Brač Bol 110

In the last post, we introduced the stunning beach of Zlatni Rat. Called the Golden Cape or Golden Horn beach, it is a beautiful and famous beach on the Croatian coastline, located 2km from the town of Bol on Brač Island, that is regularly listed as one of the top beaches in Europe. While it can be busy, it is an incredible natural gem that is well worth the visit. Just make sure you know what to expect before you go! There are a few things to keep in mind when visiting this beach so here are our tips, tricks and essential facts.

Zlatni Rat, oftentimes called the Golden Cape or Golden Horn beach, is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Croatian coastline and one of the most picturesquely perfect beaches in the globe. It is regularly listed as one of the top beaches in Europe and the World by tourist guides and it is easy to see why. With a highly distinctive and memorable shape, perfect rich blue seas and white pebble beach, Zlatni Rat has become a symbol of Croatian tourism and natural beauty. It is a true natural wonder and a protected gem, making it the perfect place to spend a day as a family, couple, group or on your own. Located 2km from the town of Bol on Brač Island, the beach can be reached by car, a 20-minute walk along the sea, or, in the summer season, via the tourist boats or tourist train that runs every half hour. Just find a
vacation rental in Bol and spend some time on this stunning beach for yourself.

Last week, we were looking at Greece's best beaches but one of its neighbours, Croatia, boasts some equally stunning beaches. As there is nothing better to help you relax on a well-earned holiday than lazy days on the beach, here is a list of some of the best places to do just that in Croatia. As the country is stuffed with natural gems, there is really no shortage of options but here are some of our picks of the best of the best….

1. Zlatni Rat

Zlatni Rat, oftentimes called the Golden Cape or Golden Horn beach, is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Croatian coast.

Brač is a famously beautiful Croatian island in the Adriatic, that is part of the Split-Dalmatia region and the biggest island in Dalmatia. It is best-known for Zlatni Rat (the Golden Cape), a stunning white-pebble beach outside the resort town of Bol that is a popular windsurfing spot, and for the striking horseshoe-shaped beach that is located by the island's main town, Supetar. With its distinct and varied coast with numerous gullies, crevices, cavities, round valleys, coves, and famously lovely beaches and its lush inland landscape, it is a place of great and singular natural beauty.

However, that is not all there is to the island. As a major site for quarrying stone since antiquity, it makes sense that the island is also home to some incredible works of manmade beauty too. Pretty traditional villages are to be found on the island, with the seaside village of Pučišća being especially noteworthy. However, the most famous architectural gem on Brač is likely the beautiful hermitage of Pustinja Blaca. One of several hermitages on the island, Pustinja Blaca is made from the glittering white limestone for which Brač is well-known and is set into a romantically craggy cliffside. A rather extraordinary sight to behold, it is a must-see for those who have found a vacation rental in Split and plan on taking the ferry over to explore Brač for the day.

Tvrdalj is a palace and the fortified summer residence of Petar Hektorović, the Croatian poet (1487-1572). The most famous building in Stari Grad, it was built over the course of the poet's life and it had the same importance for him as his literary work.

In fact, it is actually a literary work in its own right and is engraved with more than twenty stone inscriptions in both Latin and Italian as well as inscriptions in the Croatian language. One particularly important inscription is the Italian, “Fede e realtà o quanto è bella!” (“Oh how lovely faith and reality are!”), which was Hektorović's life motto.

In addition, the building boasts beautiful views, pretty grounds and gardens and is richly steeped in local history. To spend time wandering this incredible architectural gem, just find a vacation rental in Hvar.

The stunning Croatian island of Hvar is famously beautiful. Consistently one of the top ten islands in the world according to Conde Nast, it is a rather unique place that is unusual for the area for having a large fertile coastal plain and fresh water springs. Its hillsides are covered in pine forests, with vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards and lavender fields and it boasts both mild winters, and warm summers with long sunny days. The coasts of the island are dotted with perfect sandy beaches and pretty marinas full of boats and yachts and lovely little towns and settlements dot the countryside.

However, there is one feature, above all others, that helped propel this pretty island into the spotlight; its iconic lavender fields. In fact, the incredible images of endless fields of lavender tossed by playful breezes are what first caught the attention of the world and made many add the island to their bucket lists. While the island no longer looks quite like those famous pictures, it is still a stunning place and a must for anyone who has found a vacation rental in Split-Dalmatien.