Golden Horn Beach
Full day tour · island of Hvar

Golden Horn (Zlatni Rat) Tour from Hvar

Across the channel to the most photographed beach in the Adriatic: the shifting golden tip of Zlatni Rat, the town of Bol and swim stops the whole way.

Destination
Whole islandHvar townStari GradJelsaSveta NedjeljaVrboskaZavalaBrusjeBogomoljeDolDubovicaGdinjGromin DolacHumacIvan DolacMalo GrabljeMilnaPitvePoljicaRudinaSelca (Bogomolje)Selca (Stari Grad)SucurajSvirceVelo GrabljeVrbanjVrisnikZaraceZastrazisce
Type
All typesHotelsApartmentsVillasHoliday homesHostelsAgrotourism & farm stay
Check-in
Check-out
Guests
24681012+
No. 01

The day, hour by hour

Durationabout 6 hours
Departuremorning, your call
Includeddrinks, masks, skipper, fuel
Weatherreschedule or full refund
09:30
Private boat tours Hvar

Cast off from the Hvar riva

Depart the Hvar riva, west around the cape and out into the Hvar channel. The crossing to Brač is 25.7 kilometres, or 14 nautical miles, of open water, for comparison the scheduled ferry takes about forty-five minutes to do it. Mornings here are usually glassy, which is the whole reason we leave early rather than after breakfast. Once you are past the cape the shape of Zlatni Rat starts to show on the far shore.

10:30
Bol Town

Into Bol harbour

Land in Bol harbour and walk the pine promenade to Zlatni Rat. The beach is roughly two kilometres west of the town and the walk along the front takes about twenty minutes in the shade of the pines. Above you is Vidova gora, the highest peak on any Adriatic island, which is what gives Bol its backdrop. Most crews do the walk one way and take the boat the other.

11:00
Golden Horn Beach

Beach time on Zlatni Rat

Beach time on the Horn: swim off the tip where the currents bend the gravel into new shapes every season. The 2015 survey measured the east side at 377 metres and the west at 479, and the point itself leans east or west depending on whether the jugo or the afternoon maestral has had the last word. In a storm it can swing from one side to the other within hours. Behind the beach, under the pines, are the remains of a Roman villa rustica with its own swimming pool.

13:00
Shutterstock

Lunch in Bol old town

Lunch in Bol old town or a konoba by the harbour. The town is small and walkable, with a stone waterfront that stays busy from noon until late, and the Dominican monastery on the point above the harbour is worth the ten minute detour. Prices here are noticeably gentler than in Hvar town. Give yourself an hour and a half if you want to eat properly rather than grab something.

14:30
Mina bay jelsa

A cove on the way home

A cove stop on the way home: the north shore of Hvar hides quiet pebble bays that most visitors never see, because there is no road to them. This is where the tour earns its keep over the ferry. You get a swim nobody else on the beach that morning had access to. The water on this side is a couple of degrees cooler and usually flatter in the afternoon. Your skipper picks the bay from the wind.

16:00
Hvar town stone houses

Back on the Hvar riva

Back on the Hvar riva in time for a shower and sunset drinks. The whole day runs to about six hours, which is two hours shorter than most boats doing the same beach, because a speedboat crosses the channel faster than a wooden day boat. If the maestral has filled in we come home along the sheltered north side of Hvar rather than straight across. Either way you are back before the town starts filling up.

What to bring

Swimwear and towelsWater shoes, the Horn is fine gravelSun cream and a hatCash and card for Bol

Times are a template: it is a private tour and the plan bends to your crew and the sea.

No. 02

Book the boat, tell us the day

The boat is private, so all we really need from you is a date and a rough head count. Up to twelve people fit on one boat; if you are more than that we send two boats that run the day together, which crews usually end up preferring anyway. Tell us what you have in mind and we come back with availability and the exact price for your group. If it is easier to talk it through, WhatsApp is normally the fastest way to reach us.

No. 03

The route on the map

No. 04

Zlatni Rat, the beach that moves

Zlatni Rat is a spit of white pebble about two kilometres west of Bol, on the southern coast of Brač. A Mediterranean pine grove fills the middle; the pebble runs down both flanks to a tip that points out into the Hvar channel.

The famous part is that the tip is not fixed. It usually leans slightly east, swings west under a strong jugo, and in summer stands straight or east under the afternoon maestral. In a storm the whole point can shift from one side to the other in a matter of hours, which is why no two aerial photographs of it look the same. Measurements taken in 2015 put the east side at 377 metres and the west at 479 metres.

Behind the beach are the remains of a Roman villa rustica with its own swimming pool, and above Bol rises Vidova gora, the highest peak on any Adriatic island. From the water you get the shape that the postcards use; from the beach you get the pine shade and the bars.

