The Croatian island of Drvenik Veli is our permanent seaside base. The island is located about 2 km from the mainland, although to reach it by public transport we head to the port in Trogir, where we board the Jadrolinija ferry called Šoltanka (Szoltanka). The journey from Trogir to Drvenik Veli takes about 1 hour. Of course, we can take a car on the ferry, and there are at least 3 ferry connections to the island per day. During the season, we recommend buying a ticket online in advance, because it may turn out that there will be no space on the ferry for our vehicle.
Drvenik Veli is beautiful nature, peace and quiet (disturbed from time to time by planes flying to the airport at nearby Split). The water temperature throughout the year is from min. 12-13°C in the coldest period, i.e. in February, up to 28-29°C in August without any significant thermoclines. Considering the sea temperature, the possibility of freediving is practically all year round, while the best conditions are from mid-May to the end of November. Underwater visibility reaches 30 m, and the bay that is closest to us and where we often dive has an easily reached depth of 30 m - 40 m from the shore. The maximum depth in this bay is 50 m. The aforementioned bay is naturally well sheltered from wind and waves, and our place is located just a 5-minute walk from a very convenient and charming access to the sea.
On the island there is a grocery store with household goods (you can pay by card, but there is no ATM on the island), a restaurant, a pizzeria with a traditional oven, a post office and good accommodation facilities. Besides the fact that the island and the area offer many natural places for sea and freediving activities, accessible from the shore and by boat, it is also a beautiful place to spend time for non-divers.
Below are some photos from the island and a link to a short video of an encounter with a certain stranger.
