Martinica Beach

Martinica Beach lies on the northern coast of Brač island — the quieter, less-visited side of the island away from the famous Zlatni Rat beach and the busy resort town of Bol. Reached via narrow roads through the island's interior and descending to the coast through aromatic Mediterranean maquis scrubland, the beach offers a genuine sense of discovery and solitude. The contrast with Zlatni Rat could not be more stark — where that beach attracts thousands daily, Martinica on a typical summer morning may have the water entirely to itself.

The cove has clear, clean water typical of the northern Adriatic facing the mainland coast, and the rocky seabed drops quickly from the shore creating excellent snorkeling conditions close to the beach. The rocky outcrops on both sides of the small pebble beach support populations of sea urchin, octopus, sea bream, and damselfish that can be observed without venturing far from shore. The water here is generally calmer than the southern coast, being more sheltered from the maestral wind.

Facilities are minimal at Martinica — this is a true escape beach requiring visitors to be self-sufficient. The surrounding maquis of rosemary, lavender, sage, and cistus perfumes the air and provides occasional shade along the rocky hillside above the beach. Visitors who make the effort to find it are rewarded with exactly the kind of undisturbed Croatian island experience that becomes rarer each year as tourism grows.