Self-Launched Croatia Island Hopping: Split to Korčula, Vis & Brač by Ferry

Land in Split, drop your bag at a hostel in the old town if you arrive early, and use the morning to wander Diocletian's Palace and the Riva seafront. In the afternoon take the seasonal catamaran from Split port to Pučišća on Brač (Jadrolinija/Krilo, roughly 1h, ~£10–14 one way; check timetables as departures are limited outside summer). Pučišća is the stone-masonry village the cruise visits — its white limestone built much of Europe. Call ahead to the Klesarska Škola (stonemasonry school) about a short workshop or courtyard visit, otherwise just watch the harbour work from the waterfront. Swim off the rocks near the breakwater, and cook or eat simply at a konoba. If you're travelling as a naturist, the closest official FKK ground is at nearby Lovrečina-style coves — check locally which coves are signed FKK before stripping off, as Croatia is strict about signage.

🚌Catamaran Split → Pučišća, ~1h, ~£10–14 one way (Jadrolinija/Krilo). Port is a 10-min walk from the old town.

🛏Guesthouse room or small hostel in Pučišća, ~£28 (private) / ~£18 dorm

• →Diocletian's Palace walk (free)
• →Split Riva & fish market
• →Catamaran Split–Pučišća
• →Stonemasonry school visit (request direct, ~£5–10)
• →Harbour swim & konoba dinner

Morning bus across Brač to Bol (local bus ~40 min, ~£3–4), where you can swim at Zlatni Rat — the pebble spit the cruise anchors off. It's a 15-min walk from Bol harbour, free to access, and the water is clearest early. If you want the cruise's Mlaska naturist-camp swim, Mlaska is a signed FKK resort bay about 6km east of Bol, reachable by taxi or a long coastal walk — check opening/entry costs locally. In the afternoon take the Krilo catamaran from Bol to Korčula (summer only, ~1h15, ~£12–16) or backtrack via Split/Jelsa if the Bol sailing isn't running. Settle into Korčula's walled old town, walk the ramparts at golden hour and eat grilled fish at a seafront konoba.

🚌Local bus Pučišća–Bol ~£3–4; Krilo catamaran Bol–Korčula ~1h15, ~£12–16 (summer season only — otherwise via Split, longer and pricier).

🛏Hostel dorm or sobe inside Korčula old town, ~£22–30

• →Zlatni Rat beach swim (free)
• →Local bus across Brač
• →Bol promenade
• →Mlaska FKK bay (optional)
• →Korčula old town ramparts & Marco Polo house area

Hit Korčula's open market first thing (the cruise's 'morning walk through the open market'), then catch the little shuttle boat from the old-town quay to Badija island (~10 min, ~£4–5 return) for a swim and a walk around the Franciscan monastery. The cove on Badija's far side is traditionally used for nude bathing — follow local signage. Back in town by mid-afternoon, take the Jadrolinija catamaran from Korčula to Ubli on Lastovo (about 1h, ~£8–10, limited days — check before you commit to the route). Ubli is the port; a local bus or taxi takes you up to Lastovo town (~£5), a hillside village of stone lanes and tiny churches. Cook in or eat at one of the two or three konobas.

🚌Badija shuttle boat ~£4–5 return; Jadrolinija catamaran Korčula–Ubli ~1h, ~£8–10; local bus/taxi Ubli–Lastovo town ~£5.

🛏Sobe/guesthouse in Lastovo town, ~£25–32 (limited supply — book ahead)

• →Korčula open market
• →Shuttle boat to Badija island
• →Badija monastery walk & swim
• →Lastovo town evening stroll
• →Night-sky viewing (Lastovo is a Dark Sky park)

Take the morning catamaran or ferry from Ubli back toward Vis (schedules are sparse — often via Korčula or Hvar; budget 3–5h and ~£15–20). Base yourself in Komiža on Vis's west coast rather than Vis town if you want the fishing-village feel the cruise's itinerary leans into. In the afternoon, join a small-group or shared boat trip from Komiža or Vis to the Green Cave on Ravnik island — the light-through-the-ceiling effect is best 11am–2pm, so if you arrive late, push the cave to Day 5 morning. Local operators sell seats from the harbour (~£25–35 for a half-day). Swim off Komiža's pebble beach at the end of the day and eat at a fisherman's konoba on the riva.

