©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Split & Central %Dalmatia 021 Includes ¨ Why Go? Split ..............200 Central Dalmatia is the most action-packed, sight-rich and Trogir & Around .....218 diverse part of Croatia, with pretty islands, quiet ports, rug- Trogir ..............218 ged mountains, dozens of castles and an emerging culinary Makarska .......... 223 scene, as well as Split’s Diocletian’s Palace and medieval Tro- gir (both Unesco World Heritage sites). Brač Island ........ 226 Roman ruins, a buzzing Mediterranean-flavoured city Supetar ............227 and chic dining, wining and partying on the most glam- Bol ................ 233 orous isle in the Adriatic, Hvar Island, all vie for visitors’ Hvar Island ........ 235 attention. Let’s not forget the slender and seductive sand Hvar Town ......... 236 beaches, secluded pebble coves on islands near and far, and gorgeous nudie hideaways. Whatever your beat, this part of Stari Grad ......... 242 Croatia, with the rugged 1500m-high Dinaric Range provid- Jelsa .............. 243 ing a dramatic background to the coastline, will grip even Vis Island .......... 244 the pickiest of visitors. Vis Town ........... 245 Best of all: Dalmatia is always warmer than Istria or the Kvarner Gulf. You can plunge into the crystalline Adriatic from the middle of May right up until the end of September. Best Places to Eat When to Go Split ¨ Pojoda (p247) °C/°F Te mp Rainfall Inches/mm ¨ Villa Spiza (p209) 30/86 8/200 ¨ Antika (p243) 20/68 6/150 ¨ Lola Konoba & Bar (p247) 10/50 4/100 0/32 2/50 Best Places to -10/14 0 Stay J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨ Divota Apartment Hotel May The sea is Jul & Aug A full Sep Come for (p207) already warm roster of festivals, warm seas and ¨ Goli + Bosi (p206) enough to swim lots of action lower prices in, so beat the wherever you go after the summer ¨ Hotel Adriana (p240) crowds and enjoy and the weather hordes have left. ¨ Hotel San Giorgio (p246) sunshine aplenty. is tops. 198 Split & Central Dalmatia 666 Highlights 1 Discovering Vrlika Split’s ancient heart #\ P in Diocletian’s Palace (p200), a Krka Drniš quarter that buzzes666 National #÷ #\ Park day and night. 2 Savouring the Krka SPLIT & CENTRAL DALMATIA CENTRAL& DALMATIA SPLIT CENTRAL& DALMATIA foodie scene and beautiful beaches of M Vodice Bilice Vis (p244), among #\ #\ o Croatia’s most s 666 remote islands. #] e Šibenik ć 3 Stretching out on Croatia’s sexiest beach, Zlatni Rat Zlarin (p233), in Bol. Zadar 4 Soaking up the D Primorski #\ glamour and partying Dolac all out at the seafront bars in f# #\ Primošten & Central Dalmat & Hvar Town (p236). Kaštela #\ 5 Hiking up #\ Sućurac dramatic Mt Biokovo /·E65 Seget #\ (p225) and enjoying /·D8 ##\6 Trogir # views of Italy from f# the top. 6 Taking in the remarkably preserved Drvenik Drvenik Veli Splitski I Mali a H a ancient architecture Channel of tiny Trogir (p218), #\ Šolta f# I Maslinica #\ #\ Rogač g the World Heritage #\ H star of Central Grohote Nečujam l #\ I Dalmatia. g Stomorska H 7 Exploring the ts dreamy interior of Hvar Island (p235), with its endless ADRIATIC fields of lavender, SEA stretching sea vistas and abandoned hamlets. Pakleni Viški Island Cha nn el Point f# Stončica #\ Vis Town Svetac Komiža #\ #2 Vis Island Biše vsk i C ha nn el.