Island of Šolta Exploration

A speedboat whisks you to the wooded island of Šolta, set roughly midway between Hvar and the mainland city of Split. Used by the Roman emperor based in Split as a nearby getaway, the island remains a low-key retreat more than 1,500 years later. You’ll come ashore in the picturesque harbor of Stomorska, where Solta’s fishermen sell their early morning catch alongside the berths of sleek yachts, before traveling into the interior to visit two different family-operated agricultural businesses. Your first stop is in the village of Gornje Selo. Explore the groves of Olynthia Olive Mills and learn how the owners are upholding traditional agricultural practices while introducing new techniques, technologies and knowledge to their olive oil production. No visit is complete with a tasting of the delicious golden oil, served with some local cheese. It’s then a short drive to Grohote, the oldest settlement and largest town on Šolta, where the Tvrdić family are beekeepers and honey producers. Their bees use nectar extracted from the flowers of wild rosemary to create an especially aromatic honey, which you’ll sample by itself and baked into some tasty cookies. The last stop is on Šolta’s west coast, where in the early 18th century, the three Marchi brothers got permission from the Venetian authorities to construct a tower, castle and church above the bay at Maslinica, with defensive walls to protect from pirates. Today the historic buildings form the Martinis Marchi Hotel. In the elegant restaurant, sit down a three-course lunch of Dalmatian cuisine prepared with fresh local ingredients, such as the island’s wild oranges, and accompanied by Croatian wine. The speedboat meets you in the hotel’s marina for your return to Hvar and the yacht