick trip.
There is a free small parking area at the base of the fortress–we had to wait 10 minutes for a spot to open up. From there, it’s a 5 minute walk uphill to the fortress where you can buy tickets for €10 per person. Halfway uphill, there are two free portable toilets (with a sink) to use.
Marjan Hill Stairs (Marjanske stube) – This short hike up a staircase leads to an observation deck with a city view of Split. From our hotel, Galeria Valeria, it was only 7 minutes one way. Follow Google Maps as it’s very straightforward.
We enjoyed the views from Klis Fortress more, but Marjan Hill is much more convenient and free if you’re in Split.
Diocletian’s Palace (Dioklecijanova palača) – These ancient Roman ruins (now part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites) used to be the residence of Emperor Diocletian, and are free for visitors to view. It’s located right in downtown Split and easily walkable.
Things to do outside of Split
Day trip to the islands near Split – I highly recommend taking a ferry or booking a day tour to visit the islands off of Split, as they are beautiful. We booked a Viator tour that allowed us to see multiple islands, and we thought it was decent.
TLDR: The pros of our Viator tour were the ability to see a lot in one day (4 islands: Brac, Pakleni, Hvar, and Solta) and the small group size of 12 people. The cons were we wished we had a chance to spend more time to explore Brac and Hvar, and there was a lot of additional out of pocket costs. This is not a guided tour, but more of a private transportation that drops you off at each island to give you free time to do whatever you want. If you do book this tour, I would recommend you do some quick research on what you want to see in Brac and Hvar so you can use the most of your time there.
1st stop: Brac – It’s a 1 hr speed boat ride from Split to Brac, and the main attraction here is Zlatni Rat, which is known for its distinct pointed tip beach. The shape and length of the tip of the beach changes depending on tide, current, waves, and wind. It takes ~25-30 minutes to walk one way to the beach from the pier or you can take a “train” for 10 minutes. The train is right at the pier and costs €4 one way per person or €6 round trip. It leaves the pier and the beach every half hour (we left the pier at 10am and took the 11am train back). Since we only had 2 hours at Brac, we only had time to spend about an hour at Zlatni Rat and then walked around at the pier.
2nd stop: Pakleni Islands – A 30-45 minute boat ride from Brac, there isn’t much to do at this stop. You have the option to go to Carpe Diem Beach Club, but we were informed by the tour guide that it’s expensive and our time would be better spent near the shores.
If swings over the water are your thing, then you’re in luck! One is (strategically) located right next to the docks, where all the tourists get on and off the island.
We were able to get away from the crowd and found a quiet spot with large boulders along the shore to sunbath and snorkel. The waters are clear for snorkeling but there are a lot of sea urchins here so be careful where you walk or bring water shoes. The best thing about this stop is there is a free bathroom right outside the beach club.
3rd stop: Hvar – 5 minutes from Pakleni, Hvar was our favorite island on the tour. We had 2 hours here, and while most people used this time to get lunch, we decided to hike up to a castle viewpoint of the city (we bought pastries at a supermarket in Brac and ate it in Pakleni).
If you follow Google Maps towards Fortica Fortress, you’ll reach a fork where you can either turn right to the “Free Hvar Viewpoint” or continue straight to the “Castle Viewpoint.” Hiking to the “Free Hvar Viewpoint” from the harbor and back to where the fork is takes about 15 minutes. If you continue from there to the “Castle Viewpoint” and back down to the harbor, it’s another 25 minutes. Overall, budget about an hour for the round trip, including time for photos and enjoying the scenery. The views of Hvar are stunning and definitely worth the trek. We found the “Castle Viewpoint” more enjoyable than “Free Hvar Viewpoint” because there are shaded benches, but it is more crowded.
4th stop: Solta Island – For the final stop, we anchored the boat in an alcove for 30 minutes so the group can swim and snorkel. The water is deep here and there are no life jackets provided, although you can borrow snorkeling goggles. The water is very clear, calm, and beautiful at this stop, and we did get to see a decent amount of fish while snorkeling. It took an hour to get back to Split, and we finished the tour just before 6pm.
