Beaches, Self Guided Tour, Summer Events and Airport Transfer
Split is the second largest city on Croatia with a population of over 200,000 people. Located in the Adriatic Sea in the central region of Dalmatia, Split is a busy tourist destination with a bustling waterfront, great beaches, roman ruins and a palace, now considered a living museum
During the summer, Split becomes a real reflection of roman times with costumed soldiers changing the guard and protecting the city walls. Often Roman legions walk through the city during the summer, occasionally accompanied by dignitaries on horse-drawn coaches. The city is lively and vibrant with lots of shops, cafes, bars and ruins as well as Emperor Diocletian’s Palace, now taken over by the residents and merchants – hence a living museum!
Best Time to Visit Split
The high season is June, July and August when the temperatures are high. This is also when the number of tourists, rates for accommodation, flights and rates for rental cars go up. April, May, September and October have much less tourists and the water in the sea is still warm enough to swim in however, in April and October some restaurants and bars have already closed for the winter season
Best times to visit Split is September and October when the tourist’s crowds have dispersed. By November, temperatures tend to drop into the 40s and 50s, where they’ll hover for the rest of the winter. The months between April and June see rising temperatures and crowds, but the city’s peak season is in July when the weather can be very hot
4 Fun things to explore:
1. Beaches
Bačvice beach
This is the most popular beach near Split and is only a 10min walk from the Old Town or Bus Station. It has been awarded the famous Blue Flag because of the high quality of water there. There are other more rustic beaches along the coast offering more privacy and scenery. The beach area has toilets, showers, bars and nightclubs nearby. Locals play a game called picingin that was invented in Split and involves a group of people standing in shallow water and the aim of the game is to prevent a small rubber ball from falling in the sea. It’s fun to watch!
Bene Beach
Located on the northern shores of the peninsula and in the Marjan Forest Hill Park, this is a quiet beach accessible by bus No.12. Although not many tourist go there, it has a lot of local visitors with their children. It is not a sandy beach so may not be ideal for children but it has many facilities such as toilets, showers, restaurants, tennis court and a children’s playground. It also has a small football field, pony rides and animated events for kids. The beach has a lifeguard on duty at all times
Kasjuni Beach, pronounced “kahshyounee”
This beach is located on the western side of Split and can be accessed on foot, by No. 12 bus, by car or by bicycle. Revitalized in 2016, it is a pebble beach but comfortable to walk on. The beach has the usual facilities, toilets, sunbeds and a beach bar. The water is pristine and full of small fish – delightful. Nearby you can access the nudist beach
2. Riva (People Watching)
The seafront promenade of Split (Riva) is lined with cafes and bars and usually crowded with both locals and tourists; all roads lead to Riva. Locals spend hours there sipping their coffee, wine, gelato, beer or cheese and deli meat from the green market. It can be a great place to sit back and watch the world go by
3. Visit the Neighborhoods of Veli Varoš
Located northwest of Diocletian’s palace, and on the way to Marjan Hill, Veli Varoš is one of the oldest parts of Split with settlement dating back to the 17th century. Originally created by poor farmhands and fishermen, today it is one of the more expensive neighborhoods of Split. Veli Varoš is a conglomeration of traditional peasant housing made up of closed courtyards, stables, wine cellar on the ground floor and an exterior stairway to the living area on the first floor. The architecture is traditional, well preserved and makes for a pleasant atmosphere. The area has small family run restaurants that are popular with the locals. You will also find several notable churches like the Church of St Mikula from the 11th century as well as churches dedicated to Our Lady of Soca, the Holy Cross and St. Francis. The neighborhood is one of the oldest neighborhoods with a distinct local culture
4. Split Market – Both Green and Fish Market
As the name suggest, the Green Market outside the east gate of the palace has produce, flowers, clothing, souvenirs, cheese, olive oil and delicatessen meats, while the fish market on the west side has the catch of the day on sale. The locals patronize both markets so go early to get the best or freshest on sale
Summer Events
St Dominus Day- Sudamja (May)
