My husband ( in our 50s but very active) and I are in Croatia for 4 weeks in June 2024. We have 15 days to spend on islands and are thinking of visiting Hvar, Brac, and Korcula but can't decide how long on each. Should we spend 5 days on each or fewer days on Brac and/or Korcula and more on Hvar? We love the beach, hiking, history. We're not into the night club scene (neither of us drink) but we like a lively atmosphere. We will have a car so will need to go back and forth to Split and Dubrovnik with the car ferries so I'm a bit worried that we're going to waste a lot of time in transit. Are we better off basing ourselves at only two islands with maybe just a day trip to Brac or Korcula? Any advice from those who have been?
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7796 posts
Hi, I stayed in Hvar and Korcula in June. I was on Hvar one night and Korcula two nights. I haven’t been to Brac. For a lively day & evening atmosphere, I liked Hvar more than Korcula, so I would give more days to that location. I traveled by passenger ferries.
I’m a little confused; are you staying on the islands or just planning to ferry from Split & Dubrovnik?
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
I have been to each of these islands briefly. I actually also visited Vis, which I loved best of all of them. It just had a more laid-back feel somehow - it felt less "discovered" even though clearly there are tourists there now.
You can check the car ferry schedules yourself to figure out the logistics. It's about an hour from Split to Brac, about two hours from Split to Stari Grad, a little over two hours to Vis, more than that to Vela Luka. Yes, you'll have to backtrack more between Split and the islands with a car. I guess if you going between Split and Dubrovnik, you can stop in Korcula on the way, so the only backtrack is between Brac or Hvar and Split. There's also the ferry between Sućuraj, Hvar and Drvenik on the mainland to get from Hvar to Korcula without going back to Split - not sure if that really saves you any time or not.
You'll have to decide for yourself which islands are the most interesting to you. They are all really nice. I didn't see much of Hvar other than Hvar Town, which I'm sure will be pretty busy in June.
Posted by
1038 posts
You’re bringing the car? Objectively, I think Korcula is probably the place you might actually use it to explore the island. It’s large enough to justify it. I suppose the same could be said for Hvar, but it seems like there’s less away from Hvar town. If that’s the idea, then I would plan more days there to get around to the wineries etc.
15 days is a lot, plenty to really unwind and enjoy the islands. I met a lot of people doing this itinerary. I would not sweat how you divvy these days up too much. To a degree, they all offer the same thing: pristine waters and unparalleled beauty. I can pretty much guarantee you’ll love everywhere you go. Be sure to invest in some top flight water shoes.