A TOURIST GUIDE FOR UNDERWATER CENTRAL DALMATIA

The Adriatic Sea is the main attraction for the millions of tourists who arrive each year, and with very good reason. It is one of the cleanest in the world, and combined with the endless sunshine and magnificent beaches, Central Dalmatia offers some of the beach holiday conditions in all Europe.

But not everyone comes to the Adriatic to simply lie on the beach and swim. Scuba diving is an increasingly popular – and diverse – activity in the region. In addition to a rich selection of rich flora and fauna, there are many shipwrecks and other foreign bodies, such as World War II planes, which found their final resting place on the bottom of the Adriatic. For divers, the diversity is appealing, but how to find out what is on offer?

A new cultural and tourist guide presents 28 underwater sites and three museum collections with underwater archeological finds. The guide is designed in such a way that the waters of Split-Dalmatia County are divided into five geographical areas (the waters of Split and the Bay of Kastela, the waters of Brac island, the waters of Hvar island, the waters of Vis and Palagruza islands), and covers the period from prehistory to World War II. All localities are approximately indicated on maps, and different colors indicate different depths of sites.

“With the introduction of this guide, we offer something that should be recognizable, especially to the clientele who will not stand for busy roads and terminals, and their financial potential is exceptional. For this purpose, the underwater heritage of our county stands out as an additional value of our tourist offer. Through the guide presented, almost all the localities of our county are listed, with all the directions, depths, and a breakdown of what is allowed at these locations. In addition to tourism, this guide will serve to protect these beautiful sites. I believe that through the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, tourists who want to see these cultural and tourist values in an organized manner can now become acquainted with them. I also thank the authors of the guide, as well as the county services who have done something extremely valuable and of good quality,” said County Prefect Blazenko Boban.