This is a celebration commemorating St Dominus, the Protector of Split and takes place on May 7. It draws crowds of over 10,000 pilgrims or believers. The centerpiece of the celebration is a procession that starts at St Dominus Cathedral, passes through the waterfront promenade (Riva) and ends up at Doctor Franjo Tudman square where Holy Mass takes place. The celebration continues with a variety of events including brass band concerts, the selling of traditional souvenirs, toys for kids and housewares for adults. Also there is a rowing contest, exhibits, fairs and bingo; all taking place during the 7 day celebrations
The Days of Raduncia (June)
This is a traditional folk festival that usually takes place in the last week of June. It takes place in area known as Raduncia that is filled with narrow streets and stony houses. During this time you can listen to street music in the evenings and enjoy the wonderful decorations hanging between buildings. The atmosphere is fun with tasty wine, bread and grilled sardines while topping off the day of celebration with fireworks. The people are very friendly and hospitable
Ultra Europe (July)
This is a multi-venue electronic music festival staged in Split at the Poljud Stadium and the Carl Cox & Friends Arena. This festival started in Split and has since spread to the rest of Europe Tickets can be purchased online
Split Summer Festival (Throughout July and August)
This festival takes place from mid-July to mid-August in Split’s Old Town. It is a month long feast of drama, opera, ballet and music performances. Recently, the festival has added film events, exhibitions, jazz concerts and street theater. It includes open air street events. Most presentations that take place in the town Centre and in the Republic square and Diocletian’s palace cellars and Peristyle
Day of Diocletian (August)
This event recalls the time when the famous Roman Emperor Diocletian lived in the city of Split. During this historical gathering, Roman legions line the streets while the Emperor, accompanied by a parade of Roman legions and carriages parades through Riva and Peristil where the Ruler and his family greet the crowds. There is great fanfare, drums and music and later on in the streets you can enjoy various performances, concerts, dancing and traditional Roman food
Diocletian’s Palace and City Info
Self Guided Walking Routes
- Split Diocletian’s Palace Tour. Visit the attractions of the palace such as the Peristil, temple of Jupiter and the four gates that access the palace. This walking tour should take about 3 hours depending on the time spent at different attractions and whether you stop for a snack or lunch at one of the many restaurants and cafes found within the palace
- Split old town and Marjan Hill. Marjan hill is a large and beautiful preserved park high atop the town of Split. On this tour, visit attractions in the old town and make your way to Marjan Hill. The tour can take you a whole day depending on how long you want to walk the trails of Marjan Hill
- Roman Ruins – Town of Solin (Ancient Salona and home of Emperor Diocletian). The tour will take at least four hours and you will need to take a bus #37 to Solin to visit the ancient roman ruins
Wifi
Many of the restaurants and cafés have free wifi, just ask your server for the network and password. Often times the password is in Croatian so it’s best to get the server to put it in for me. The City of Split started an initiative that by the end of 2018, they will have provided free wifi on all buses, public areas and beaches
The Split airport has one hour free wifi per session, for those who log in
Croatia SIM cards can be purchased for your old unlocked smartphone. We purchased one for our iphone5 from one of the three major providers as they all have a tourist package. You will need a passport to purchase it. The three main suppliers are:
- Hrvatski Telecom (www.hrvatskitelekom.hr/visiting-croatia);
- Tele 2 (www.tele2.hr/welcome-to-croatia); and
- Vipnet (www.vipnet.hr/tourist-offer/en)
Airports
Split Airport, in Croation it is Zračna luka Split; IATA airport Code is SPU. Second busiest airport after Croatia, it is located 19km from Split and just east of the UNESCO historic town of Trogir. The airport is mostly used during the summer months. In peak season the air traffic is up to 120 landings per day particularly on Saturdays. The airport handled over 3 million tourists in 2018 from European cities such as Frankfurt, London, Paris, and Belgrade as well as servicing scheduled airlines such as Croatian airlines, During the winter period, the only companies flying to the airport are Croatia Airlines and German Wings. The airport is not open 24/7. It closes at 22:00 and overnight sleeping at the airport it not an option
Airport Transportation
Car Hire
Car rental agencies are located at the airport; if you have not pre-booked a car during the busy season, you may to be able to rent one. Please note that cars are not allowed in the old city and so you will have to book accommodations outside the old city to accommodate the car or park the car outside of the old city. Car rental is great for exploring Croatia countryside.
