February 6, 2022 - The new Maslinica tourist resort on Šolta will have about 300 beds in five-star villas and bungalows, and a marina with a breakwater above Šipkova Bay.

A new tourist resort has begun to emerge near Maslinica on Šolta, thanks to which the island, where the majority of accommodation is in private houses, should become an even more desirable destination. And more importantly, new jobs will be created, reports HRT.

A Maslinica bypass and the access road to the first tourist settlement on Šolta are being built above Šipkova Bay. Road works will be completed in March, followed by the procedure for the construction of facilities, i.e., obtaining building permits and preparing documentation.

The mayor of Šolta, Nikola Cecić Karuzić, said that Šolta lacks accommodation capacities and that the new tourist resort is a big investment. He added that one entrepreneur from Germany had arranged the marina and wanted to continue investing.

Given the constant growth in the number of tourists, which was not interrupted even during the pandemic, a new resort is needed in Šolta. 

The director of the Šolta Tourist Board, Zorana Kaštelanac, emphasized that reservations for apartments were mainly filled and that they were extremely pleased.

"That gives us good optimism for the new season," she added.

In addition to improving road infrastructure and constructing new tourist facilities, with the constant increase in the number of beds in private accommodation, Šolta also considers the accompanying service and trade facilities. Cecić Karuzić pointed out that this project will create new jobs.

The project in Šipkova Bay is worth a little over forty million euros. The resort will have about three hundred beds in five-star villas and bungalows and a marina with a breakwater. It should also be open all year round, employing around 180 people. 

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

May 24, 2021 - A TCN intern takes a trip on Solta Island without preparation, encounters unusual experiences with the locals, and learns lessons that will be helpful for anybody visiting the closest island to Split.

1. Clothes do not make the man. A port does not make the island. Don't be too quick to judge.

Rogac port where the ferry from Split comes does not impress a traveller. Like most people, I had visited the more popular island of Brac before I went to Solta. Rogac loses out to shiny Supetar, the biggest city on Brac. The port of Rogac is tiny, there is nothing to do there, no people. However, exactly here in Rogac, the first strange story happened to me in the first hour after my arrival. I found one good angle between the yachts at the marina and sat down to take an on-arrival picture. Then someone called out to me...

"Do you know what this is in front of you?" a senior man asked me.

"No, I don't," I said. "I know what is a boat, a yacht, a ship, and this vessel is somewhere between a boat and a yacht, closer to a boat, of course, but what exactly it is, I've no idea," I thought.

"Are you a journalist?"

"No, I'm just a tourist. I came here for the weekend. I'm from Russia but currently work in Split."

"What do you think about your president?"

The question put me in an awkward position. This grandpa in a baseball cap with a canister in his hand, similar to a grandpa from 'Gravity Falls', looked nice. The matter was tricky. What's his opinion? What if our minds are the opposite? I did not want to argue with him. Senior people rarely change their minds, thus even my MD in political science wouldn't help me.

"It's hard to answer in one sentence about his 18 years of the presidency," I started to draw back the fire. Milan, that's his name, interrupted me. He told me that our president is a strong person he'd like to have as a major somewhere in Dalmatia. He said that he'd like to get vaccinated with the 'Sputnik V' vaccine. I guess that these statements should be regarded as a gesture of goodwill to me in any case.

Actually, Milan knows about Russian-Croatian relations much more than the average person. He knows admiral Mate Zmayevic (born in the city of Perast, Dalmatia) who fought for Peter I in the Northern War, Alex Dundic (born in the village of Grabovac, Dalmatia) who fought for the Red Army in the Russian Civil War. He listens to Russian opera stars Elina Garancha, Anna Netrebko, Dmitry Khvorostovsky, and others. It's surprisingly pleasant for a broad-minded person far from tourist and nomad routes. 

2. Take the initiative to talk to locals on the island.

Solta has wonderful nature and climate. Traditions of producing olive oil, wine, and honey here originate from ancient times. But since Solta Island is not very popular among tourists, you'll need to make more effort to get it. Even as you go to the island already prepared by informational sources, you have to be ready to ask, perhaps, to clarify something about wine tasting, olive oil tasting, or a honey farm. You go here ahead of the masses, take the initiative to start a conversation, and keep it!

