Travelling between islands in Croatia

Croatia’s islands, all 1,200 of them, are divided into different groups. The Northern Islands include Krk, Croatia’s largest, up near the Istrian Peninsula, and the Zadar archipelago is home to low lying islands like Olib and Molat. The Central Dalmatian archipelago has Brac with the highest peak of all the islands, and Hvar with the highest disposable income per visitor, as this has long been land of the posh and plenty. But really, the list feels like it goes on forever.

Most of our small group holidays that travel out to the islands use ferries, but if you are booking a tailor made holiday in Croatia, you can also ask your tour operator to organise a seaplane, which is becoming a popular mode of transport these days too. Flights take you from Pula, Rijeka and Split, over the archipelagic beauties to land at the islands of Lošinj, Lastovo, Hvar and Korcula.

If you do opt for a tailor made trip, travelling around by public ferry, be aware that there are two aspects of travelling between islands in Croatia by ferry that test the Zen principles just a tad. First of all, the majority of ferries take you from the islands back to the mainland, and do not island hop. So, even though it looks as if you could almost swim from one island to the next, you probably can’t take a ferry there – you have to go back to the mainland first. There are a few exceptions, particularly in peak season, with services running between Hvar Island and the islands of Korcula, Mljet and Bol. The other frustrating aspect is that, even if you or your holiday company books your tickets in advance, the chances are that in peak season you will have to queue for anything between half an hour and three hours (worst case scenario).

To give you an idea of possible routes for your tailor made, self drive or cycling holiday, the following are the main ferry ports from mainland Croatia, and the main islands that they serve. Your holiday company will have up to date timetables, and will ensure that you don’t spend more time queuing and cruising than you do on the islands themselves:

Port of Split: Islands of Solta, Hvar, Brac Korcula, Mljet and Vis.

Port of Dubrovnik: Ferries and catamarans to Mljet National Park island, Lastovo, Korcula, Sipan, Lastovo and Hvar.

Port of Rijeka: Offers an overnight service between here and Dubrovnik, stopping at Split, Stari Grad on the island of Hvar, the islands of Korcula and Mljet National Park Island.

Port of Zadar: Ferries to Zadar archipelago islands such as Iz and Premuda, or to other parts of the mainland like Pula or Rivanj, although many of these islands are uninhabited so it is more sailing territory really.

Generally, Croatian ferries welcome cyclists, although there is a surcharge of £2-10 depending on the route. In general, the best ferries to take your bikes on are the car ferries, as there is more room and in some cases, they are not allowed on catamarans at all. At times, it can be a bit of a moveable feast, depending on whether you get the right person on the right day. This is the advantage of travelling as part of a small group tour, as your holiday company and tour leader will negotiate all of this in advance. Also, it is a great reason to travel outside peak months of July and August, as anything seems to go when the majority of tourists aren’t going.

Photo credits: [Top box: Katie Hunt] [Small ship cruises: Petra Bensted] [When & where do the ferries run?: Matthias Damert] [Ferries or catamarans?: Lovro Rumiha] [Banner: Bartlomiej Mostek]