This is a fun day trip from Split and totally doable with ease. Taking the Jadrolinija ferry to Brac to visit the town of Supetar and explore the area is a lot of fun. I’m going to divide this day trip into two posts as the ferry information and pictures is enough on its own.
Purchasing Tickets
After walking down to Split harbour, I found two places to purchase ferry tickets to Brac. Both are on the Jadrolinija Ferry lines. The first is a stand-alone booth before the big harbour building.
The second place is inside the big harbour building itself. On the ground floor, there are several ticket windows. When you purchase your ticket the clerk will tell you which berth to proceed to for your ferry.
The cost of the ticket is €5.44 each way which I think is really reasonable. The ride takes 50 minutes and the ferries depart on time.
The Jadrolinija Ferry
To get on the ferry as a foot passenger, simply line up near the opening of the ship where the cars drive in. When I first arrived at berth 20, I could not see any ramp for foot passengers to board by. So I went inside the harbour building to ask. It was a cute translation, when I asked where to go, the clerk in the ticket office said ‘at the garage’. 😂 You can start boarding 30 minutes prior to sailing.
I wanted to sit outside on the ferry to get the best view, it being such a lovely sunny day. Once you head through ‘the garage’ there is an escalator that will take you up one floor. This is the main deck of the ship and has a café and indoor seating. When you walk up the next flight of stairs you will see the outdoor seating.
The Jadrolinija ferry is very clean and easy to navigate. There are toilets on both decks. In the middle of the upper deck is a large area under shade.
Departing Split
Leaving Split harbour is incredibly beautiful. There were two cruise ships that were docking as I was waiting on the ferry for it to leave. One was the brand new Virgin ‘Resilient Lady’ and the other was a TUI cruise.
The Sailing
Once past those ships and outside the harbour, the sailing itself was so smooth. You really could hardly tell you were on a vessel at sea. Most of the crossing from mainland to the island of Brac is flanked with a low mountain range on both sides.
Arriving at Supetar
Wow what a picturesque little town from the sea! So pretty. The bell tower of the old church stands out against that big blue Croatian sky. There are sailboats and fishing boats in the harbour and three public beaches are close to the marina.
Leaving Brac
When it was time for me to leave the island, I found the ticket booth about 100 meters up from the ferry itself. Jadrolinija has a stand alone building that is well marked with ‘Ferry Tickets’ in large blue letters. Can’t be missed. Nearby are small café’s, bakeries and a grocery store should you wish to buy snacks for your return voyage.
The sailing back to Split was a little rougher but really not bad at all. Arriving into Split harbour is absolutely gorgeous. Seeing that beautiful ancient city of limestone and red terracotta roofs from the water is quintessential Croatia.
Docking in Split
The ferry docked exactly where we departed from. Disembarking was only a short wait, while everyone went down the steps and through the garage back onto the harbour. Neither sailing was jam packed with people, but I have read that in the high season, it is best to purchase you tickets ahead of time, as sailings can indeed be sold out.
Visiting Brac is definitely worth the trip over for the day. The ferry is easy and clean, the ride is not too long and there is plenty to do to fill a day, right there in Supertar.
