Bol, Brac Island, Croatia

We took the coach from Trogir to Split, and then caught the ferry from Split to Supetar on Brac Island. It was fairly inexpensive, and we found a little cafe where we could have a drink while we waited.

We were able to sit out on the sun deck while we enjoyed the ride over.

Tip: Wear sunscreen! It's not that long of a ride, but the sun is hot!

Here is Supetar as you approach. I had read that it was an "industrial area" which is why we chose to stay in Bol... but that's the nicest looking industrial area I've ever seen. Just goes to show you, you can't believe everything you read on the Internet 😀

We read that you could easily catch a "shared taxi" for about 50 Kuna per person (that's around $10). When we got off the ferry all the taxis were already full and gone. Hmmm. So we just waited. One lady told us we could get in her van for 400 Kuna (with 10 other people) so we waited for another taxi. Luckily, we found another couple who were Australian (but could speak Croatian). She arranged a cab for the four of us for 400 Kuna (I guess that is the standard price), which we split with them. The cab ride was fast and on winding roads! Steve and I were both feeling a little nauseous by the time we reached our apartment.

When we got there, we realized there was no reception desk. So we just sat on the steps to wait, and conveniently in about five minutes the owner drove by 😉

Our apartment was pretty basic, but still had everything we needed. As seems to be the usual Croatian fashion it was way up on a hill. Not bad when you are going down to the town or beach, but not so much fun when you are coming back up in the blistering heat. There is really no way to avoid this (unless you are rich) because the apartments down at the bottom of the hill are substantially more expensive.

Here is the view down the road from our apartment:

The best thing about our apartment was our host. He was very helpful, explained any kind of information we needed, always answered emails very quickly if we had questions about anything, and even gave us a ride up the hill one time when he drove by and we were trudging (okay I was trudging... Steve was bouncing along as usual!) up the hill!

Bol is a beautiful resort town, but it certainly isn't cheap. In general we found Croatia to be much more expensive than we expected.

We spent most of our days going to the beach, and walking along the promenade that fronted the sea.

As you can see the water was absolutely beautiful! We both loved swimming in the sea. It is probably best if you have water shoes, as the beaches are not sandy, but rather covered in flat stones.

The most famous beach is called Zlatni Rat. This is the one you will see in all the promotional photos.

It is quite stunning (although not sandy) and is usually packed full of people. This photo was taken from the ferry at 9:00 AM, which gives you a false sense that it isn't crowded.

We preferred the quieter beach at the other end of town. I don't know if it has a name, but it is just past the monastery if you are trying to find it. It is much less crowded, and we were able to find a spot with a bit of natural shade. They also had drinks and snacks for sale nearby.

On the walk to this beach Steve liked to stop at this fruit stand which had plenty of choices, including delicious cherries!

There were lots of water sports and activities available if you were so inclined. I prefer the lazy beach days myself😀

We found this water adventure park. Steve was wishing we had kids with us so that he could go and play on it... even I secretly wanted to go play on it. We decided it was a bit creepy to go without kids though 😉

The promenade is a nice shady place to walk. It extends from the town center to Zlatni Rat beach, which is the most famous beach in Bol. At the start of the promenade there are many shops and stalls.

You can find just about anything you want to buy here! Steve was extremely excited to find a jewelry stall... not just because he loves to buy rings and necklaces... but because it was the exact same people he had seen in Venice. He saw something he wanted in Venice, but when he went to bring me back the next day they were gone! I guess they had come to Croatia 😀 He chatted with them a bit, and discovered that they usually are in Croatia and Venice in the summer, and in South America in the winter. Seems like a pretty good arrangement! Of course, Steve had to buy something... it was destiny, right?

Steve was also a fan of the "Fitness Park" that was along the promenade. Nestled in the trees were different types of fitness equipment. Steve loved stopping to do various exercises. I, of course, just sat in the shade and babysat his wallet 😉

In the evenings, there were plenty of restaurants to choose from. Our favourite was "YOLO". It had a lot of things going for it. We loved the location. It was right down on the waterfront, and we often got a table right at the front so we could watch all the action.

As well as watching the people walking by, we also liked to watch the little girls who set up their "shops". They laid out a piece of fabric on the edge of the promenade, and then covered it with things to sell. Sometimes little crafts they had made like cards or shell necklaces. Sometimes they had little toys that looked like they had just brought stuff they found in their rooms (or maybe their siblings rooms!) And sometimes, they just had rocks and shells they picked up off the beach for sale. 😀 They came every night without fail, and patiently hoped someone would buy their stuff!

The town looked magical at night when the sun set behind us and the moon was rising in front of us.

We both enjoyed our time on Bol and found it very relaxing. It is probably not for you if you are looking for history or culture, but is definitely a good spot for a tranquil beach vacation.