Piotr Marek Kisielew… / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Croatia

Central Dalmatia

Region

Central Dalmatia is the area around Split, including the old town of Trogir, the Makarska Riviera, and the islands of Brač, Hvar, and Vis.

by Felix Gillen

Central Dalmatia is the area around Split, including the old town of Trogir, the Makarska Riviera, and the islands of Brač, Hvar, and Vis. Diocletian's Palace in Split and the ferry connections to the islands make the region the center of the Croatian coast.

Split is Croatia's second-largest city and Dalmatia's most important ferry port. To its west lies Trogir; to its southeast, the approximately 60-kilometer-long Makarska Riviera beneath the Biokovo Mountains. From Split, you can reach Brač with Zlatni Rat beach, Hvar, and the secluded Vis by ferry or catamaran. In the hinterland, the UNESCO-listed Sinjska alka knight's tournament takes place every August in Sinj.

MrPanyGoff / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Vis

Vis is Croatia's most distant inhabited island from the mainland, a good two hours by car ferry from Split. Until 1989, it served as a base for the Yugoslav Navy, which is why it remains quieter and less developed than other islands to this day.

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Hvar, a long, narrow island south of Split, is one of the most famous in the Adriatic.

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Brač is an island off Split and can be reached from there by ferry in approximately 50 minutes. It is best known for Zlatni Rat near Bol, a pebble spit that extends far into the sea and changes its shape depending on the wind and currents.

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Makarska

Makarska is the main town of the Makarska Riviera, a roughly 60-kilometer long coastal strip between Brela and Gradac beneath the Biokovo Mountains. Pebble beaches, a long promenade, and the Skywalk high above the coast attract many beachgoers in summer.

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More places in Central Dalmatia

Trogir

Trogir is a small old town located on an island between the mainland and the island of Čiovo, approximately 27 kilometres west of Split. Its Hellenistic street network, the cathedral with Master Radovan's portal, and Kamerlengo Fortress have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997.

Split is Croatia's second-largest city and the center of Dalmatia. Its heart is the palace, which the Roman Emperor Diocletian had built around 300 AD, and where people still live, run cafés, and shop today.From the port, ferries and catamarans depart for the islands of Brač, Hvar, and Vis. West of the old town lies the forested city hill Marjan.

Omiš

Omiš is a small town at the mouth of the Cetina, southeast of Split. Behind the old town, rocky cliffs rise, topped by two fortresses, and the Cetina gorge leads inland.

Round trips through this region

From Zagreb via Plitvice to the Adriatic

The route connects the capital with the country's most famous National Park and then leads to the Dalmatian Coast to Zadar and Split.

9 Days

5 stops

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Dalmatian Coast from Split to Dubrovnik

Inselhopping und Altstädte: von Split mit Fähren und Katamaranen über Hvar und Korčula nach Dubrovnik, mit Abstechern nach Trogir und Ston.

11 Days

6 stops

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Nearby

Omiš

Omiš is a small town at the mouth of the Cetina, southeast of Split. Behind the old town, rocky cliffs rise, topped by two fortresses, and the Cetina gorge leads inland.

Hvar, a long, narrow island south of Split, is one of the most famous in the Adriatic. Its namesake town blends a Venetian harbour, a fortress above the rooftops, and a vibrant nightlife, while in the Stari Grad plain, farmers still tend fields laid out by Greek settlers.