Travel to Brac in campervan – All you need to know to visit croatian islands in van.
You’re dreaming about croatian islands, but you do not know which one to choose. Hvar, Vis, Brac…which island of Croatia you should visit with a van? How to get there ? Is it easy to find spots to sleep with a van?
All info on our travel blog!
Discover Brač island with a van
To choose which island of croatia we should visit in van, it was also the question we had. So after we read many guides, forums and spoke with locals we made our choice. So you’ll find in this article:
- 1/ Our 4 days and 4 nights van itinerary in Croatia on Brač island.
- 2/ Everything you need to know to visit croatian islands in van.
Calm places, wonderful beaches, turquoise water, delicius local food…
4 days itinerary in Brač in campervan
1/ Our travel stages on Brač island in Croatia
Croatian islands in van ; find all our stages (beaches, hike starts, restaurants, van spots…) on the map above.
1.1/ Day 1 – Arrival on Brač island
Discovery of the island and its wonderful beaches.
After we took a ferry from Split, we arrive at Supetar (biggest town of the island) early in the morning. If you have not already made your groceries before, we advise you to shop here. After that, there will be fewer supermarkets and choices.
Then, towards the northwest to the small town of Sutivan, its seafront and its beautiful beaches. After this stage, we went to Milna where we spent the rest of the day and the evening. The road to go is very beautiful and there, the waterfront is superb and the water is turquoise blue and translucent.
We enjoy the place also to walk a few kilometers on the seaside (north), very nice. Before having a great sunset in front of our van, facing the sea.
Croatian islands in van – 1st Sleeping spot:
Really loved it! We slept in front of the sea (only our van) close to a small beach in concrete, on a small non-busy street. The landscape was just superb. And continuing east, there are small sandy beaches, bars and beach showers. But dogs are not allowed.
1.2/ Day 2 – Let’s go to Bol town
Hike and local gastronomy
We take the road towards Bol. 1st stage of the day trip, we stop to admire the city of Lozisca… beautiful little village with white houses and a high bell tower. No problem to drive around Brac island with a van.
2nd stage, the restaurant “Konoba Kopacina” in Donji Humac, east of Lozisca, towards Bol. We read that prices were reasonable and the food, good and local. We were not disappointed! Indeed, a good Croatian family address, simple but good setting, and great meat cooked in a wood-fired oven!
Vidova Gora, highest summit of Brač island
Arriving in Bol in the middle of the afternoon, we decided hike to Vidova Gora (780m). The highest mountain of the Adriatic islands, which offers a superb view of Bol, its mythical Zlatni Rat beach and on Hvar island. So, if you visit Brac, one of the croatian islands in van, it’s a must-do.
10 km return trip with 660m of elevation gain by the “Vela-Staza” (Bol-Vidova Gora) Alpine Trail. Count 2h uphill and less for the descent. Even starting at 4pm it was still very hot (it climbs well), but the final panorama worth it. Only negative point, the summit is also accessible by car… fortunately, we were no more than a dozen up for the sunset.
After the descent, we went swimming and shower to the beach (a part of the waterfront is forbidden to dogs). Just for info, it seems that they cut the water from 20h.
Croatian islands in van – 2nd Sleeping spot:
A non-asphalted parking almost desert in the evening (fills up during the day). Not very sexy, but well located. Facing a small church and 2 mins from pretty less crowded beaches than in downtown Bol, so Ok with our doggie.
1.3/ Day 3 – Street art, beach and small hike
Nice and calm morning: swimming and walk on the waterfront.
After the beach, we go for a small walk. We discover a place full of frescoes and graffiti. This is the old Bijela Kuca hotel which has been abandoned. We just enjoy this artistic murals and arrive on the seafront, its bars and restaurants.
After lunch, we go to the Dragon Cave. We park close to the hike start at Murvica (here bellow, the view during the walk).
Be careful, it is not long, but it is an old unmarked shepherd trail and with a lot of small pebbles. It is possible to make a loop but as we had flip-flops (bad idea but we thought that the path would be in better condition), we decided to just make the return trip.
Count 2km return trip with 270m of elevation gain. A metal door prevents access to the Dragon Cave (maybe tou need a guide to enter), but we could fully see the interior. The cave is carved between two cliffs. It’s pretty impressive, and is in fact an old hermit’s habitat.
Going downhill, a short walk to the beach of Murvica and then a drink by the sea to end this beautiful day.