The beach is a twenty minute walk from Bol town along the seafront path, so most crews land in Bol, walk, swim and eat, and pick the boat back up in the harbour.

Whereabout 2 km west of Bol, island of Brač
Measured 2015east side 377 m · west side 479 m
Surfacewhite pebble with a pine grove
The tipshifts with jugo and maestral
Behind the beachRoman villa rustica with a pool
Above BolVidova gora, highest Adriatic island peak
No. 05

The crossing from Hvar to Bol

Hvar town to Bol is about 25.7 kilometres, or 14 nautical miles, straight across the Hvar channel. The scheduled ferry takes around forty-five minutes; a speedboat with the sea behind it does it comfortably faster, which is what makes this a six hour day rather than an eight hour one.

The channel is open water and it feels it. Mornings are usually glassy. The maestral, the thermal north-westerly, normally fills in after midday and puts a short chop on the crossing, so we like to be at Zlatni Rat before it does and to come home along the sheltered north shore of Hvar.

If the jugo is blowing from the south-east the channel gets uncomfortable and we will suggest swapping the day for the Pakleni islands rather than pushing across. Nobody enjoys ninety minutes of slamming for a beach.

Distance25.7 km · 14 nautical miles
Ferry, for comparisonabout 45 minutes
Best windowmorning, before the maestral
Wind to watchjugo from the south-east
Beach to towna 20 minute walk along the front
Alternative dayRed Rocks & Pakleni
No. 06

Good to know before you go

Around six hours, with two open-water crossings inside it. Bring a hat, sun cream, a towel, water shoes for the pebble and cash for lunch in Bol. Snorkelling masks, drinks and an ice box are on board.

The boat is yours, so the plan bends. Crews who want more swimming than town add a stop on the north side of Hvar on the way home; crews who want the beach to themselves leave early and are on the sand before the first ferry arrives.

It is a fast boat on open water for the crossings, so it is not suitable for wheelchair users and we would not recommend it if you are pregnant, have back or neck trouble, or are travelling with children under two.

DepartureHvar town riva · the hour is yours
Durationabout 6 hours
SeasonApril to October, weather permitting
Groupprivate, up to 12 guests
Bad weatherfree reschedule or a full refund
No. 07

Golden Horn tour, common questions

Is Zlatni Rat a sandy beach?

No, and that surprises people: it is fine golden gravel, which is exactly why the water around it stays glass clear. Water shoes make it perfect for kids and tender feet.

Does the beach really change shape?

Yes. The tip of the Horn bends with the wind and the currents, so the beach you swim off today is literally not the beach from last month. It is the most famous shapeshifter in the Adriatic.

How long is the crossing from Hvar?

About 45 minutes by speedboat, around the western cape of Hvar and across the channel. On the way back we usually break it up with a swim stop.

Can we combine Bol with something else?

Easily: a stop in Jelsa or Vrboska on the north shore, an extra cove or a longer lunch. It is your boat, so tell us the day you imagine.

Is the tour good for families?

One of the best: a short crossing, a legendary beach with gradual entry, a real town for lunch and life jackets in every size on board.

How long does it take to get from Hvar to Zlatni Rat by boat?

The crossing is 25.7 kilometres, or 14 nautical miles. The scheduled ferry from Hvar to Bol takes about forty-five minutes; a private speedboat is quicker, which is why the whole day runs to about six hours rather than eight.

Why does Zlatni Rat change shape?

The tip is built of loose pebble and it is rearranged by wind and current. It usually leans slightly east, swings west under a strong jugo, and in a storm can move from one side to the other within hours. The 2015 survey measured 377 metres on the east side and 479 on the west.

Can you land the boat at the beach itself?

Zlatni Rat is a swimming beach with buoyed lines, so boats moor off it or use Bol harbour, which is a twenty minute walk along the seafront. Your skipper will pick whichever works with the wind on the day.

Is Zlatni Rat worth the trip from Hvar?

If you want the shape from the water and a long swim on white pebble, yes. If you mainly want quiet coves and short crossings, the Pakleni islands give you more swimming for less sea time.

What is the best time of day to go?

The morning. The channel is usually glassy before the afternoon maestral fills in, and the beach is emptiest before the first ferries and buses arrive.

What happens if the wind is wrong?

If the jugo is up we will tell you before you set off and suggest the Pakleni islands instead, or a different date. If we cancel, you reschedule free or take a full refund.

Ready for the Horn?

Tell us your date and crew size and Fast reply with the exact price.

More days on the water

All tours · Blue Cave · Red Rocks · Water taxi