Central Dalmatia has a great sporting tradition, and one of its fun facts is that Split has more Olympic medal winners per capita than any city in the world. And the region also has some rather interesting world championships, including the Cigar Smoking World Championship, which is held in Split each year.

But for something altogether healthier, natural and the essence of Dalmatian life, nothing can quite beat the Olive Picking World Championships, which took place for the third year earlier this month in Postira on Brac.

The event brings together olive picking teams from olive regions all over the world, who compete with their own olive picking styles to bring to see which team can pick the most olives in a set time.

This year’s event brought teams from as far away as South Africa and the United States, but the best performing teams were a lot closer to home, which Montenegro the runaway winners with 77.6 kg picked, beating Bosnia and Herzegovina in second and South Africa in third.

1. Montenegro 77,6 kg
2. Bosnia and Herzegovina 57,6 kg
3. South Africa 56 kg
4. Slovenia 53,4 kg
5. Slovakia 53 kg
6. Croatia 50,5 kg
7. Poland 43,8 kg
8. USA 41,8 kg
9. Germany 40 kg
10. Belgium 37,6 k
11. France 32,8 kg
12. England 22,6 kg

And still they come…

It seems every year is a record year for tourism in Split these days. Once known as the Gateway to the Islands, Split has well and truly been discovered and is now regarded as one of the hottest destinations in Europe.

A brand new airport terminal opened in July, the latest infrastructure project to meet the new demand, and the numbers keep on growing, with Split Tourist Board director Alijana Vuksic reporting that the tourism numbers for the first 9 months of 2019 are the busiest ever.

An incredible 837,125 guests visited Split during that period, with almost 2.5 million tourist overnights achieved. This was an increase of 8% of guests and 9% of overnights over 2018, itself a record year.

And part of that growth was from the United States, which is a lucrative market that is being targeted:

“The tourist traffic in Split in the first nine months of this year differs from everyone else in Croatia in that Split is the only city where Americans take first place throughout the year in terms of the number of visits,” said the proud Split Tourist Board director.

And still the season continues…

To learn more about Split, click here.

Central Dalmatia is proving popular! Another great tourism year is coming to a close, and once again, tourists have enjoyed the beaches, towns, nature and gastronomy. But those growing numbers bring with them new challenges, and Central Dalmatia is working hard to meet the new demand with new infrastructure to cater to the larger number of visitors.

The most noticeable change this year for tourists was at Split Airport, of course, as the much-anticipated new airport terminal opened in July, offering a much more pleasant arrival and departure experience. The recently-completed dual carriageway into the city has made the transfer process a lot smoother as well, and efforts to manage the traffic flow and keep tourist buses away from the centre have also been broadly successful.

The infrastructure upgrades are also taking place at sea, as cruise ships, car ferry travellers and sailors alike are visiting in larger numbers. No less than ten new ports are planned in the next four years in the region, and the head of the region’s Port Authority, Domagoj Maroevic, gave more details in a recent media interview, much of which you can find below.

“By the end of the year we are starting construction on five ports, at present, tenders are open for HRK 200 million of port infrastructure. One of them is a port in Kastel Stari worth almost HRK 50 million, and they should get over 200 new berths and 9.5 thousand square meters of coastal area, as well as construction of a new port in Omis with over 250 meters of coastline, and a new coast that is 12 thousand square meters, where 80 new nautical berths will be used exclusively in the season.

“The plan is to build 70 meters of coastline and waterfront in Postira on the island of Brac, the tender is already finished, and the contract is signed – and there is also Bol. In addition, we are planning to upgrade 180 meters of the marina in Marina, where we should get 30 new nautical berths that would be used only in the season, and one of the biggest projects is the construction of a new port in Sucuraj for which we received European funds.

“The competition ends next week and in the autumn, we plan to start the construction of a new ferry port worth HRK 30 million. It would also get a new ferry berth, as well as the possibility of a much larger ferry that would sail between Drvenik and Sucuraj. Today’s ferry can accommodate 30 vehicles, and with the introduction of a new one, about 100 vehicles can be loaded in a single ride.

