A variety of options in Brac, Croatia
And some helpful tips, promise
Let me start by saying that I am not an authority on Croatia, but I have had the pleasure of helping quite a few people holiday there, so have gleaned a bit along the way. It’s another one of those places that has so many different options, so it’s very easy to be a bit overwhelmed by the choices.
I think the key piece of advice I have about Croatia, is that if you know you want to go there, book early. There are good value hotels and Airbnb type places, but they get snapped up pretty quickly, so have a think in the autumn before you want to go about your ideal route and don’t sleep on it! With that in mind, this post may be a little previous for 2025 holidays, and also possibly a bit late for 2024, but I really wanted to share with you, so here we are.
Remember here that I usually look for families, so a minimum of two rooms, and I’m always hunting for places which offer value and something either a little different or that offer something a bit more than standard. This doesn’t always mean budget money, but equally, I leave CN Traveller recommendations to other people (side note, I haven’t included anything from iescape either, we know about that one don’t we…)
Being anywhere in Croatia in peak season of course means crowds - but there are ways to minimise exposure to all the people. For example, if you fly in to Dubrovnik and you want to explore the city without having to have your base there ( a good idea in peak season to avoid the cruise ship brigade), stay in Cavtat, which has an excellent selection of places to stay and regular ferries back over to Dubrovnik (only taking 30 minutes each way). Or if you’re flying into Split, base yourself in Trogir, a charming old city, with beautifully preserved ancient city walls.
Because of the diversity and the range of accommodations, rather than give you a detailed itinerary, I thought I’d showcase some places researched and sourced for jobs I’ve done for clients.
Brac is a fairly big island, (technical speak) just over from Split and is home to one of the most photographed beaches in Croatia, Zlatni Rat
Because of it’s size, it’s a really good island to go to with older kids, as there is enough going to to keep them entertained but it isn’t quite at the same level of Hvar ( Hvar town is the place to go for fancy nightlife). Bol is the main town on Brac, and makes a really good base, offering loads of restaurants, cafes and beaches.
One of the main things I think you need when holidaying with older kids is for them to have a bit of freedom and staying at Villa Mare Bol would mean exactly that.
It’s not fancy, but is pretty, with two bedrooms and some nice details and crucially, a pool (which although not big would be enough to cool you down until you could get to one of the many nearby beaches). It also has views, which is a massive bonus. The bars and restaurants of Bol are a few minutes walk away, and the decor is just about manageable. One thing I have noticed about Croatia is that the interiors are often quite… dated and garish, which personally I struggle with a little, so the aim is for the environment to be as calm as possible.
On the north side of Brac you have Supetar, which is a quieter option, for those really dis-interested in any kind of after hours stuff. It’s got some great hotels and places to stay, one of them being Watermans Resort, which offer rooms as well as apartments, set in a pleasant beachside location (note, this should not be an all inclusive option, there are loads of lovely restaurants locally and the food options in the evening are limited). It is just a good value base for an easy holiday on Brac for families with smaller or younger kids.
I think it says quite a bit about my current mindset, mentioning this place (and admittedly it’s not really on brief): it’s small and very basic (almost like a hut). A little house on a beach, down a steep track, where you’d want to use a boat to pick up groceries. You’d be able to swim off the pebbly beach on your own every morning… just imagine brewing some coffee after your dip, eating a really good fresh nectarine for breakfast, before settling down and reading for a few hours, before poottling off in the boat along the coast for lunch… gosh. Sorry, I was transported for a moment there….
Villa Extravaganza is an entirely different kettle of fish, living up to it’s name. Set in the pretty bay of Sumartin, on the east of the island, this would be an excellent group get together type affair, with loads of spaces for you all to be in without getting on top of each other. It has a heated pool, but also easy access to the sea, an outdoor kitchen, games room and a hot tub. There’s also a wine cellar but access to that costs extra, which is no bad thing. You do pay for this kind of privilege, coming at approx £7K per family for a week. Maybe it’s one for a big birthday celebration?!
Villa Olive Bay caught my attention because its setting is so lovely. The gardens enclose the house and lead you to the swimming platform, which is just along from a small pebbly beach. The accommodation is really flexible sleeping from 8 to 11, so although it’s not particularly near shops and restaurants for older kids, it would have plenty of space for them to stretch out in, whilst you wander through the gardens, deciding whether to swim in pool or in the crystal clear sea. Choices choices. The owner of the villa can arrange groceries, maid service, day trips, I think because of its fairly remote location, they make it as easy to be there as possible. The small, pretty village of Milna is a 10 minute drive away. Again, it’s punchy - you do pay for the sea access and space to stretch out in (reckon it would be £5k per family for a week).
Back to Bol, and sticking more with my original theme (of being somewhere that affords you all freedom to get out and about without relying on a car), this villa ticks a lot of boxes. Sleeping 10 in four bedrooms, it has a private pool, outdoor kitchen and seating area, lovely gardens, and is walking distance to everything, including Zlatni Rat. It would be approx £5K for a week, which I think is pretty good for what you get, seeing as you’d be able to split it between two families.
Personally, I think a week on Brac, followed by some time on the Makarska Riveria, (somewhere like Podgora, a small fishing village about 50 miles south of Split) and then a few nights in Trogir before heading home, would make a really great two week summer holiday for a family with kids of any age, but especially slightly older ones.
I’ll come back to Croatia in future posts, because there are so many variations of places to go.
Next week, Slovenia.
Thanks for reading - and if you think anyone you know might find it useful, please do share! Thanks again for being here x