Private Trip to a Deserted Islet: A Complete Guide to Croatia’s Hidden Paradise

I was standing on this boat deck last summer, watching Split disappear behind us. The captain – Marko, I think his name was – pointed at what looked like a tiny rock sticking out of the water. “That’s it,” he said. “No people, no bars, nothing.” I thought he was joking. Turns out he wasn’t.

That trip changed how I think about Croatian holidays. I’d been to Dubrovnik twice, Split three times, but this was different. This was just… empty. In a good way.

Look, I get it. You’re on holiday, you want restaurants and WiFi and maybe a cocktail bar. But hear me out. Croatia gets about 15 million tourists every year. Most of them stick to the same five places. The math is simple – if you want to avoid crowds, go where crowds don’t go.

I’ve done the tourist thing. Walked the walls in Dubrovnik with 500 other people. Waited 20 minutes for a photo at Plitvice. It’s fine, but it’s not… peaceful.

These little islands though? Different story. Croatia has over 1,200 islands. Only 67 have people living on them. That leaves a lot of empty rocks surrounded by clear water.

This is where I messed up the first time. Booked what I thought was a “private” trip. Second time, I did my homework. Found Condor Yachting through a friend’s recommendation. Actually private this time. Just me, my girlfriend, and the captain. Made all the difference.

The thing about these boat operators is they know stuff. Which islands are actually empty. Where the currents are safe. What time the wind picks up. Marko knew exactly where to take us – a spot he’d been using for 20 years that most tourists never see.

Getting There

The boat ride takes about an hour from Split. Maybe longer if you’re going somewhere really remote. I spent most of the trip wondering if we were lost. Just blue water everywhere, no land in sight.

Then suddenly there it was. This chunk of white rock rising out of the sea. No beach, just rocks and crystal-clear water. Marko anchored about 50 meters out and said “This is it.”

Swimming and Exploring

The water around these islands is different. Clearer than anything I’d seen before. You can see the bottom even in deep water. Fish swimming around like they own the place. Which I guess they do.

I’m not a great swimmer – learned when I was 30, still not confident in deep water – but even I felt safe here. The water’s so clear you can see exactly where you’re going. No surprises.

We found little cave you could swim into. Nothing fancy, just a gap in the rocks. But swimming through it felt like discovering something secret. Like we were the first people to ever see it.

The Silence

This sounds weird, but the best part was the quiet. No engines, no music, no people talking. Just water lapping against rocks and maybe a seagull somewhere.

I live in London. Quiet doesn’t exist there. Even in parks you hear traffic. But out on that island, for three hours, it was just… nothing. My girlfriend fell asleep on the rocks. I just sat there staring at the water.

Sunscreen. Lots of it. I burned my shoulders on the first trip because I underestimated how strong the sun is when it’s reflecting off water and white rocks. Looked like a lobster for a week.

Water. More than you think you need. There’s nothing out there. No shops, no taps, nothing.

Don’t bring too much food. Most boat operators provide lunch. And honestly, eating a sandwich while floating in the middle of the Adriatic is pretty special.

Waterproof phone case if you want photos. Though honestly, half the appeal is disconnecting for a few hours.

I’m not going to lie – being on a tiny island in the middle of the sea can feel a bit exposed. Weather changes fast out there. What’s calm in the morning can get choppy by afternoon.

Listen to your captain. They know these waters. If they say it’s time to go, it’s time to go. I learned this the hard way when we got caught in some wind on my second trip. Nothing dangerous, but definitely not comfortable.

Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Basic stuff, but worth mentioning.

If you’re staying in Split for a few days, this works great as a day trip. But you might want to see some of the bigger islands too. Tour to Brac gives you a good mix – some empty islands, some with actual towns and restaurants.

Brac’s interesting because it’s got this famous beach everyone photographs, but also quiet villages where you can get lunch and walk around. Nice contrast to the complete isolation of the tiny islands.

I took maybe 20 photos on my first deserted island trip. Spent most of the time trying to get the perfect shot of the water, the rocks, the view.

Second trip, I barely touched my phone. Just sat there and looked at stuff. Sounds boring, but it wasn’t. Sometimes you need to just… be somewhere without documenting it.

Though I did get one good photo of my girlfriend jumping off the rocks. She’ll kill me if I don’t mention that.

Six months later, I still think about that day. Not because anything dramatic happened – it didn’t. No dolphins, no treasure, no life-changing moments. Just a few hours on some rocks in the middle of the sea.

But that’s exactly why it was good. No agenda, no schedule, no must-see attractions. Just floating around in clear water and eating sandwiches.

Most holidays are about doing stuff. Seeing things, taking photos, collecting experiences. This was about not doing stuff. About sitting still for a few hours and remembering what that feels like.

If you’re the type of person who needs constant entertainment, this probably isn’t for you. But if you want to remember what quiet feels like, book a boat to nowhere. You won’t regret it.

Just don’t forget the sunscreen.