Šolta island from Split: the quiet option

Šolta is the island directly opposite Split, 9 km across the Split channel. It is 19 km long, less visited than Hvar or Brač, and has no landmark destination that generates its own tourism. What it has is a quieter coast than the other Dalmatian islands in summer, a functioning olive oil tradition, and the bays that most Blue Lagoon tour boats pass through on the way to the lagoon.

The islands at a glance

Šolta has two main settlements: Rogač, the ferry terminal village, and Stomorska, the most attractive of the small ports on the northern coast. Stomorska has a working fishermen's harbour, a 200m pedestrian promenade, a church above the port, and konoba restaurants that seat 20 to 30 people with terraces directly over the water.

The island's interior (olive groves, lavender, fig trees) looks like an older, less developed version of Hvar's interior. There are virtually no tourist facilities away from the coast.

By ferry

The Jadrolinija ferry from Split to Rogač runs approximately 8 to 10 times daily in summer. The crossing takes 50 minutes. The ferry is a full car ferry, you can bring bicycles, mopeds, or a car.

From Rogač, the bus to Stomorska takes 15 minutes. Taxis exist on the island but not in quantity.

By private boat

This is how most Nini Tours guests experience Šolta, as a boat day stop rather than a day trip with a ferry ticket. The northern coast of Šolta between Stomorska and Nečujam bay has a series of anchorage bays with flat water and varying depths. These include:

Stračinska bay: 20m wide, 4m deep at anchor, fully protected from the NW. One of the most consistent swim spots on any Nini Tours sea route.

Donja Krušica: a small inlet east of Rogač with a single konoba on the shore. Lunch with anchored boat access. The konoba has about 8 tables.

Šešula bay: protected cove in the southwest of the island, deep enough for larger vessels, very quiet even in peak summer.

The Blue Lagoon connection

The lagoon between Krknjaš Veli islet and the western tip of Šolta (described elsewhere in this blog) is part of the Šolta marine environment. A Blue Lagoon morning swim followed by a Stomorska lunch followed by a Stračinska afternoon swim, all by private boat, is one of the stronger half-day-to-full-day Adriatic itineraries available from Split. This is because you are moving along the natural coast of one island rather than hopping between different destinations.

Šolta olive oil

Šolta produces one of the better-regarded olive oils in Croatia. The island's protected geographical designation (Dalmatinsko maslinovo ulje) covers Šolta-grown olive varieties. Small-production oils from Šolta farms (particularly around Grohote in the interior) are available at local shops and at some konoba restaurants. If you visit Stomorska by boat or ferry, the small shops in the village occasionally carry locally pressed oil.