Destination of February: Brač, Croatia
Dreaming of a secluded European getaway? Escape to this Adriatic island for fabulous beaches, rich history, and fresh seafood.
The bluest water I’ve ever seen (& I’ve seen a lot of blue water), the most pršut (prosciutto) I’ve ever eaten in one week, the little quirks and playfulness I encountered daily, these are some reasons why Croatia was one of my favourite countries. Plus, the majority of Croatians working in hospitality and tourism speak English, which makes communication pretty easy. I fully plan on returning and renting a house to be a digital nomad recluse for a month at some point.
Today, I’m sharing all my tips, tricks, recs, and a fire Airbnb wishlist for the stunning Adriatic island off the Croatian coast called Brač.
Check out the island’s past here if you consider yourself a history buff.
Welcome to Brač, Croatia!
Note: I know that it is no longer February, but don’t worry, I will still have a March Destination of the Month for you in 2 weeks. For now, let’s dive in.
WHEN TO TRAVEL
Let me preface this whole guide by saying, the island of Brač is very much a summer destination. Everything from restaurants, shops, and transportation essentially shuts down in the off season. April – October is when everything is up and running so keep that in mind.
The recommended time frames to visit are:
May - mid July and late August – mid October
HOW TO GET THERE
Don’t be deterred by the following cautionary tale. Great advice and better routes are provided after:
Getting to Brač was single-handedly the most chaotic 48 hours of my life. I flew from Toronto, Canada to Oporto, Portugal (lost my make-up bag with all brand new makeup, skincare, and my retainers in it. Fml. Also lost my Love Island Season 5 crew water bottle… fml x 2).
From Oporto, I flew to Milan where the RyanAir check-in staff for my flight to Zadar, Croatia had already clocked off work 🙄 leaving me unable to get on the airplane. My little sister, Ward, who had arrived from Paris, was meeting me on that flight so she was already at the gate waiting to board. I called her in tears and she so graciously abandoned her seat on the plane and came outside to be with me and regroup. We stayed in a sketchy motel about a 15 minute drive away from the Milan airport that night and returned to the terminal at the crack of dawn for an Austrian Airways flight we had booked to get us to Zadar (the only airline flying to our destination that day). We flew from Milan to Vienna, had a layover where I grabbed a giant pretzel, then boarded our second flight from Vienna to Zadar.
Upon finally landing in Zadar, we took a taxi into the town (where we agreed we were actually thankful to have arrived during the daytime…), then boarded a giant bus for a 3 hour journey down the coast of Croatia to the ferry terminal of Split. Once at the Jadrolinija ferry terminal, we bought our tickets to the island of Brač. I’ve never been so happy to see a little cafe on a ferry in my life and immediately loaded up with chocolate and Coca Cola to try and keep myself falsely energized for the remainder of our trek.
An hour later, we docked in Supetar and walked right up to the cutest rental car hut I’ve ever seen. Definitely book in advance (we did, thankfully) because it’s an island and there aren’t a lot of options so the cars will be sold out if you don’t plan ahead. While my sister was filling out all the paperwork, I dashed to the supermarket and bought pršut (the first packet of many), sparkling water, and Paprika chips (highly recommend). The following hour of driving to our Airbnb on the other side of the island in the town of Bol was absolutely stunning. I’ve never felt like such a crazy journey was so worth it to get somewhere.
Now that I’ve stressed you out with my chaos, below are details on how you can arrive to Brač much more smoothly than I did. I’m considering myself a travel martyr, you’re welcome.
Flights
Bol Airport - Before you get too excited that there is an airport right on the island, I must inform you that flights are seasonal, mostly ranging from May - October and are only available from the following cities: Bolzano, Italy; Luxembourg City; Zagreb, Croatia; and Bratislava or Košice, Slovakia.
Your next best option would be to fly into the Split Airport where you can catch a cab to the ferry terminal and get on the hour-long ferry to Brač. Let’s look at those logistics.
