Getting around
Split's ferry port is right beside the old town and the main bus station. Catamarans to Hvar and the other islands mostly leave from the berths nearest the Riva; Jadrolinija's car ferries to Brač, Hvar and Vis from the far end of the port, under ten minutes' walk. Supetar is 50 minutes by car ferry, Hvar town about an hour by catamaran (as of October 2026).
By Marin Perić
The port wraps round the eastern side of the harbour, between the end of the Riva and the main bus station. The berths are numbered, and on the port authority's departures board TP Line's catamarans use the berths closest to the Riva (6–8), Krilo's the middle of the port, and Jadrolinija's car ferries to Supetar, Stari Grad and Vis the berths at the far end (17–24) — a five-minute walk from the Riva for the first, nearer ten for the last. As of October 2026: Split–Supetar by car ferry is 50 minutes and €6.50 for a foot passenger; Split–Stari Grad is two hours and €8.40 in summer (€5.90 out of season); the catamarans to Hvar town take 50 minutes to just over an hour.
Catamarans in July and August sell out days ahead — book online, and print or screenshot the ticket because the port Wi-Fi is unreliable and the boarding check is a QR code on a screen. Car ferries rarely sell out for foot passengers but do for vehicles, and the queue for cars in August starts hours before departure. If you are taking a car to an island in peak season, book the vehicle ticket online a week ahead at minimum.
The terminal building has a ticket hall, a kiosk, a cafe and not much else. The berths are numbered and the displays show the destination, the operator and the departure time — match all three, because two catamarans can leave for Hvar within ten minutes of each other from different berths and they are not interchangeable. Boarding starts twenty minutes before departure and closes fifteen minutes before, strictly. They will not wait for you.
Jadrolinija runs the car ferries and the bulk of the catamaran network. Krilo is the main competitor on the Hvar and Bol catamaran routes, and their boats are often newer and the tickets a few euros cheaper. The schedules do not overlap perfectly, so the choice is usually decided by the time you want to travel rather than the operator. Check both before you book.
Get out there
Guided trips that include this stop, with live availability.
Boat trips
A full day on a fast twelve-seat boat: the Blue Cave on Biševo, the Monk Seal cave, Stiniva's famous cove, lunch on Vis and a swim off Budikovac's turquoise lagoon, finishing with a stop at Hvar town. Ten and a half hours, small group, no coach transfer.
History
Ninety minutes through the palace with a guide who lives inside it: the Golden Gate, the cellars, the Peristyle, the cathedral and the streets in between. Small group, no flag, and a proper explanation of why a Roman emperor retired to a cabbage patch in Dalmatia.
Boat trips
Five hours to Šolta and back on a ten-person boat: three swim stops in coves you cannot reach by road, an hour in Maslinica for dinner or a drink, and the run home across the channel as the sun goes down behind the island.