Self-Launched Dalmatian Island Hopper: Trogir, Vis, Lastovo, Korčula, Hvar & Brač

Start in Trogir — the UNESCO-listed old town on its tiny island is worth an hour's wander before you leave. Take the morning bus (No. 37 or 38, ~£2, 30 mins) to Split's ferry port, then the afternoon catamaran to Vis (Kapetan Luka or Jadrolinija fast ferry, roughly 1h15–2h depending on vessel, ~£10–14 booked online in advance). Once on Vis, check into a guesthouse or soba room in Vis town or Kut, then swim off the rocks at Prirovo or the naturist-friendly stretch toward Stončica if you have time. Evening: seafood and a glass of Vugava on the Vis waterfront, then a wander through the Venetian lanes of Kut.

🚌Bus Trogir–Split ~£2 + catamaran Split–Vis ~£12

🛏Guesthouse/soba room in Vis town or Kut, ~£28

• →Walk Trogir old town
• →Catamaran to Vis
• →Swim off Prirovo rocks
• →Evening stroll through Kut

Book a morning Blue Cave (Modra špilja) excursion from Vis town — official boats leave from Komiža and run roughly 10:00–13:00, ~£30–38 including cave entry; go early as afternoon seas often close the cave. Combine it with a Swim stop at Stiniva or Budikovac lagoon if the operator bundles it. Back on Vis, take the afternoon/evening Jadrolinija catamaran Vis–Lastovo (seasonal, usually 1–2 sailings a week, ~£12–15 — check the timetable the day you arrive and book ahead). Lastovo is blissfully quiet: guesthouse in Lastovo town or Zaklopatica, dinner of fresh fish and a walk up to the hilltop viewpoints.

🚌Blue Cave boat ~£34 + catamaran Vis–Lastovo ~£14

🛏Guesthouse in Lastovo town or Zaklopatica, ~£25

• →Blue Cave on Biševo
• →Optional Stiniva cove swim stop
• →Lastovo hilltop sunset walk

Morning swim at one of Lastovo's naturist-friendly coves (Mihajla or Skrivena Luka side) and a short walk in Lastovo Nature Park — the island is heavily forested and almost empty of visitors. Grab lunch, then take the catamaran or a local passenger boat across to Korčula (seasonal Lastovo–Korčula or Ubli–Korčula sailings via the mainland, ~£12–16, allow 2.5–4h). Arrive Korčula town, check into a room inside or just outside the walled old town, and do the classic self-guided loop: St Mark's Cathedral, the Marco Polo house, the fish-scale street grid — or join a £15 GetYourGuide walking tour if you want the stories. Evening on the riva with a glass of Pošip.

🚌Catamaran/boat Lastovo–Korčula ~£14

🛏Guesthouse room in Korčula old town area, ~£30

• →Lastovo Nature Park walk
• →Cove swim
• →Self-guided Korčula old town walk

Slow morning, then the catamaran from Korčula to Hvar town or Stari Grad (Kapetan Luka fast ferry, ~1h–1h30, ~£16–20 — book online). From Hvar town a local bus (No. 1 or 2, ~£3) reaches Stari Grad in ~20 mins, or sail directly into Stari Grad. Base yourself in Stari Grad, the quieter, cheaper, 2,400-year-old alternative to Hvar town: stone lanes, the Tvrdalj fortress, and the Unesco-listed Stari Grad Plain with its ancient dry-stone walls. Afternoon swim at Banj beach or a naturist-friendly rocky spot along the coast. Dinner in a konoba off the harbour.

🚌Catamaran Korčula–Hvar/Stari Grad ~£18 + local bus ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Stari Grad, ~£30

• →Catamaran crossing
• →Stari Grad old town and Tvrdalj
• →Stari Grad Plain walk
• →Banj beach swim

Morning catamaran or ferry from Stari Grad to Bol on Brač (seasonal fast boat, ~35–50 mins, ~£10–14; alternatively sail via Split). Bol is a relaxed harbour town with the famous Zlatni Rat pebble spit 20 minutes' walk west — free, and with a naturist section at the far, forested end. Spend the afternoon swimming and walking out along the shifting point, then back into Bol for a cheap grill dinner. If you want a break from ferries, afternoon kayak or stand-up paddle hire is ~£12/hour.

🚌Catamaran Stari Grad–Bol ~£12

🛏Guesthouse or soba in Bol, ~£30

• →Zlatni Rat beach and spit walk
• →Swim at the naturist end of the spit
• →Optional paddleboard hire ~£12/hr

Catch the morning catamaran Bol–Split (~1h, ~£12), then a local bus from Split's Sukoišan terminal to Omiš (~45 mins, ~£4). Omiš sits where the Cetina river meets the sea, dwarfed by cliffs — check into a room in or just above the old town. Climb to the Mirabela and Starigrad (Fortica) fortresses on foot for the estuary views (~£3–5 entry each), wander the narrow lanes, and have a riverside dinner. Optional extra: cheap rafting or zipline trips on the Cetina start at ~£30 — book locally the evening before.

🚌Catamaran Bol–Split ~£12 + bus Split–Omiš ~£4

🛏Guesthouse/room in Omiš old town, ~£28

• →Mirabela and Fortica fortress climb
• →Omiš old town walk
• →Riverside evening

Bus back to Split (~£4), then the Jadrolinija car ferry from Split to Rogač on Šolta (~50 mins, ~£5–7, foot passengers welcome). Šolta is deliberately overlooked: olive groves, stone villages like Maslinica and Grohote, and rocky coves where nude swimming is normal and uncrowded. Rent a bike or scooter in Rogač (~£15/day scooter) or use the sparse local bus to reach Maslinica for the sunset, and swim at Senjska or the coves near Stomorska. Guesthouse in Grohote or Stomorska, and a final konoba dinner with local Šolta olive oil.

🚌Bus Omiš–Split ~£4 + ferry Split–Rogač ~£6 + local transport ~£8

🛏Guesthouse in Grohote or Stomorska, ~£25

• →Ferry to Šolta
• →Swim in quiet coves
• →Maslinica and Grohote village walk
• →Optional scooter hire ~£15

Morning swim and a last coffee, then the ferry back from Rogač to Split (~£6) and the local bus to Trogir (~£2, 30 mins). If your flight isn't until later, drop bags and re-explore Trogir's cathedral and fortress, or take the short bus to Split airport (~£2) — it's only 5 km away. Total loop is genuinely doable on foot, bus and public ferries without a single tour bus.

🚌Ferry Rogač–Split ~£6 + bus to Trogir ~£2

🛏None included — onward travel or optional Trogir guesthouse ~£28

• →Final swim
• →Trogir cathedral and fortress
• →Airport transfer