Croatian islands in van – 3rd Sleeping spot:
As we ended the day a bit late, we decided to go back to the same parking, West of town.
1.4/ Day 4 – Selca and Sumartin
Beaches, story and sea food
Head west towards Sumartin. Small town at the southwestern end of Brač island. Some small beaches en concrete to swim and laze in the sun with beach showers. Like most cities of the island, the center of Sumartin is concentrated around its harbour. With bars, restaurants, shops but it’s easy to get around. We spend the morning lazing around and having lunch.
Then we go back to Selca (only 10 mins drive). This small town is the oldest on the island. Recognized at the time as community of shepherds and then stonemasons.
On the road (and especially in the East) we can also see the white stone quarries that make the island of Brač famous. Indeed these stones were used for the construction of the Diocletian Palace in Split (you will say: “Ok, not bad, but hey it’s not that far, not enough to make a mountain out of a molehill”). But also for the White House in Washington.. not that bad, isn’t it?
To end the day in style, we decided to try seafood, a specialty of the island, at the “Park Petrovac” restaurant. Great location, great view of Sumartin and a beautiful sunset. The squid ink risotto is delicious and the calamari excellent… we didn’t expect it, but it’s a family restaurant. The server (very nice) was the son of the chef! (Be careful, they do not take the credit card).
Croatian islands in van – 4th Sleeping spot:
The spot is very pretty. Parking of a marine cemetery, under the trees. Facing the sea and a small beach about twenty meters before. The is an interdiction sign for camping and camping-car, but we had no problem with our van by remaining discreet. There is water at the entrance of the cemetery.
1.5/ Day 5 – On our way to Makarska
We enjoy the beach in front of our van. The water is warm enough and its beautiful blue invites us to swim (photo above). There are only locals here. Then we go to take our ferry (5 mins by car) to Makarska.
2/ Brač island in campervan
Here all the useful info to go to Croatian islands in van
2.1/ How to go to Brač in van
Ferries to Croatian islands in van:
There are a lot of ferries that go to Brač island everyday, from:
- Split <> Supetar (North), duration: approx. 1h. Between 9 and 14 per day depending on the season.
- Makarska <> Sumartin (East), duration: 1h. Between 3 et 5 per day depending on the season.
Personally, to optimize our road trip we chose to arrive and leave from different harbours, but you can totally make a return trip. You can also discover the stages of our road trip in Croatia in van.
The ferry company is Croatia Ferries and you can find all the info (seasons, prices, schedules…) on their website: from Split, from Makarska.
Ferries prices for Brač:
- Season and vehicle size: prices are the same from Split and Makarska. They are fixed by period (low and high season) and depend on the vehicle. With a van under 2m, we pay the “car price” (the driver is included).
- Additional passenger: as in any ferry, you pay an extra per additional passenger but it’s free for doggies.
- > Regarding us, we paid in total (for a one ticket trip): 193 HKR, so approx. 25€
2.2/ Brač island’s roads
The main roads are in very good condition. Certainly a little steep and winding sometimes but really nothing bad for a van. For smaller roads, it really depends. We only made a U-turn once (it’s the “beach pin” below Milna on the map at the top of the article).
There is no motorway in Brac, so no paid roads of course. In addition, the island is only 50 km by 20 km, so you will never have to drive long distances wherever you go.
2.3/ Shower and drinking water on Brač
It must depend on the season, but, in summer, it’s very easy to shower. Most beaches have showers, however, don’t use soap if they pour directly into the nature. (We have a soap that can be used everywhere, bought at Décathlon, which allows us to wash without damaging the natural environment).
For water (dishes, cooking, drinking…), we found, but it was not always easy (except if you manage to refill water from the showers … but it’s not the best option indeed). We used the “Maps” app to find sources of drinking water.
2.4/ Supermarkets on the croatian Brac island
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, it’s not difficult to find small supermarkets on the island of Brač. But if you want a bit of choice, try to shop before arriving on the island or at Supetar.
2.5/ Where to find good spots with a van
We didn’t face any problem to park in good places with our van on Brac. We used the Park4Night application for the Bol spot (because not much there), but if you go off the main roads you can easily find quiet spots. Also, we didn’t have the feeling of disturbing local people.
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We hope that this article about “Discovering the Croatian islands in van” will be useful for you. Do not hesitate to write us a message! And above all … happy holidays!
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