Island hopping from Split: the 7 islands by ferry

Seven islands, three ferry operators, one city as your base. From Split's seafront you can reach seven major Dalmatian islands without changing transport — from Šolta, an hour away and almost undiscovered, to Lastovo, four hours out and genuinely remote. None of them is interchangeable. Here's how to do it.

Your base: Split

Split is the undisputed hub of central Dalmatia, and its great convenience for an island hopper is geography: the ferry port, bus station and train station all cluster within a couple of minutes of one another on the waterfront, a short walk from Diocletian's Palace. Sleep in town, wake up, walk to the port, and sail. See our boutique hotels in Split for a base, and how to get in from the airport.

The three ferry operators

Three companies run the routes. Jadrolinija is the national operator — big car ferries plus passenger catamarans, the widest year-round network, and the only line to some islands (Šolta among them). Krilo (Kapetan Luka) runs fast passenger catamarans down the island chain. TP Line adds further catamaran routes. Car ferries take vehicles and bikes; catamarans are passenger-only but faster. Book and check live timetables at jadrolinija.hr and krilo.hr — and always verify before you travel, as schedules shift with the season.

When to go

August is real: in high summer the popular islands are crowded, and expensively so. They stay magnificent, but they become shared. If you can travel in May, June, September or October, you'll find the islands quieter, cheaper, and the sea warmer than you'd expect. If you want the islands at their best — come in September.

The seven islands at a glance

Šolta — one hour out and barely touched. Ancient olive groves, 2,000-year-old honey, 24 bays and an unhurried tempo. The ideal gentle first stop. Read the full Šolta guide →

Brač — the big island closest to Split: the Zlatni Rat beach at Bol, white stone that built palaces, and the highest peak in the Adriatic islands. Read the full Brač guide →

Hvar — the glamorous one: Hvar Town's harbour scene, lavender fields inland, and the Pakleni islands offshore. Browse boutique stays on Hvar. Read the full Hvar guide →

Vis — the farthest of the main islands and the most authentic, kept undeveloped for decades as a military base. Famous for the Blue Cave on Biševo and superb wine and seafood. Read the full Vis guide →

Korčula — a walled medieval town that claims Marco Polo, the Moreška sword dance, and serious wine country (Pošip and Grk). Read the full Korčula guide →

Mljet — a third of it is national park: two saltwater lakes, an islet monastery, pine forest and deep quiet. The serene one. Read the full Mljet guide →

Lastovo — four hours out and one of the least-touristed inhabited islands in the whole Mediterranean. Dark skies, empty coves, almost no one. Read the full Lastovo guide →

A few things about the people you'll meet

Hospitality here isn't a transaction. When a konoba owner brings you a complimentary glass of homemade rakija at the end of a meal, the right response is to drink it, say živjeli, and mean it. Pride in local products — olive oil, honey, wine, lamb, cheese — is fierce and usually justified; stay for the second glass and the conversation. And remember pomalo, the Dalmatian art of taking it easy: a foreigner who arrives in a hurry leaves having understood nothing.

Ready to start? Pick a base in Split, then begin with the gentlest island — Šolta.