There are a few important things to note about this tour:
- There are no free bathrooms anywhere on the trip except for Pakleni Island. You will have to go to a restaurant and order food/drinks to use their bathroom on Brac or Hvar. And since Solta doesn’t dock on land, you’ll need to wait until you get back to Split if you need the restroom.
- The directions on Viator said to meet at the tour company building for pick-up, but look out for messages on Whatsapp the night before with updated directions to meet at the pier where all the Split boat trip booths are (they were booth #5).
Eye of Croatia (Eye of Kroatien) – ~1.5 hours from Split, the “Eye of Croatia” is a blue and turquoise colored spring that is shaped as an eye. Although the view is beautiful, the location is very remote and you can’t swim in the spring as it’s used for drinking water by the locals. Because of this, it isn’t worth the long trip just to spend only a few minutes there. If you do decide to visit, be mindful that it’s a one lane road so there will be oncoming traffic and bikers.
Using Google Maps, it will take you to the observation deck where you can see a path to walk down to the spring. In our opinion, the best viewpoint is actually further up the hill behind a home/barn. When walking on the grass, be careful of all the animal droppings on the ground.
Rizman Winery – If you’re driving from Dubrovnik to Split or vice-versa, you’ll pass by this winery. And if you have the time, it’s worth the stop for the beautiful views. Reservation is needed to get a seat with the view, otherwise you’ll have a seat on the side but can walk over to the deck to enjoy the views. Wine is very reasonably priced at €5 – €7 for a small glass–we enjoyed their white wine, Rizman Nonno 2022. Do be careful when driving here as it’s one lane with oncoming traffic.
Where to eat in Split
Buffet Fife – This restaurant is conveniently next door to our hotel. We ordered cuttle fish squid ink risotto, pašticada with gnocchi, and grilled sea bass. I highly recommend the pašticada as the sauce for this stewed beef dish was delicious. They do not take reservations so be prepared to wait if you’re looking for outdoor seating after 6pm, or you can sit inside without much of a wait.
Kuzina – We ordered a limeoncello spritz, Wannabe cocktail (gin-based), and amberjack fish. The Wannabe cocktail was delightful and the fish was good, although a bit overcooked. I really enjoyed the potatoes and purées that came with the fish–the flavors were a great complement to the amberjack. They do take reservations online but when we went at 7:30pm, it was rather empty.
Zlatna Ribica – This cash-only restaurant is known for its seafood platter of fried fish, calamari, and shrimp. There’s constantly a line outside the store as they do not take reservations and they only have 6 tables (total of 22 seats) inside. We arrived around 8:15pm and had to wait ~30 minutes to get a table. All in all, the seafood platter is plentiful and worth a try if you crave fried fish.
Sandwich Bar Rizzo – If you want a great bang for your buck, I recommend this eatery. They sell large, inexpensive and delicious sandwiches which you can decide what toppings to include.
Kantun Paulina – This cash-only eatery is known for its ćevapi sandwich. While the meat and paprika sauce were delicious, we found the bread to be a bit soggy (maybe it was because we got it to-go).
Where to stay in Split
Galeria Valeria – We chose this hotel for its convenient location by the pier and downtown area. The hotel entrance is on the street Solurat Ulica, in an “alleyway” that is not accessible for vehicles. They do have reserved spots at a parking garage nearby, but they ran out when we arrived.
Although our room had a nice balcony with a sea view, it could be loud at times because it was facing the main street. Also the curtains in the room aren’t thick so light would shine in. The other crucial thing to note is you will have to pay city tax upon arrival and they only take cash.
In terms of parking, we were very lucky to find parking on the street near the hotel. Street parking meters are in effect from 7am – 7pm and is supposedly cheaper than the garages–we only had to pay €1 an hour, with max €12 a day. We were able to leave our car there for the duration of our trip in Split. You just have to make sure you pay at the meter starting 7am everyday, and leave the receipt on your dashboard.
Globe Trotter 