I regret that I did not answer 'yes' to Milan's question of whether I was a journalist. Then I'd have more chances to guide our conversation to the topics I am interested in. Otherwise, it happened so that we were talking about themes that interest mostly a social group 70+-year-olds:

• life after death (Milan suffered two strokes and saw something on the other side);
• The Dulce Laboratory in New Mexico where human-alien hybrids were created;
• Orion correlation theory that says about the connection between the pyramids of Giza and the Orion belt;
• indigo children;
• masons, etc.

Certainly, I'd better answer that I'm a travel journalist and interested in things like what to eat, what to do, etc. So that, if somebody asks you on Solta, you can use the following answers I prepared in advance. "I'm a tourist from <...> and a wine lover."I'm a traveller and a gourmand hunting the local specialties." 

3. Don't be afraid to go around the island alone.

Saying goodbye, Milan wondered why I was here alone. "You don't have to go alone. Find yourself a husband. Not me, I'm too old for you, I'm over 72..."

I guess it was his joke about the age gap problem to marry me, because earlier he'd mentioned his wife was waiting for him at home, their three children, other common stuff.

Then he relented: "Well, all right, you can go alone. Don't be afraid. There are no poisonous snakes on the three Dalmatian islands - Solta, Lastovo, and Vis islands. But there are black widow spiders and ticks..."

As planned, I went through Grohote and Gornje Selo to Stomorska that I considered the most beautiful and lively town on the island. Besides, I was caught up in wanting to check a remark of my Croatian colleague that Stomorska on Solta looks similar to Povlja on Brac. He said it to me once I just got back from Brac. He really encouraged me, thus I'm not going to share if it looks similar or not. Go and check it by yourself!

I went through almost all the island - from Rogac to Stomorska - by foot. It was a safe and quiet way, not a lot of cars passed me. For sure, it'd be more convenient to go by bicycle, but if you have the time it's possible on foot. On my way back I accepted a proposal of one passing car to take me to the port. I guess you can also have this possibility in mind. As far as there are no regular buses, it's a kind of local solidary to take somebody by car.

One difficulty I faced in Stomorska was the fact that all the cafes and restaurants were closed. I came before the beginning of the tourist season and caught the middle of constructing and cleaning works around terraces, but it was closed. We might endlessly watch water, fire, and other people working, but not on an empty stomach.

4. If something goes wrong, you can always sleep on the beach.

I didn't plan on going to Solta a second time. I have already visited the largest and most beautiful town of Stomorska. I met a wonderful grandpa Milan who told me that Split needs a mayor like the Russian president and that our bodies are just food for aliens secretly dealing with the government. What else is needed?

Then my Split friend Andrea tried to convince me that the most beautiful place on the island is Maslinica, not Stomorska. Andrea knows it for sure, because her aunt lives in Maslinica, and she's there every summer.

However, I still couldn't decide whether to go - to Brac or Solta - for Saturday sunbathing. At the last moment, I blurted out "Solta" at the checkout. "On the first ferry, please!" I totally forgot that the first ferry is at 6:40 am. "Nevermind, I'll go to sleep earlier today!" Then I recognised this ticket purchase was a fundamentally wrong decision. That Friday we celebrated Sveti Duje, the day of the saint patron of Split. There was no chance for me to escape the celebration and go to sleep earlier.

A suddenly emerged thought saved me from the desire to throw the ferry ticket into the sea from the pier where we celebrated Split City Day in the middle of an incredible post-covid standard crowd until 2:00 am. I thought that I could sleep on the beach of Maslinica on Solta. After 3.5 hours of sleep at home, I packed up and ran to the ferry.

5. Sometimes it is helpful to talk to a homeless man.

Solta is the closest island to Split. By ferry, one way takes only one hour. Once I'd settled on the ferry, I fell asleep. Thank you to the kind Croatian woman next to me who woke me up! At the port of Rogac I checked Google maps - 2 hours walk to Maslinica. 20 minutes later I reached one of the three 'towns' of Solta where you can find a supermarket. 

