Two islands, same name, different sizes. Drvenik Veli (Big Drvenik) and Drvenik Mali (Little Drvenik) sit about forty-five minutes from Split, far enough to feel remote, close enough for a half-day trip. Between them lies the Blue Lagoon—but the islands themselves deserve more than a passing glance on the way to a swimming spot.
The larger island has a small village, a handful of stone houses, one restaurant, and not much else. A few dozen people live here year-round, more so in the summer when families return to the houses their grandparents built. There are no hotels, no nightlife, and no souvenir shops on this larger island. The harbour is quiet. The streets are empty. The pace is slow in a way that most of the Adriatic forgot decades ago.
Walk twenty minutes in any direction and you’ll find a cove with nobody in it. The coastline is rocky but accessible, the water clear, and the pine trees thick enough to offer shade. Locals swim off the rocks near the village. Visitors with boats anchor in the bays on the south side.
The smaller island is uninhabited. The island consists solely of scrub, stone, and the turquoise channel that forms the Blue Lagoon on its northern edge. Some boat tours anchor here for swimming and nothing else. Others skip it entirely, which is a mistake. The island has a quiet beauty that photographs poorly and impresses in person.
A Drvenik boat tour from Split takes around forty-five minutes by speedboat. The ferry from Trogir runs a few times a day but takes longer and drops you at the main harbour. There is no easy way to explore the coastline. By private boat, you can circle both islands, swim in three or four spots, and still be back in Split for a late lunch.
Custom-built speedboats, professional crew, stunning islands. Just pick a date.
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