Blue Lagoon and 3 Islands Full-Day Cruise with Lunch Split

Leaving Split by boat

The day starts on the Riva, the palm-lined waterfront of Split, where the boat is moored beside the ticket desks a few steps from the Old Town. You board at 09:00, find a sunbed or a seat in the shade and have breakfast as the vessel pulls out past the ferry port. The first hour is a sightseeing cruise along the coast: the Roman walls of Diocletian's Palace and the green hump of Marjan Hill slide past on one side, the long shore of the Kaštela coast on the other, and ahead lie the islands.

This opening stretch is what makes a full day boat tour from Split different from a quick transfer: there is time to settle in, watch the mainland shrink and let the crew point out Čiovo, Šolta and Drvenik as they come into view. The vessel is stable and spacious, with toilets and shade on board, so even those who are not usually boat people find the ride easy.

The Blue Lagoon by Drvenik Island

The Blue Lagoon lies between Drvenik Veli and the small Krknjaši islets, about an hour west of Split. The islets shelter a shallow basin with a bed of white sand that turns the water an almost Caribbean turquoise, visible from far away as the boat approaches. The crew anchor in the lagoon and open the swimming platform, and you have about an hour and a half to swim, float, snorkel over the sand and the rocks where small fish gather, or simply lie on the deck in the sun.

This stop is the heart of the Drvenik Blue Lagoon Split cruise and the reason the boat arrives in the late morning, when the sun is high enough to light the sand and bring out the colour. The water is calm and gradually deepening, which makes it a good place for children and for anyone trying snorkelling for the first time; equipment is available on board against a deposit.

Maslinica on Šolta Island

After the lagoon the boat crosses to Šolta, a quiet island of olive groves and stone villages only a short way from Split but far from its pace. Lunch is served on board on the way. Maslinica, on the island's western tip, is its prettiest harbour: a small village of stone houses around a sheltered port, a baroque castle on the waterfront and a scatter of seven islets just offshore. You have about an hour and a half here.

Use the time for a stroll through the lanes, a coffee by the water, a look at the souvenir stalls or a swim from the pebble beaches on either side of the harbour. The Solta Maslinica boat tour stop is the slow-island moment of the day, with nothing much to do except enjoy the Mediterranean atmosphere, and the crew will tell you exactly when to be back on board.

A beach cove on Čiovo Island

The last stop is on Čiovo, the long island opposite Trogir that is joined to the mainland by a bridge. The boat anchors in a beach cove on its southern shore, a small arc of pebbles and pines with clear, shallow water, where you have about an hour and a half of free time. Swim, snorkel along the rocks, sunbathe on the beach or take a drink at the simple refreshment spot behind it; this is the easiest stop of the day and a favourite with families.

A Ciovo island cruise stop at this hour catches the afternoon light on the water and the mainland hills behind Trogir in the distance. Once everyone is back on board the boat begins the cruise back to Split, about seventy-five minutes along the coast, arriving on the Riva around 17:00 with the Old Town ready for the evening.

Life on board: breakfast, lunch and the crew

The vessel is built for sightseeing, with an open sun deck of sunbeds, a shaded lower deck, Wi-Fi and toilets. Breakfast doughnuts are handed out as you leave Split, and lunch is a choice of a beef burger, a tuna-steak burger or a veggie burger, each with fries, served on board between the lagoon and Šolta. Water and lemonade are available all day, and extra snacks or drinks can be bought separately.

The crew speak English and keep the day running smoothly: announcing stops, opening the swimming platform, handing out snorkelling gear and making sure nobody is left on an island. For a Split boat trip with swimming that includes meals and gear, this is the comfortable, no-fuss version: you bring a towel and sunscreen, and everything else is taken care of.