Islands to Visit From Split

The Dalmatian archipelago holds more than a thousand islands, but only a handful are both inhabited and connected to Split by scheduled passenger service. The ferry network radiates from Split's harbor in two main corridors: the central route serves Brač, Hvar, and Vis, while the southern arm reaches Korčula via the Pelješac peninsula. Šolta, the closest inhabited island, draws fewer visitors despite its proximity and offers quieter beaches and family-run konobas. Brač is the largest island in central Dalmatia and the most accessible from Split. The port town of Supetar receives car ferries every two hours in summer, and the crossing takes 50 minutes. Most visitors continue south to Bol, where the Zlatni Rat beach extends into the Hvar Channel and shifts shape with the current. The island's interior remains agricultural, with olive groves and stone shepherd huts scattered across the limestone ridges. Hvar draws the largest crowds of any Dalmatian island, and the summer ferry schedule reflects that demand. Catamarans from Split reach Hvar town in one hour, while the car ferry calls at Stari Grad on the island's north coast. The town's marble-paved square dates to the Venetian period, and the fortress above offers sightlines west to the Pakleni Islands and east to Brač. Vis remained a military zone until 1989, and that isolation preserved both its architecture and its slower pace. The island lies farther offshore than Brač or Hvar, and the two-hour catamaran ride limits day-trip traffic. Vis town and Komiža, the two main settlements, retain working fishing fleets, and the island's konobas serve locally caught grouper and lobster rather than imported seafood. The Blue Cave on the islet of Biševo operates as a separate paid attraction, accessible only by small boat from Komiža. Korčula requires the longest journey from Split—between three and four hours depending on the route—but the old town's layout and density rival anything in Dalmatia. The island also claims a winemaking tradition centered on the Grk and Pošip grape varieties, both indigenous to the archipelago. Split's ferry terminal operates year-round, but summer schedules between June and September offer the most frequent departures and the widest choice of islands. Advance booking is not required for walk-on passengers on most routes, though catamarans to Hvar and Vis do sell out on weekends in July and August. The Croatian ferry operator Jadrolinija publishes timetables online, and private catamaran companies including Krilo and TP Line compete on the busiest routes. Return ferries from the islands tend to depart in late afternoon, so building an overnight stay into your itinerary gives you more flexibility and removes the pressure of catching the last boat back to Split.