Airport Shuttle Bus
To catch the private shuttle organized by Pleso prijevoz (in cooperation with Croatian Airlines)from the airport to the main bus station AK Split go to platform No.1 in Split. Exit the arrivals terminal and walk to the bus stop. The bus leaves every 30 minutes but check the bus schedule as there are disruptions to this scheduled based on regularly scheduled plane delays.
There are no stops between the airport and the bus terminal in Split so if you need to stop somewhere and get off early, you should discuss this with the bus driver to see if it is possible. The main bus station is Split is Autobusni Kolodvor and along with the main train station called Zeljeznicki Kolodvor, they are approximately 100 meters from the ferry port Trajektna Luka. Keep in mind kolodvor means station and luka means port or harbor in Croatian. Tickets can be purchased on the bus or online. They are about 30kn or 5 euros one way or 40kn for day ticket. Check for the latest price. A word of caution, during busy summer months you could be waiting a few hours to get on the bus.
Public Bus – (For airport Transfer)
Local bus #37 and Local Bus #38 are both run by the same bus company Promet and the bus stops are in the same location. Information can be found at the website for local public transport. Tickets can be purchased on the bus (with cash or coins) or at any Tisak counter. The bus #37 has a separate place for luggage, however bus #38 does not. Bus stop is outside of the airport area on the main road.
Local bus #37 will take you to Split or Trogir (and the island of Ciovo). They are in opposite direction so pick the correct bus otherwise you may wind up at a different location than you expected. The bus stop is outside of the airport area, through the parking lot, straight south. The nearest stop is for Trogir. Cross the street for the bus to Split. The bus departs every 20min on weekdays/saturday and 30 min on Sunday.
#37 for Split destination; the cost of the ticket is about 20kn but check on latest ticket prices. Bus 37 terminates at the bus station Sukoišan located outside of the city center (it does not take you to the main bus terminal Autobusni Kolodvor at the ferry port). Change to bus number 2, 9, 10,15 or 60 or if you are up to it it’s about a kilometer walk to the Split center along the main route. It takes approximately an hour to reach the Split
#37 for Trogir/Ciovo destination: Tickets to Trogir costs about 13kn. You should check the latest price. The bus will take you to the main bus station in Trogir. You can change to a bus bound for the island of Ciovo from the main station
Airport Transfer (Private car/van)
You can pre-book a transfer to your destination with an airport transfer. The price of the pre-book transfer is about 34 euros for 3 people including luggage. The driver will be waiting for you in the terminal when you land
Taxis
Taxis are located just outside the airport terminal. If the taxi wants to negotiate the price or the taxi does not have a meter, walk away. By law, they should have a meter. Beware of fake taxis as they operate as taxis without an official license. Most current cost to Split is around 300-350kn and should take about 30 minutes. Cost to Trogir is about 100kn and should take about 10 min. Confirm that the regular metered price for the taxi and price is per trip NOT per person. Confirm prices BEFORE getting into the taxi
There are three taxi companies in Split. Check the most current standard prices before discussing prices with the driver:
- Go Green Taxi (021 772 772): Fixed price of 230 kuna (peak season)
- Taxi Cammeo (021 313 313): Fixed price of 190 kuna (peak season)
- Radio Taxi Split (021 473 737): Radio Taxi said that the price is about 180 kuna for Croatians, but for foreigners – 280 kuna. The 280 kuna price is on their website as part of their summer price list, while the winter price to the airport is 180 kuna
Taxis in Split do not cruise the street but wait at taxi stations. You can radio for a taxi at 1777 or use Uber in Split.
Uber in Split
- Uber is available in Split (and other Croatian cities) via the Uber app
Split City Transportation
Buses
Local buses within Split – Run by Promet. The website has routes, schedules, and tickets can be purchased online or from the driver. You will need exact change for tickets purchased from the driver. Schedules and routes and also available online.
major bus lines–1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 17 and 21– but on other lines you may have to wait for over an hour Monday to Saturday and you may find no service on Sunday.
