Brač & Marjan

Hi All!

Today is our last day in Croatia and it’s definitely bittersweet, but we are making the most of it and going to spend most the day on the beach!

We fly out late tonight to Dublin, so we packed up our bags for the plane and only grabbed what we would need for the day.

We then walked to the pier to catch the early ferry to take us directly to Bol on Brač Island. It’s a town know for the white-pebble beach, Zlatni Rat, also known as the Golden Cape.

(Picture is for reference, we did not capture it)

It’s about an hour boat ride from Split to Bol. Once we arrived we took our time walking through Bol to see the town before we hit the beach.

Bol was very beautiful and well kept. It also seemed to be the most recently constructed. There were houses going up and all were large with good amounts of land too. Not something we saw in any of the other places we visited in Croatia.

There was a stone path, lined with trees along the coast that lead you to the beaches, it also had shops, restaurants and clubs. There were a couple body weight gyms we found too, Zaq took a turn at some pull ups and I hit the rower.

We ran into some local kitties one was very talkative, the other very affectionate.

Finally reaching our goal of Zlatni Rat, we were some of the first on the beach. We got our pick of the chairs and we choose a couple that were mere feet from the Adriatic two-toned blue waters.

We swam in the gorgeous water to cool off, then would lay out and soak up the warm sun and repeated that cycle for hours. It was amazing!

Zaq had a mojito beach side, while I got a tropical fruit smoothie and we enjoyed our surroundings.

Not wanting to leave, but knowing we wanted time to explore Marjan, we packed up and headed to catch the bus to Supetar, where we could catch a ferry to Split sooner.

Once back in Split, we walked straight to the Marjan Forest, which covers the westernmost tip of the Split Peninsula. It’s a green oasis with trails through fragrant pine forests that lead to scenic lookouts. At the North Gate entrance, we rented bikes to cover more ground. The ride was beautiful, but really hard work as we found ourselves peddling up and up. But no hard work goes unrewarded. As we climbed the views only got better and better.

We rode all around the peninsula and back. We covered most the park in under and hour, it was so nice to be amongst the trees. We were also extremely glad we filled our camelbacks prior, because it was a very hot bike ride.

In need of a shower badly after beach lounging all day and then capping that off with a sweaty bike ride, we went back to the Airbnb for a quick shower. Our host was gracious enough to allow us this option, otherwise it would have been a long and smelly plane ride to Dublin.

Feeling clean and all packed up, we had time for one last meal in Croatia before heading to the airport.

We passed by a small restaurant on our way to the Marjan Forest that caught our eye. It was very small with tasteful decorations. It had fresh catches and homemade gnocchi.

We wanted to try a Dalmatian specialty, Clear Fish Soup, before we left so we started with that. The broth was so flavorful and the small amounts of herbs, carrots and rice were perfect.

For main courses, Zaq got the Green pasta with mussels and I got the gnocchi with asparagus and seared ham.

We were happy and full and ready to leave Croatia. Although both Zaq and I discussed that we aren’t finished with Croatia yet. It has become a special place for us and we would love to journey back.

We made the drive to the airport and got all checked in, now we’re off to Ireland!

Tips from today and Croatia in general.

Tip 1: If you want to visit Bol, the best way is to catch the direct passenger ferry by Krilo Kapetan Luka, there are only two boats however. The one from Split to Bol departs at 7:30 and the one from Bol to Split departs at 20:05. It’s great if you want to spend the whole day, but if you want to get back to Split sooner, you can take the bus from Bol to Supetar using Arriva Buses and then the Jardolinija Ferry from Supetar to Split, this ferry runs more frequently and permits cars.

Tip 2: Most things in Croatia will cost you for use. A great example would be the beaches, they provide nice lounge chairs and umbrellas for shade that are set out so nicely for you to populate, but beware, they are for rent. Usually at 50 Kuna for the day. If you don’t feel like paying this, you can lay out directly on the beach, but since most beaches are rock, it’s not the most comfortable and the rocks can become very, very hot. Therefore, worth it to pay to rent the beach chair if you plan on spending the day at the beach.

Tip 2: With Croatia being very hot, I can’t tell you how much it helped us to have our camelbacks. Sipping on water all day helps drastically in keeping cool and preventing heat sickness, which can stop you from enjoying this wonderful place.

Tip 3: Most public restrooms require you to pay to use them, around 5 Kuna/person. It seems out of the ordinary, but the fee is to maintain the restrooms, so it’s a good cause! Another reason to always try and carry small bills or coin.

Hope you enjoyed our Croatian journey and our tips help you should you decide to visit!

~A&Z