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- Zlatni Rat, the Golden Horn beach
- Bars, restaurants, cafes
- Tennis & Watersports
- Bicycle, motorbike and quad bike hire
- Boat trips or boat hire
- Winner, Best Kept Town in Dalmatia, 2008
- Winner, Best facilities for a beach resort in Croatia , 2008
- 15th Century Dominican Monastery
- Beautiful, good value spa facilities available
- Climb the highest peak in the Adriatic
We fell in love with Bol 6 years ago and have been going back ever since.
The town can meet almost anyone's needs. You could happily spend 2 weeks eating and drinking your way around the town, or you can explore this island and others by taking a bus, hiring a bike or taking a boat trip.
In the main season (July-August) Bol is vibrant; full of people of many different nationalities enjoying the great weather and hospitality. In May, June, and September the weather is still good and the atmosphere a little quieter but still wonderfully friendly.
There are fantastic facilities for tennis, watersports, motorcycle and bicycle hire, and plenty of scope to explore neighbouring islands and the mainland (please see the Gallery for photos).
Food has a very Mediterranean flavour; lots of pasta, squid, prawns, fresh fish, risotto, washed down with lots of Croatian wine and beer! The Croatians are crazy about fresh, home-made ice-cream too - about 50p for a massive cornet...
Eating Out
Bol is well-served by almost 50 restaurants and bars in the high season. You can eat an excellent pizza at Skalinada for about 50 kuna (£6), or you can splash out on a 3 course gourment meal at either Riva or Podrum (£35 a head). The two restaurants nearest the apartment provide excellent, local home-cooked cuisine and friendly service.
Nightlife
Bars in Bol are open from early till late, doubling up in the continental fashion as cafes. The atmosphere is lively but never excessive - drunken stag parties aren't encouraged here. Varadero's is an excellent open-air cocktail bar in the prime location right in the centre of town with an in-house DJ and a great vibe. Look out for flame-throwing cocktail waiters in the summer!
Watersports
Bol is the no 1 destination in Croatia for windsurfers, and every May the annual World Freestyle competition is held here. There are two main outfits offering a range of watersports including diving and kayaking, Big Blue (link below) and Yellow Cat which offers kiteboarding.
http://www.big-blue-sport.hr/Visit Supetar
Supetar is the other main town on the island and the port for the car ferry from Split. It's worth a visit in its own right, as it has lots of little boutique shops and some very good restaurants. It can be reached by bus from Bol (around 40 minutes and a great way to get a good look at the island) or by hiring a car in Bol itself.
Visit Split for sightseeing and shopping
Split is an amazing city, built in and around a Roman palace which was itself modified and enhanced by the Venetians when they owned Split. It's immediately behind the harbour so it's an easy day-trip from Bol. It is also great for shopping as it has a great array of local and international names to suit every pocket. See link for an excellent, regularly-updated guide.
http://www.inyourpocket.com/croatia/city/split.htmlTennis
Bol was until recently the home of an event on the professional women's tennis tour, and the facilities are still of a superb standard (please see the Gallery section for photos). There are 26 clay tennis courts in a fabulous setting with mountains behind and the sea in front. The courts are owned by a German tennis school but are available to the general public at an official cost of 80 kuna for an hour (in reality we play for as long as we like until someone throws us off 3 hours later!).
Rent a Boat, Bike, Car etc
There are many providers offering transport for hire, including scooters, motorbikes, quad bikes, boats and speedboats. A 50cc scooter is around 250 kuna. You can then explore the island, visiting other smaller towns, or even visit other islands - the neighbouring island of Hvar is a major destination in its own right.
Spa
The 3 main hotels in Bol are all run by the Bluesun chain and offer facilities open to non-residents. Our favourite is the Elaphusa, a recently renovated contemporary 4 star hotel. There are indoor and outdoor pools all with seawater, and a beautiful, relaxing spa area. A day pass costs 150 kuna (around £18). A full range of beauty treatments is also available, from 40 kuna (£5) for an eyebrow shape to 1100 kuna (£140) for the Brac Island Ritual (Facial, Body Treatment and Wine Bath!).
Boat Excursions
Every night around the harbour, all the boats that offer day trips gather to advertise their trips and take bookings. They each tend to run on a fixed schedule so check early in your stay so as not to miss anything of interest. As an example, a day trip to Hvar Town on Hvar Island costs around 150 kuna. If you do visit Hvar make the climb to the fortress as the view is simply stunning!
Climb the highest peak in the Adriatic, Vidova Gora
Bol nestles at the foot of Vidova Gora, a mountain which is the highest point of the Adriatic archipelago at 778 metres. It is about a 2 hour climb from Bol (the path starts off the main road shortly above our apartment). The views are simply spectacular and well worth the hike. At the top there is a very authentic, rustic restaurant (link below) which, in season, organises pick-ups by minibus from the town to the top for a meal and back again.
http://andjelinac.hr/index.htm