Tourist Buses in Split (Hop on Hop off)
Tourist hop on hop off buses are available in Split, however Split is a walkable place and unless you are looking for attractions away from the old town such as Klis Fortress, Solin (Salona) or Trojir you may not need this service. Solin and Trojir can be reached by the public buses
Bicycle
Split does not have a bike lane however most sights can be reached by bike. Bike’s are a nice way to explore the town and ride along the Riva, Split Old Town, the old districts of Veli Varoš, Rudunica or onto Marjan Hill. You can take the bike on the ferry to the islands of Solta, Brac and Visa and bike through the charming villages of the island before returning to Split in the evening
Intercity Transportation
Intercity by Bus: Autobusni kolodvor Split; the bus company operates from the Split AK platform of the main bus station and departure schedules can be found online at: http://www.autobusni-kolodvor.com/en/split_16_6.aspx. Buses run more frequently in the summer months. On these buses, luggage fees are extra and some drivers are very picky about exact change and correct currency. Book your ticket on line at getbybus.com or buscroatia.com. In the peak season, it is advisable to book in advance. Both these sites will provide options for times, bus companies and associated costs. Alternatively, if you want a last minute ticket, you can buy your ticket at the bus station counter. You cannot purchase from the bus driver as you do with the local public buses
- Most buses operate overnight but sometimes you won’t be able to sleep as internal bus lights are always on and stereo music is very loud
Intercity by Boat/Ferry:
The ferry terminal in Split is the main passenger port in Croatia as such it has connections to many of the islands off the coast including passage to Italy by way of car ferry, catamaran, passenger ferries and hydrofoil. The terminal is well located withing walking distance of Diocletian’s Palace, Old Town, Riva Promenade, the main bus terminal and the main train terminal. Booking for all routes coming in and out of the Split terminal can be made online at https://www.croatiaferries.com/split-ferry-port.htm
The major operators are Jadrolinija and SNAV. SNAV is an Italian company operating between ports in Croatian and Ancona (Italy). Bookings can be made online at https://www.snav.it/en/ or https://www.croatiaferries.com/italy-ferries.htm
Address of ferry terminal Split
Gat Svetog Duje 1, 21000 Split GPS co-ordinates: 43. 502910, 16.440749
Tourist Information Center
- Peristyle in Diocletians palace: Peristil bb HR – 21000 Split [email protected] tel +385 (0)21 345 606; +385 (0)21 339 899
- Riva Promanade, Obala HNP 9 HR – 21000 Split [email protected] +385 (0)21 360 066
Additional Self Guided Tours
- Dubrovnik
- Dubrovnik Game of Thrones and Old Town Self Guided Tour – Follow the Map and Guide to visit the film locations for Game of Thrones, beaches and churches. The self guided tour will take you a full day if you also visit the beaches. Use the map and attractions guide to visit the attractions of Old Town Dubrovnik and the locations of the Games of Thrones Scenes. The map has picture of the sites and how they looked for the film scenes. The walking tour will take you ½ a day. If you visit Lokrum island and spend time at the beach/monastery/fort on the island, this will take you another ½ day to full day. Lokrum Island is the location of the City of Qarth in GoT and is a 10 min water taxi ride from the Dubrovnik Port
- Dubrovnik Day Trips. Spend a day at each of the villages of Ston and Cavtat a short distance from Dubrovnik. Cavtat is a charming village that was invaded by the Slavs. The inhabitants fled and were the original settlers of Dubrovnik. Visit the historical beaches and spend time on the beach or hike the Ronald Brown Pathway. Ston is a small village on a hill surrounded by a 7 km wall that is second in size to the Great Wall of China. It is famous for its defensive walls, its salt “mines” and its oyster bays. The oysters from Ston are well renowned
- Zagreb
- Upper Town, Old Town Zagreb – 15 must see attractions of Old Town Zagreb. Walk the attractions of Upper Town Zagreb, the self-guided walking tour will take you to the various attractions in ½ a day. You may want to explore some of these attractions in greater depth such as the Museum of Broken Relationships or climb the Lotrščak Tower. In that case the self guided tour will take more than half a day
- Zagreb Lower Town, Lenuci Horseshoe – Visit the 7 Squares and Botanical gardens in the shape of a horseshoe, including the under ground 31,000 sq meter shopping mall. A ½ day tour of the U-shaped system of 7 parks and Zagreb botanical gardens. The Lenuci horseshoe in Lower Town Zagreb is a short walking distance from Zagreb’s main Ban Jelačić Square and facing the main train station Glavni Kolodvor. The Square include pavilions, theater, museums, state archives and an underground mall amongst its many historical buildings dotted throughout the horseshoe