Entering the supermarket I noticed a very colorful homeless man on the bench in front of it. He looked like Ali Baba. Red down jacket, harem pants, white apron, blue hoodie tied around the neck instead of a scarf. Fingerless gloves. A black beret holding a tuft of long gray hair and a gray beard. I had to restrain myself from taking a picture of him. I was not going to sponsor his vodka.

I had to restrain myself, but failed at the checkout. Too good a type! He was standing on the other side of the glass door while he noticed me taking a picture of him. He was waiting for me at the exit. "Take an initiative talking with locals. Don't be afraid!" I calmed myself. "Please, sir, may I take a picture of you?"

On the fifth attempt, the homeless man guessed that I was from Russia. Novorossiysk (Russian port) - Izmail (today's Ukraine) - Gori (Georgia). That's in general how his path in USSR looked like. His work had something to do with the sea as I understood. "I had a great company in the Crimea," he said. "I still remember those five Russian women surrounding me: Lyuba, Zoya, Nina..." It seems to be true, in those days the names were popular in the Soviet Union. The man was in Poland as well, in the Czech Republic. He worked in France for six months, then in the United States...

He remembered a few sentences in Russian. Here on the island, there were some Russian girls in Necujem. He taught them three main phrases in Croatian:

1. Mi se svije Hrvatska. (I like Croatia).
2. Ja ću se udati za Dalmatinca. (I will marry a Dalmatian man).
3. Ja sam dobra pička. (I'm a good p***y).

 Well, I can trace some logical connection here...

6. Have a list of souvenirs from Solta.

Homeless Ali Baba asked me how long would I stay in Croatia. He began to think about what souvenirs should I send to my family in Russia. Solta olive oil, Solta honey, Solta wine, Rogac bean for baking, lavender...

"I will collect it for the next time you come to Solta. I have oil, wine, a farm, 7 chickens, 2 houses... You can sleep in one of them, and I'll stay in the other. Is it okay? Take some lavender I picked this morning. Here you are. Do you know that there are two types of lavender? Do you want a chocolate bar?"

I jumped aside as Ali Baba touched me with lavender. Flowers do not excuse the whole stench. And the worst thing was his long nails. I was at a loss. Some parts of his story seemed plausible. However, I could not find any logical connection between his own farm and the homeless look. Two houses? I'm not going to believe in it.

The situation that we were standing in the center of the town nearby the only supermarket seemed even stranger. People passed us by us every five minutes. They greeted Ali, in response he defiantly showed me to everyone. "Look, such a beautiful Russian is talking to me!" Passersby looked at me with a grain of compassion, but they passed by further. Then one of the passers-by had heard that I was on my way to Maslinica and offered to give me a ride. He was going in the same direction. Thank you, Igore! I quickly got in the car.

Recap

1. Clothes do not make the man. 

In the end, I got to Maslinica in 15 minutes by car, not in 2 hours by foot. On the way, Igor explained to me that Marin Kumin (that's the true name of 'Ali Baba') was not homeless. He does have things he mentioned. He's not a foolish man. Unfortunately, he went crazy in the sea about two years ago. Since then he has not been washing, shaving, cutting his hair. It looks scary from the outside. But he's not what he seems to be. 

2. Take the initiative to talk to locals on the island.

I would probably consider the breakfast that Igor fed me after we came to Maslinica - coffee and toast with Solta honey - as a part of traditional Dalmatian hospitality. But the best lunch I've had in Dalmatia would never happen if I had left his place in a rush, without any conversation. I asked about a fishery on the island - I had lunch with Igor and his friends-fishermen. We ate the tuna they caught the day before. I had only known about tuna from canned food and Hemingway's story 'The Old Man and the Sea'. My concepts were turned upside down. Eventually, I found an island where there's more fish than meat.

3. Don't be afraid to go around the island alone.

Igor showed me the Maslinica neighborhood, Martinis-Marchi castle, and a way to a beach. Then I went alone to an empty rocky beach. I swam also alone, although there were some yachts around. No fear. I was a little worried that nobody will notice if I drown. But as I got out the beach marine officers asked me about the temperature of the water and how I felt.

