Guided Island Hopping the Dalmatian Coast Bike Tour

Our tour begins in the historic city of Split in southern Croatia. Split is the second largest city in Croatia after Zagreb and is well connected by air and sea to major European destinations. We meet at our hotel for introductions and bike fitting. We then head out for a short bike ride along Split’s beautiful Adriatic coast, climbing to the top of the 178m high Marjan hill. The hill is a landmark of the city and is covered in dense pine forests. From its top, it offers breathtaking views of the Adriatic sea on the one hand and the city of Split on the other hand.

With the day’s biking done, we head out on a guided tour of the city. Founded more than 2000 years ago as a Greek colony, Split’s city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The highlight of the day is a visit to the 1700-year-old Diocletian’s Palace. Built in the 4th century CE by the Roman emperor Diocletian, the palace was a small fortress that housed an entire military garrison. It is recognized today as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Today we load our bikes onto a ferry and sail across the Adriatic to the charming island of Solta. As one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Dalmatia, Solta is known for its old-world wines, its olives, and its honey. Solta is home to the world-famous Dobricic variety of grapes from which is produced the wine of the same name. Needless to say, much of the day’s biking would be through narrow rural backroads that take us past vineyards, olive plantations, and bee farms. In the evening, we take the ferry back to Split and spend the night in town. You are free to explore the city of Split on your own this evening.

Today we once again hop onto a ferry and sail across to the island of Brač. Brač is an island made mostly of white limestone, whose stone has been quarried and used in famous buildings across the globe and throughout history, including the Diocletian Palace, and, according to some sources, the American White House. We get to visit a family-owned art gallery where we see stone sculptures made from Brač limestone at close quarters. We bike once again through quiet rural roads, passing by olive groves, and ending at the coast. If time permits, we can relax on the excellent white sand beaches the island has to offer. In the evening, we once again board the ferry and return to Split.

Today we once again sail off across the Adriatic to bike on the world-famous island of Hvar. Hvar is known for many things, but perhaps what it is known for the most is its field-upon field of lavender that comes alive in spring and early summer, painting the entire countryside a mesmerizing shade of purple. We stop to admire Stari Grad, a Greek village dating back to 400 BC and a UNESCO World Heritage site, before continuing on with the day’s biking through olive groves and vineyards. We have a sumptuous Mediterranean lunch with plenty of local olives and honey before riding further to Hvar.

We continue island-hopping on the Adriatic as we board the ferry this morning and sail along with our bikes to the lesser-known island of Korcula. The island is covered with thick forests of holm oak and pine that the Greeks used for building ships. It has excellent white sand beaches and great views of the clear blue waters of the Adriatic. But above all, Korcula is known for the excellent white wines it produces, three of which, namely, Posip, Rukatac, and Grk are especially noted among wine lovers. We stop by a small village and have a traditional Mediterranean lunch with a local family before heading to our hotel. And for the first time on our journey, we are not heading back to Split. We spend the night at a charming little hotel on Korcula itself.

So beautiful is Korcula that we spend an entire day cycling its backroads, vineyards, and olive groves. We take a break from cycling to visit a special place — the house where the adventurer Marco Polo was born. Marco Polo is known today in history as among the earliest Europeans to leave behind extensive records of his travels in China, Mongolia, and India which he undertook in the 13th century. His travels and his writings paved the way for greater interaction between Europe and Asia. And it was in this humble abode, overlooking the sparkling waters of the Adriatic that some of the greatest adventures in history began.

We begin the day with a short ferry ride to the peninsula of Peljesac. Peljesac is famous for producing Croatia’s finest wine — the Peljesac wine. A hilly island dotted with vineyards, Peljesac is also known for producing great oysters and mussels. As we bike through the beautiful countryside, we stop at a quaint village called Ston, famous for having the longest fortified wall in Europe built back in the 14th century. We end the day’s biking shortly thereafter and take a transfer to the city of Dubrovnik.

We meet one last time for breakfast to celebrate the culmination of a fine cycling journey. Dubrovnik is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its fine medieval architecture and we suggest you spend some time exploring all the wonders it has to offer. It also has an international airport with connectivity to major European cities for your onward journey.