Split Airport - Once again, the flights to Split are mostly seasonal, ranging from April - October. Also, there are no direct flights from the USA to Split. The airport does service a lot of European destinations though, so it’s probably best to make this journey a part of a bigger Euro trip.
The only non-stop flights I could find from North America to Croatia are:
Air Transat departing Toronto and arriving in Zagreb from May - October.
Brussels Airlines and United Airlines also do non-stop flights from Newark, New Jersey to Dubrovnik (in southern Croatia) from May - October.
If you do choose to fly into Zagreb or Dubrovnik, you can easily book a flight to Split from either of those cities with Croatia Airlines (or directly to Brač if coming from Zagreb!).
Ferry
If you aren’t flying directly to the Bol Airport on Brač, you will need to take a ferry from Split to reach the island. The ferry offers services to the towns of Supetar, Bol, and Milna. There are no rental car companies in Bol or Milna, so if you want the freedom to explore the island, I recommend taking the ferry to Supetar and picking up a rental car to then drive to Bol (or wherever you decide to stay on the island).
The ferry company is called Jadrolinija and it runs every single day of the year with timetables varying per seasonal demands. Here is the schedule to Supetar for 2025.
Prices vary throughout the year, but for a single adult ticket from April - October, the journey will cost you €6.50 (~ $6.75 USD) each way. Here is the price list.
If you want to look at what all of your options are to Supetar, Bol, and Milna, use this journey schedule search tool.
Rental Cars
We rented from Brattia Travel (aka Brač Rent A Car) and it was around $270 USD for 6 days. The car was practically brand new and we had no issues at all.
There are a couple of other rental companies in Supetar, but the one I’ve recommended has the best overall ratings and my first-hand experience confirms that.
Tip: BOOK IN ADVANCE. I’m talking as soon as you know your dates for your trip, hit up the rental car company. Especially if you’re travelling during the Summer, which is peak tourism season, cars will go fast.
WHERE TO STAY
I didn’t get to visit every town on the island of Brač, but I did day trips to a few and came to the conclusion that Bol, where our Airbnb was, was the best spot in terms of restaurants, shopping, stunning beaches, and nightlife. It’s also still a quaint town though, more of a relaxing and slow-paced holiday destination. If you’re looking to party hard, Hvar is the island for you, not Brač.
This is the Airbnb where my sister, Ward, and I stayed. It has 2 bedrooms, a cute porch, and is in a great location. There wasn’t much of a view, but for the price and amenities it was a steal!
Many of the homes I have recommended below offer weekly discounts, and trust me, once you get to the island you will want to stay for at least 1 week so take advantage!
Without further ado, here is my curated Airbnb wish list for Brač:
Unique Homes
None of these 3 are located in Bol, but they are still in cool towns/villages near the water.
Secluded Feel but Near the Action
All of these properties are within walking distance to Bol
Private home surrounded by olive groves, endless views, and heated pool
Charming coastal apartment in AMAZING location near Zlatni Rat Beach
Cliff villa with stunning views and easy access to town center
2 Bedroom Apartments in Town
All of these properties are in Bol
1 Bedroom Apartments in Town
All of these properties are in Bol
WHERE TO EAT & DRINK
We ate so much good food in Bol, it’s hard to go wrong. Here is a wide range of places we wined & dined and a couple of places I wish we had:
Stina Winery - get a glass of wine (or several) and a charcuterie (with pršut) while you watch the sunset right on the waterfront. They also offer winery tours if you’re curious.
Varadero Cocktail Bar - This trendy bar is in the heart of town with fun vibes and DJs pumping after dark.
Pumparela Restaurant - Don’t be surprised when a whole fish arrives at your table, but trust that it will be the freshest and tastiest fish you’ve ever had. Tables are available right on the marina, this is a must for seafood lovers.
Restoran Argento - This restaurant is a bit hidden as it’s not right on the main waterfront section of Bol. But if you’re willing to walk 10 minutes up a hill, you’ll stumble upon stunning views of the Adriatic sea and hands down the best food I had in Bol.
