Walking In Croatia: Spotlight On Brac Island

When taking a walking holiday to any given country, it is always a challenge to find new places to go and see. It may seem, at first glance, that every nook and cranny of every nation in the world has been explored, in some form or another, and that there remain no secrets for a keen traveller to discover.

Yet certain spots around the world have never, for one reason or another, fulfilled their touristic potential – much to the delight of a certain type of holidaymaker. Visitors walking in Croatia and wanting to stray from the beaten path, for instance, have one such place off the coast of Split: Brac island.

Explore this lovely island

Located in Dalmatia, Brac has a local population of roughly 14.500, with its biggest town, Supetar, harbouring about 3.300 inhabitants. At the other end of the spectrum is Murvica, a tiny settlement with less than two dozen people altogether. The discrepancy between the two towns serves as a good illustration of the appeal of Brac – despite being served by its own, relatively large airport, the island still hides enough unexplored areas to make avid explorers on a holiday walking in Croatia very happy.

Those with a penchant for hiking, in particular, will not want to miss the chance to climb Vidova Gora, the highest island point in the Adriatic Sea. This 778m high mountain is likely to present mountaineering experts walking in Croatia with a bit of a challenge, and provides a good reason for this particular subset of tourist to visit Brac island.

Even those who are not too fond of that sort of exercise, however, will find something to please their taste if they choose to visit this insular settlement. Brac offers an excellent mix of wildlife spotting opportunities, glorious beaches and just enough urbanity to fulfil the basic requirements of any traveller on a holiday walking in Croatia. While sustained mostly by revenue from tourism, Brac also remains authentic enough not to feel like a ‘tourist spot’, which will no doubt please those looking for something a little different.

Those choosing to venture into this quaint settlement should, however, be warned of two things. First off, snakes abound on the island, so caution is advised when entering high grass; secondly, each town on the island has its own dialect, although English is spoken and travellers with knowledge of German or Italian might be able to get along as well.

It is clear, then, that Brac remains one of the best-hidden gems of the Croatian sightseeing route, prime for exploration by keener wanderers.

Tony Maniscalco is the Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. Join us on a holiday walking in Croatia to the most scenic locations & landscapes at the best value prices. We offer over 140 guided group walking holidays in over 60 different countries.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.