“By the end of the year, we should also get a permit to build a port in Stomorska, Krilo and Bol on Brac. We applied for a location permit for Krilo Jesenice two months ago and we expect it by the end of this month. We have a main project contracted and they would immediately go to the main project and should have a building permit by the end of the year. During 2020, the reconstruction of Vis would begin, and at the end of 2020, a new ferry port in Stari Grad. One year after that, the Križna luka Harbor in Hvar.

“We are working with the Society of Architects to develop an architectural design for the entire coast of ​​the port in Hvar. We plan to start the project mid-September, then, through DAS, announce the conceptual design and by mid-December, the commission would select the best offer, after which they would start designing. It would take about two years and these are some projects for the future, and the value of this project should be more than EUR 50 million. It will be a combination of nautical berths, a new catamaran dock, as well as a new operational shoreline and landscaping. One of the bigger plans that should start to be realized in 7 years is the construction of a new port in Vis in the bay of Stonca, as the spatial plan is changing.

“In Stobrec we await a building permit, which is for a project worth HRK 1.5 million, we have the reconstruction of the waterfront in Vinisce worth HRK 2.5 million, and we still have the second phase of reconstruction in Kut on Vis, where there should be room for another 30 nautical berths.

“We have now received HRK 22 million for Sucuraj and we plan to withdraw HRK 45 million for Omis. They should finance Stomorska with about HRK 20 million, and Stari Grad worth HRK 75 million. During this period, they could withdraw funds for Bol, a catamaran port worth HRK 15 million. We have prepared far more projects and we have done it on time, that is the only difference between us and other port authorities.”

Central Dalmatia is an adventure paradise, and one activity which has really grown in popularity in recent years is sea kayaking.

Kayaking between UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Diocletian’s Palace and Trogir, paddling through the gorgeous Pakleni Islands at sunset, or simply setting off in search of an idyllic and isolated bay, kayaking is an excellent way to explore the region.

And even a little further… (although do not try this without experience or a qualified guide).

A little history was made this month as Central Dalmatia and Italy were connected by kayak in the Lesina 2 Lesina project.

Lesina is how the island of Hvar was known in Venetian times, and the Hvar Tourist Board and tour agency And Adventure combined to see if they could connect the old Lesina with the town of the same name in Italy.

Even in perfect weather, this would have been a challenge, and a strong jugo wind in mid-October forced the kayakers into a little rethink, and kayaks were swapped for a sailboat for part of the journey, before reverting to kayaks once more after the formidable island of Palagruza. The threat of ill-winds on the return journey forced a slight change of destination from Lesina to Vieste, and the intrepid kayakers arrived on Day 4, connecting Central Dalmatia and Italy, before soon making their return journey in a bid to beat inclement weather.

Big congratulations to all!

Once known as the Gateway to the Islands, Split has come into its own as one of the hottest destinations in Europe in recent years. Where once tourists might have wandered around UNESCO World Heritage Site Diocletian’s Palace while waiting for the ferry, these days tourists are staying for several days and discovering that this literally is a destination which has it all – sun, sea, mountains, history, culture, heritage, and great food and wine.

And with the large expansion of airlines and routes now services the Dalmatian capital, Split is also an excellent city break. With so many cheap flights from the UK, the sunny Dalmatian coast is just a short flight away to escape those grey British days, as one of the world’s most-read media, The Daily Mail discovered in a recent feature on the city.

Split, Croatia, is a glorious mix of labyrinthine old town and beautiful vistas

It is also a bustling, modern city and one of the area’s busiest ports

Don’t miss Diocletian’s Palace and the ruins of the Roman city of Salona

With the Dalmatian mountains behind and the islands of the Adriatic in front, the Croatian city of Split is a glorious mix of labyrinthine old town and beautiful vistas. It is also a bustling, modern city – population 250,000 – and one of the area’s busiest ports.

Learn more about how the Daily Mail recommends you spend your time in Split, and then learn more about the city here.