- Walking tour Zagreb Lower town and Grič Tunnels – A 2 hour tour of the tunnels under Zagreb old town; they were built as shelter during the war and are now used by the locals to cross Old Town or to go between upper town and lower town. Not only are they a short cut, they are cool in the summer and a welcome relief from the searing sun. Explore the old world war tunnels and visit the sights of lower town
- Unique and Fun things to do in Zagreb – Explore activities and places to visit such as Jarun Lake, the Antiques Fair or discover current events in Zagreb
- Split
- Old Town Split and Marjan Hill – Explore the Old Town Square, then head over to Marjan Hill. This self guided tour can take a whole day as the walking portion of the tour will guide you to attractions in the Old Town and then on to Marjan Hill. This part of the tour will take ½ a day. The tour will end at the beach where you can spend the rest of the day, take the local bus back or walk along the promenade back to Old Town
- Split, Salona ancient Roman Ruins – On the outskirts of Split, don’t miss the roman ruins of Salona, the birthplace of Emperor Diocletian. Step outside of the Old Town of Split and visit the nearby city of Solin (which is the ancient city of Salona, Diocletian’s birthplace). Then continue onto the town of Trogir. This self guided tour has instructions for local buses to take you on a route for a full day trip from Split to Salona (stop in Salona, then continue onto Trojir. Then catch the local bus back to Split
- Trogir, UNESCO World Heritage Site – This attraction is often overlooked. It is a charming, authentic village, a heritage city where the Old Town is on an Island. It is an easy bus ride from Split to Trogir, with a stopover in Salona (Solin)
- Split, Diocletian’s Palace – Not to be missed, the10 must see attractions in the palace to stop and take pictures. The Palace tour is a ½ day self-guided tour through the palace that will end at the market which you can explore
- Zadar
- Zadar Western Half – The old town is located on an island; explore the attractions on the westerns side of the island in this ½ day self guided walking tour. Attractions include popular attractions such as the Sea Organ, Greetings to the Sun and the Roman Forum / Ruins
- Zadar Eastern Half – Take a ½ day to visit the churches, parks and other attractions on the eastern side of Zadar Island. Visit the fish markets and green markets for fresh food and explore the cobblestone alleyways for a touch of ambiance and potential souvenir shopping
- Zadar islands – The Zadar Archipelago has around a 100 islands off its coast, many of them uninhabited. Visit all or any of the 9 popular islands in this map and use the attractions guide to the islands. You can rent a boat rent a boat with or without a captain, get a water taxi, take the ferry/ to visit the islands and swim in the Adriatic or anchor at hidden beach/cove
- Island Visit
- Croatia Islands – Rent or hire a boat to visit the 9 popular islands off the mainland. Visit 1 or 2 or all 9 islands for a fabulous day out to sea
- Hvar Island
- Hvar old town attractions and Španjola fortress (Fortica) – Use the self guided tour map and attractions to visit the popular sites in Hvar Old Town. The tour will take ½ a day to the major attractions in Hvar Town, including climbing to the Spanjola fortress that has been protecting Hvar for hundreds of years. However it could be longer if you want to spend time visiting the museums or spending an afternoon enjoying the magnificent views from the Fortress
- Hvar Island driving tour – Take the local bus, rent a car / scooter for the day to visit the numerous attractions on the island. This can take two days as there is a lot to see and do. It includes: wine tasting, visiting a cave monastery high on the hills, quaint fishing villages, popular beaches, hidden coves and harbours A great tour that will take you across the island
- Hvar Islands and Lavendar Fields Tour – You can rent a boat (with or without a captain) and visit the islands off Hvar Island. The Pakleni Islands are an archipelago of 20 islands off the coat of Hvar. They are known for beautiful beaches, charming village towns and secluded coves. You can take the bus to visit the abandoned villages of Velo Grabjle and Malo Grabjle,. It is a short bus ride or scooter/car trip from Hvar Town. Explore the fields of lavender and Olive Grove farms
- Getting around Croatia – Information on Croatian buses and ferries
