Milna Cove on Brač is protected from all winds due to its excellent location, and due to its proximity to the Split Gate, it is an inevitable stop for sailors who continue their journey towards Hvar, Vis, Korčula…
Beyond a Thousand Ships: Discover the Allure of Milna
Milna, also known as ‘Valle di mille navi’ (the valley of a thousand ships), is a picturesque harbor nestled on the western coast of Brač Island. This charming village, offering a perfect blend of natural beauty, rich history, and modern amenities, has become a popular destination not only for sailors and tourists, but also for charter enthusiasts seeking an idyllic base to explore the Dalmatian coast.
Create Your Dream Yachting Adventure in Milna
While some return to Milna for its excellent location, where vessels are protected from all winds, the logistics provided by three marinas and a gas station, other travelers will be drawn into its atmosphere of peace and comfort, woven with the intricate and dense fabric of folk and profane architecture and the tranquility that seeps into the streets, with the scars of time etched on facades, so typical of the Mediterranean that they are both a means and confirmation of authenticity.
A Safe Haven for Sailors
The geographical position has made Milna strategically interesting, but it has also somewhat isolated it on the western part of the island with its closest neighbors – Bobovišća, Sutivan, and the island’s center – Supetar, thus the history of Milna is marked by economic independence and in every way it is an island world and a place unto itself, different from the rest of the island.
For those whose bow first cuts through the waves from Split towards Brač, Hvar, the Pakleni Islands, Vis, and beyond, the Split Gates are the fastest and most logical passage to the golden triangle of the Croatian Adriatic, and turning towards Milna is an excellent stopover to stock up, refuel, especially if embarking on a multi-day voyage.
Entering Milna without consulting GPS, even during night navigation, is simple and safe, even for charter sailors. The tiny islet – Mrduja in front of Milna, located halfway between Šolta and Brač, is a clear marker for turning into this harbor.
Milna’s Marinas Welcome Sailors
Upon entering the bay, on the left side in the Vlaška cove, is the private marina Vlaška with 71 berths for boats up to twenty meters, which serves sailors year-round, and due to its protection and safety, many owners keep their boats anchored here even during winter. A pleasant seaside walk of about ten minutes will take you to the first shops, cafes, and restaurants in the area known as Žalo.
The Milna harbor itself is divided into the branches of Žalo and Pantera, with the latter being home to the ACI Marina Milna with 157 wet and about 15 dry berths, an eight-ton crane, and all the necessary facilities for equipping or servicing a boat.
At the ACI reception, you can get all the information, including about excursions around Milna, and grocery stores and nautical equipment shops will satisfy even the most demanding.
Alongside the ACI, before the gas station, where tons of bluefish were unloaded until recently, and the factory produced the highest quality bluefish, are the berths of the Nautical Center Milna Ltd., a total of 45.
During the season, don’t be surprised if you see a tuna weighing over a hundred kilograms hanging beside a restaurant, because even though there are no Michelin-starred restaurants in Milna, the offer is homemade, fresh, and the service sincere.
This marina is also equipped with all nautical services, and within its complex is a diving center because, for enthusiasts of depths, besides the wreck located near the islet of Mrduja, in the nearby Lučice cove, there is a cave whose entrance is only three meters deep. Since I have dived in its somewhat mystical ambiance, believe me, do not miss this phenomenal dive.
Right on this part of the coast where the Nautical Center Milna is, there used to be slips of the shipyard of the Bonačić-Dorić family because this safest harbor of the island writes its history with a pen dipped in maritime tradition, primarily fishing, and then shipbuilding, so intensive that even the type of boat ‘bracera’ is named after the Latin name of Brač – Brazza.
The sometimes turbulent history, such as at the beginning of the 19th century when the navies of France and Russia clashed somewhere in the Milna aquatorium, left traces in the architecture of the place and around Milna, such as the French fort Baterija on the cape of Zaglav.
The economic rise of Milna begins in the 18th century, precisely thanks to navigation and numerous captains who set out and sailed the world’s seas. As the greatest monument to that period, the baroque church of Our Lady of the Annunciation from 1783 dominates the skyline of the whole place, but there would not have been churches in such a form, and most likely not even the rest of the place, if the wealthy captains had not returned to Milna with their families and estates and built the place more or less in the form that still fascinates guests today.
