Experience the best of Čiovo

Čiovo is an island in central Dalmatia, about fifteen kilometres long, linked by a bridge to Trogir, whose old town stands on a small island in the channel. Villages of stone houses, among them Arbanija, Okrug Gornji, Okrug Donji, Slatine and Žedno, lie along the coast. Olives, figs, almonds and vines grow in the sheltered parts, and pebble coves line the shore.

Trogir's old town, with its cathedral of St Lawrence and its Venetian fortress, is a short walk from the bridge, and the Kaštela, a string of fortified villages, lies between Trogir and Split across the bay. Okrug Gornji has a beach known as Copacabana, and the islands of Šolta and Brač lie to the south and south-east.

Dalmatian cooking relies on olive oil, grilled fish and squid, pašticada, beef stewed in wine and served with gnocchi, and peka, meat or octopus baked under an iron bell. Hot, dry summers are the main season, and strong winds sometimes sweep the channel in winter.