Marina – the neighboring town

Marina lies just under 3 km (under 2 miles) from Poljica – a friendly little coastal town of about 4,500 people, with what Poljica deliberately doesn’t have: evening life, bigger shops, a proper yacht harbor, and a weekly farmers’ market.

Where the name comes from

Marina’s name isn’t from the yacht harbor – it’s the other way around. The town has been called Marina for centuries, after the Church of St. Marina. The harbor only took the name when the ACI marina was developed in the 1980s. The town’s landmark is Kaštel Marina, a 15th-century defensive tower built by the Bishop of Trogir as a defense against Ottoman raids. Today it’s partly a restaurant, partly a small hotel.

What you can do here

• Dinner with a view of the harbor – several good restaurants and konobas along the waterfront serve fresh fish, grilled platters, and local wines. Note the ratio of locals to tourists here is better than at big tourist spots.
• Yacht harbor stroll – the ACI marina is one of the larger yacht harbors in Central Dalmatia (around 200 berths, shipyard, chandlers). Nice to walk through even without a boat.
• Bars and live music – a handful of places along the promenade are open in the evening during season, occasionally with live music. It’s not a big club scene – more of a calm drink by the water.
• Saturday morning market – a small local market (fruit, vegetables, sometimes honey, olive oil, cheese direct from farmers).
• Shopping – supermarket, bakery, pharmacy, gas station, ATM. The everyday essentials Poljica itself doesn’t have.

Getting there

On foot from Poljica to Marina is about 35 minutes along the coastal road – flat, walkable, but without a continuous sidewalk; fine in daylight, bring a flashlight after dark. By bike: 10 minutes. By car: 5. By bus: regional Split-area lines stop in both Poljica and Marina; schedules at the local tourist office or ak-split.hr.

Tip

The beach in Marina itself is okay but more a town beach than a bathing beach. For swimming, stay in Poljica or drive 15 minutes further to Vinišće (a small, secluded cove west of Marina). For town atmosphere, head to Marina – or push on 10 minutes more to Trogir.

Marina Tourist Information Ribarska poljana 4, 21222 Marina Tel: +385 (0)21 889 015