Today, the economic paradigm is entirely redirected towards tourism, and places of immense importance for local identity, which have marked the history of the place, will soon come alive, some as renovated sites, and some with the help of virtual reality on a thematic trail dedicated to the maritime tradition of Milna.
The Bonačić-Dorić family shipyard, the boatyard – the church of St. Jere, then the Blatačka House where hermits from the Blaca monastery traded their products, and a special interpretation station – the Babarović House, as the first hotel intended specifically for sailors, through interpretation points, will tell curious people about the golden age of Milna.
Island Hopping & Secluded Coves: Embark on Day Trips from Milna
In the middle of the season, in the marinas and along the coast, there is a crowd of masts, but sometimes it doesn’t necessarily have to be a reason to leave the dock. You can go trekking or biking for a few kilometers to the nearby Osibova bay, and further, or visit the eco-camp Gea Viva, just ten minutes away from the place itself, and meditate or participate in a sustainable construction workshop amidst the olive groves. However, during the season, numerous events of the Milna Summer Heart or at least some of them will keep you in this port.
If that doesn’t work either, at the end of July, the biggest festival ‘Pulling Mrduja’ is held, where the residents of Milna and neighboring Šolta compete with the help of pulling ropes for the ‘right’ ownership of the islet for one year. It is a unique opportunity to experience a feast in Milna.
Lovers of active holidays will surely be attracted to the unusual race – calathon, which takes place on the streets, or rather the piers of Milna, combining physical activity and sightseeing in the best ratio.
However, for peaceful summer nights, a little before and a little after the peak of the season, apart from in the town itself, on the waves that gravitate towards Milna, you will find your place under the sun or under the awning, with clean and azure sea, whether you have opted for a day trip or for an overnight stay. Just after exiting the Split Gates, just before the lantern of Ražanj, there is the Salbunara bay, not so safe anchorage but a beautiful place for all-day swimming.
The southern side of Brač from Milna to Bol is actually outside the nautical routes, starting with deep bays like Osibova, Lučice, Smrka, where it is mostly safe and sufficiently large and deep for anchoring. Deep bays on the way to Bol, like Farska, Veli and Mali Zagradac, Dračevac, and Murvica, have stretched into beautiful sandy beaches as a preview of the Golden Cape in Bol.
Experience Croatia’s Magic with a Milna Yachting Escape
Ocean Drive
The luxury motor yacht Ocean Drive built by the Italian shipyard Benetti offers an abundance of living space to ensure a memorable cruising experience. As a matter of fact, this 28-meter-long yacht accommodates up to 8 guests in 5 ensuites. By all means, an experienced 5 -member crew will provide the premium charter experience in the idyllic Croatian waters.
If your nautical journey meanders through the Middle Dalmatian archipelago, one of the cult gastro-destinations is the Lučice bay with a restaurant and buoys, which has been welcoming and bidding farewell to satisfied and full sailors for decades. The Lučice bay consists of five branches, with enough depth and width, and places for anchoring can be found in Smrča, Slavinjina, Duboka, or Koromaslinova.
Last Hurrah Before Split: Moorings & Gastronomy near Milna
Heading north, towards the nautical ports in Split or Kaštela, is the Bobovišća. Perhaps more for the romantic or those craving peace, and even the last meal before returning to Split, this small village offers mooring services on buoys for 32 boats.
You can announce refreshment in the form of grilled fish or traditional ‘peka’ in the legendary tavern Vala, and even if you come across a charter fleet, endure a little noise, because although without its main asset, the recently deceased owner Danko, this tavern is still considered a top-notch gastronomic refuge.
Therefore, staying in Milna on the island of Brač is a recipe for an authentic, sometimes lazy Mediterranean atmosphere, which fits so well after a few days or weeks of cruising, and those who observe and perceive the world around them further and deeper than what is visible will discover a different and mysterious Milna.
Text Filip Bubalo
Photos Croatia Yachting / Zvonimir Barišin, Ivo Pervan, Boris Kačan, TZ Milna & studio Gabrić