Taverna Riva – delicious dinner, impeccable service, and great views
Arguola Fast Food - these sandwiches slap and are super cheap. The terrace was always full of local men hanging out, but don’t be deterred, go in and get your unbelievable sandwich!
Pancakes Bol - delicious nutella crepes that will hit the spot
Ribarska Kućica - beautiful restaurant right on the water, a bit hidden from town. We discovered it on our hike to a beach, the path takes you literally through the restaurant terrace. We didn’t go, but upon further research, I wish we had because apparently this is THE PLACE for lobster.
Pansion Konoba Tomić - This tavern is inside of an 800 year old house that belongs to the Michieli-Tomić family who is famous for their wines and brandies sold all over Croatia. Everything served is homemade. If you are there in the autumn, you can see the family make their wine. WOW. It’s on my list for when I return. Note: this one is a 15 minute drive up the mountainside from Bol in a town called Gornji Humac.
WHAT TO DO
Brač is a great destination to visit if you want to experience a slower way of life. If you like laying on stunning beaches, swimming in crystal clear waters, hiking, exploring small towns on your own time, and eating fresh food, then this is the place for you.
The most famous beach in Brač is Zlatni Rat, which translates to the Golden Horn, and from experience, I can say that a day on this beach is a blast.
Start by walking along the Put Zlatnog Rata, a waterfront pathway that leads you from Bol to the Golden Horn, and is peppered with local vendors, cafes, beach clubs, tennis courts, and a lot of greenery.
Once you arrive at Zlatni Rat, you can either set up your own chairs and towels on one side of the peninsula or pay €20 to rent 2 chairs and an umbrella on the other side. There are plenty of snack and drink kiosks serving cocktails, crepes, burgers, ice cream, coffee… so much choice, it’s fun to explore. There’s also a century old Mediterranean pine tree forest 2 minutes away from the water and sprinkled amongst it are more food vendors and a bathroom (bring some small euro coins because it does cost money to enter).
There are plenty of recreational rentals from pedal boats to stand up paddle boards, so don’t worry if you don’t like to stay horizontal all day.
Another beach right in town where the locals go is Martinica Beach. It’s great for a morning dip or a sunset kayak without having to walk all the way to Zlatni Rat.
On your way to Martinica, check out one the Dominican Monastery, built in 1475, which has the St. Mary of Mercy Church, built and rebuilt in the 1500s, right next to it. The buildings are impressive and sit on a small cliff overlooking the water. The monastery houses a museum where you can find underwater archaeological artifacts, gold jewelry from Brač nobility, and the first Croatian printed book from 1483 (one of only 12 copies in the world!).
Kino Mediteran Bol is an open-air cinema right in the heart of town. They have a range of screenings including American produced films, dubbed children’s films, and European films.
If you’re itching to get out and explore small communities around the island with your rental car, definitely do it! We had so much fun choosing a different spot to explore every day.
First, we ventured to Milna, a charming port town on the western side of the island with plenty of restaurants and shops.
On your way back from Milna, you should check out Plaža Bobovišća, a quaint village that has a great walk along the waterfront where you can stroll and admire the stone houses. Roman and Byzantine archaeological sites sit here, as well as a pub that looks like it’s straight out of a fairytale. Stop in for a refreshing Coca Cola and say hi to the cute waiters ;)
If you want to head East, the town of Sumartin has breathtaking Beach Zora, from which you can see the dramatic mountains of the mainland in the background. Come prepared with your own snacks and water, as we found the food options Google Maps had promised to be unreliable.
There are plenty of hiking trails on Brač as well, one of the most popular being a trek from Bol to Vidora Gora mountain, which offers views over Zlatni Rat beach and other Adriatic islands. For more hiking information and trail recommendations, click here.
Packed with history, this island offers monasteries, caves, and ancient architecture in a striking location. I’ll leave the rest up to you to discover for yourself. Time to add Croatia to that travel bucket list!