🚌Catamaran Ubli → Vis (often indirect via Korčula/Hvar), ~£15–20, 3–5h; harbour boats for the Green Cave.

🛏Guesthouse or hostel room in Komiža, ~£28–35

• →Catamaran/island ferry hopping
• →Green Cave boat trip (~£25–35)
• →Swim at Ravnik (weather permitting)
• →Komiža fishing harbour & pebble beach

Pre-book a Blue Cave excursion from Komiža harbour (small boat, ~1h each way plus cave entry; total ~£30–40 including the Biševo marine reserve/cave entrance fee). Boats leave early to beat the crowds — go for the first departure. On the way back, stop for a swim at one of the Jerolim/Stiniva-style coves if your skipper offers it (Stiniva on Vis is the famous one; some tours include it). In the afternoon take the catamaran from Vis to Stari Grad on Hvar (~1h, ~£10–14) and stay in Stari Grad rather than Hvar town — quieter, cheaper, and the old town plus the Stari Grad Plain (a UNESCO agricultural landscape) is a lovely evening walk.

🚌Blue Cave boat from Komiža ~£30–40; catamaran Vis → Stari Grad ~1h, ~£10–14.

🛏Hostel or sobe in Stari Grad, ~£25–32

• →Blue Cave (Biševo) boat excursion ~£30–40
• →Cove swim stop
• →Stari Grad old town & Stari Grad Plain walk
• →Harbour dinner

Morning ferry or catamaran from Stari Grad across to Bol (~40 min–1h, ~£6–10; some services run from Hvar town instead). Drop your bag and head to Zlatni Rat again if you loved it, or do the cruise's alternative: hike or rent a scooter up to Vidova Gora, the highest point on the Adriatic islands (~778m), for the view over Zlatni Rat and out to Hvar (~£20 scooter rental, or a free 2.5h hike from Bol). Croatian FKK beaches are typically outside resort areas — near Bol the signed naturist zone is at the far eastern end of Zlatni Rat and around the Paklina coves; check signage before undressing, and note some FKK camps charge a day entry (~£10–15). Evening: fresh fish and a glass of Pošip or Vugava.

🚌Catamaran Stari Grad → Bol ~40min–1h, ~£6–10; local bus or scooter on Brač.

🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse room in Bol, ~£22–30

• →Catamaran Stari Grad–Bol
• →Zlatni Rat beach day
• →Vidova Gora hike or scooter (~£20)
• →FKK cove swim (signage permitting)

Spend the morning swimming in Brač's quieter coves — walk west from Bol past Zlatni Rat to the Murvica/Paklina stretches, or take the local bus toward Sumartin and find a cove with a handful of other people on it. In the afternoon take the ferry from Supetar (Brač) to Split and then the local ferry from Split to Rogač on Šolta, followed by a bus to Stomorska (~£12–16 total, 2–2.5h). Stomorska is a tiny fishing village of stone houses and a single row of konobas — the cruise's last anchorage. Buy fish at the little market if it's open, or book a table and have your own 'BBQ party' on the waterfront.

🚌Local bus Bol–Supetar ~£4; Jadrolinija ferry Supetar–Split ~50min, ~£5–7; Split–Rogač ferry ~1h, ~£5–7; bus Rogač–Stomorska ~£2.

🛏Sobe/apartment in Stomorska, ~£28–35

• →Brač coastal coves swim
• →Ferry Supetar–Split–Rogač
• →Stomorska fishing village evening
• →Waterfront konoba dinner

Easy morning: swim off Stomorska's concrete bathing platforms, have a slow coffee, then bus to Rogač and ferry back to Split (~1.5h, ~£7–9). With an afternoon in Split, climb the bell tower of St Domnius cathedral (~£5) for the harbour view, walk Marjan hill for sunset, and eat one last plate of grilled squid on the Riva. If you're flying out the same day, allow 45 min for the airport bus (~£5) — Croatian ferries run on island time, so don't cut it fine.

🚌Bus Stomorska–Rogač ~£2; ferry Rogač–Split ~1h, ~£5–7; airport bus ~£5.

🛏Final night in a Split hostel dorm, ~£20–28 (or fly home)

• →Stomorska morning swim
• →Ferry back to Split
• →St Domnius bell tower (~£5)
• →Marjan hill sunset walk
• →Riva dinner