Solta

Solta lies directly off Split and is the least developed of the islands within easy reach of the city - a ridge of olive groves and pine with villages on the inland side and small harbours on the coast: Maslinica in the west with its islets, Stomorska in the east, Rogac where the ferry lands, and Grohote inland. Olive oil is the serious local product, and the Levantinka variety grown here has a protected designation. Honey is the other. There are no large hotels, which is the main reason the island has stayed as it is while Brac and Hvar filled up.

History

Under Austrian rule Šolta's villages still went by Italian names: Villa Grohote; Villa Inferior, today's Donje Selo, with its harbour Porto Olivetto, now Maslinica; Villa Media, now Srednje Selo; and Villa Superior, now Gornje Selo, with the harbour of Stomosca, now Stomorska. The telegraph came late: the state telegraph station at Grohote opened in 1874 with a limited daily service (Wikipedia, Šolta).

What's there

• The least developed nearby island - no large hotels on it.
• Olive oil as the real trade - the local Levantinka with protected status.
• Villages inland, harbours on the coast - the traditional island pattern.
• Maslinica and its islets - the western end.

When to go

May to September. A full day.

Before you go

Ferry times govern a day trip and the crossing is about an hour. Public transport on the island is minimal - a car or scooter helps. Beaches are pebble and rock. Services outside July and August are thin.

Nearby

Split is across the channel; Brac is east.

Key facts