Attractions

Supetar and Bol are the locations most frequented by visitors to Brac. Supetar is by far the closer landing point from Split, but its horseshoe-shaped beach is quite ordinary and not as interesting or as attractive as the famous Zlati Rat (Golden Cape) at Bol. Supetar does have a resort hotel complex and a decent-size pebble beach, but it doesn't have the cachet of its glamorous counterpart on the other side of the island. However, both towns are ideal locations for diving and other watersports thanks to their clear water and prevailing winds.

Supetar 

With 3,500 inhabitants, Supetar is the largest town on Brac. The ferries landing at Supetar deposit passengers on a dock that sits just outside the town's quaint center at the business end of the beach. The beach starts south of the dock and curves away from the town toward the west up to the island's main hotel complex, which is home to three large package hotels and several smaller establishments.

Supetar's tourism revolves around its beach, which arcs away from the ferry port and is the center of almost all activity. The town does have a few other sites that can keep anyone busy for an afternoon. The best of these is the Baroque Church of the Annunciation, which is a short uphill walk from the port toward the city center. Next to the church on the left, you'll find remnants of a mosaic floor that was part of an early (6th c.) church dedicated to St. Peter and built on this site. The present church was built on top of its predecessor. What's left of the original church's floor is in sections in situ on the ground, open to the elements and foot traffic. The courtyard entrance is graced by a very modern bust depicting Mother Teresa.

As you explore the church grounds, you should note the church's bronze doors and the Stations of the Cross chiseled in stone and hung on the rock wall that leads to a bell tower to the right of the church.

Supetar's cemetery and its ornate Petrinovic Mausoleum are other attractions worthy of a stop. The cemetery is at the far end of the beach on a small, eerie-looking peninsula draped with cypress trees. Supetar native Ivan Rendic (1839-1932) is responsible for creating many of the unique grave markers there and for the huge Petrinovic tomb built for shipping tycoon Francisco Petrinovic, who was born in Croatia. The cemetery is also home to two stone Christian sarcophagi and the ruins of a Roman villa rustica. Sculpture in the cemetery ranges from classical to Byzantine, and if you enjoy necropolis art, you'll love poking around this collection.

After you've investigated the cemetery, you'll find that the allure of Supetar's attractions falls off sharply. However, you can take quick bus trips from Supetar to Skrip, the oldest settlement on Brac; or to Milna, birthplace of tennis ace Goran Ivanisevic. Or you can take the ferry back to Split or hop a bus to Bol.

Bol 

Bol is home to what may be Croatia's most publicized beach. Almost every photo touting the country's unspoiled landscapes uses an aerial shot of Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape) beach in its promotions. From the air, Zlatni Rat does look like a long, inviting tendril of white sand lazily stretching into the sparkling azure sea. Add a gorgeous sunbather lounging here and there and the shape-shifting strip of land appears to be the perfect place for an idyllic sojourn. In reality, Zlatni Rat is a sun-washed finger of land that juts into the sea west of town. The Golden Cape is anything but a good choice for a dreamy vacation; and it isn't made of sand. Rather, Zlatni Rat is a mini-peninsula topped with chicken-egg-size pebbles and packed with people during the summer months. You can rent a beach chair and umbrella for 60kn a day if baking on hot rocks under a relentless sun doesn't appeal to you. If you don't enjoy sharing a beach and bathing area with a cast of thousands, you may wonder what all the Zlatni Rat fuss is about. On the bright side, the water off Zlatni Rat deepens gradually from the shore, and it is interesting to hear the cacophony of languages and pickup lines tossed about on the beach and to see the various sunbathing "styles" present there. If you just want to see the place but don't want to invest in the 20-minute walk each way to get from town to the beach, a water taxi shuttles passengers between the dock at the west end of town and the beach for 5kn.

To be sure, Zlatni Rat is more upscale and tourist-savvy than the beach at Supetar, its sister to the north, and there is a certain satisfaction in setting foot on this super-hyped playground. But if sun worship isn't for you, stay in town and duck into Branislav-Deskovic Modern Art Gallery at Porat Bolskih Pomoraca bb near the tourist office in Bol. It is open in July and August only (daily 6pm-midnight) and has a fine collection of Brac landscapes from such renowned Croatian artists as Ivan Rendic, the man who created much of the sepulchral art in Supetar's cemetery.