4. If something goes wrong, you can always sleep on the beach.

It was my first swimming this year. The water at the beginning of May was still cold. I swam for five minutes. Never mind, then I slept on the beach. And then I swam two more times.

5. Sometimes it is helpful to talk to a homeless man.

I mean a keen conversation, lavender and the fresh tuna I had!

6. Have a list of souvenirs from Solta.

Try to do it in advance, because when you come outside the tourist season, it's complicated to get the souvenirs immediately. I didn't succeed to take a bottle of Solta olive oil on the same day, so I had to go back again.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August 2, 2020 - The corona couldn't get in the way of the Martinis Marchi annual summer bash, which was held under the 'Simply White' theme on Saturday night in Maslinica on the island of Solta. 

Another year, another blowout by Martinis Marchi, whose annual summer party continues to cement itself as the hit of the season. 

After attending my first summer soiree in the magical Maslinica back in 2017, I quickly learned it was an event that no other could rival - though Martinis manages to outdo themselves year after year. And while the disco dancing do of 2019 had me singing Abba songs for the weeks that followed, last night's Simply White theme hit the heart a bit harder than the rest. 

How the Martinis team, led by Creative Director Marija Gamulin, was able to pull off such a spectacle in the corona era, is not only commendable, but is truly remarkable.

With a limited capacity of 100 guests, the 9th Martinis Marchi summer party was exclusive, intimate, and exceptional. Dancing around the standard party go-to's to ensure all measures were strictly adhered to penetrated this profound experience for all guests, one that is unparalleled when compared to the rest.  

With the guest's safety and privacy at the core of each intricate detail, every element was executed to perfection to make for my favorite evening yet.  I was happy to have my father by my side as my date.

It all began in the late afternoon with Beefeater Gin on the Martinis marina, where white-clad waitresses walked from one end of the marina to the other, serving guests and yacht owners a selection of Tom Collins, Negroni and Blue Lagoon cocktails. This made for the perfect pre-party, as we strolled around the town to escape the sizzling sun. 

Just before sunset, we made our way back over to the marina for the official opening, where Martinis director Ivan Kuret greeted guests and shared why it was so crucial for them to hold the event this year. 

Guests gathered at small cocktail tables, each adorned with a chilled bottle of Dom Kalebic posip and hors d'oeuvres.

The opening speech was followed by a live saxophone performance, which set the mood for the night.

The evening continued with a striking acrobatic ballet performance by local dancers, which captivated the crowd for almost ten minutes. 

But then, the crown of the opening of the opening party - the Arileo Studio fashion show. 

Arileo is composed of Marija and Jurica Piric, a fashion duo and married couple. Creating together since 2003, the pair has worked in the famous fashion houses Armani and Nitya, while Marija also worked for Emporio Armani. The stunning summer collection seized the eyes of everyone in the audience... my father included. 

From the marina to the Martinis restaurant terrace, we were greeted with a cold glass of Mumm champagne. 

We were then escorted into the garden, which was decorated in white, with all tables socially distanced according to corona measures. 

Unlike in previous years, when the upper garden terrace was adorned with an all-you-can-eat buffet table, this year, each table was served individually by a careful waiter. We began with skuta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, whipped butter, focaccia, seafood pate, and salad. This was followed by soup made of crab and ravioli filled with duck and truffles. 

And this absolutely divine tuna. 

Dinner did not go without entertainment, as the acrobatic dancers returned for a performance under the stars.  

As guests made their way through more food, wine, and conversation, the night came to an end with a grand performance of Croatian tenors. The voices enhanced the already magical atmosphere and brought goosebumps to warm summer skin. As if we were in heaven. 

A speedboat back to Split on the calm sea, glistening under a glowing full moon, was the pinnacle of the perfect evening. 

A lit up Split Riva welcomed us home. 

A big round of applause to Ivan Kuret, Marija Gamulin, and the entire Martinis Marchi team for succeeding in creating a truly unequaled spectacle in these trying times. To say you've outdone yourselves would be an understatement. 

Just imagine what next year will bring!

For anyone interested in learning more about Martinis Marchi, or is interested in joining the party next year, you can visit the official website here.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.