Bracka Perla

Small, friendly boutique hotel centring on a leafy garden with a pool overlooking the sea, on island of Brac, 45 minutes by ferry from Split

Renowned for its fishing villages, olive groves and stone quarries, the rocky, pine-scented island of Braè lies just a 45-minute ferry ride from Split. Its main port, Supetar, comprises 18th-century baroque stone buildings clustered round a horseshoe-shaped harbour, while on the south coast, Bol is the island’s most popular resort thanks to its fine pebble beach, Zlatni Rat.

Hotel Braèka Perla (Pearl of the Adriatic) is set in a secluded cove on the edge of Supetar. Approached down a cypress-lined avenue, it lies hidden away in a lovely walled garden. Centering on a pool, rimmed by a wooden deck with sunbeds and parasols, the garden is planted with lavender bushes, olive trees, palms and cypresses. Each of the 11 [r:CR009:rooms and suites] looks onto the pool and is individually decorated in a different colour; fall asleep to the lull of the ocean... Delightful staff recommend restaurants and attractions, provide visitors with mountain bikes, and also arrange private guided tours of the island.

Highs

• Peaceful island location, set in a lovely garden with a small but nicely positioned pool, overlooking the sea
• Beautifully designed complex built from traditional Braè stone in keeping with local architecture
• Funky, colourful Superior Suites decorated with frescoes by a contemporary local artist
• Supetar’s cheerful waterside cafés and seafood eateries are near enough to walk to, but far enough away that no noise intrudes
• Suites all have kitchens

Lows

• No on-site restaurant – just a breakfast room
• It’s a 1.5km walk from the hotel to Supetar’s harbour, where the town’s most atmospheric restaurants are located
• The individual terraces are not very ‘private’ – neighbours can look directly onto the next-door terrace, though this will improve once the planting begins to take
• In the higher price bracket