Hike, Kayak and Snorkel a Hidden Croatian Island

What an incredible experience! I was looking for a holiday that was challenging and immersive and it really lived up to all I was expecting - and more. The activities were carefully planned and gave us an experience of the island that you couldn't get as a tourist. The walks included breathtaking scenery, local history and stories from the island. The cycling was challenging but with well planned and interesting stops, and the sea kayaking was better than I could have imagined - what an amazing way to explore the coast, with stops for snorkelling and picnic lunches. As the most 'mature' in the group (but relatively fit) I found the mixture of challenge and pace just right for me. The whole experience was 'made' by Ivana - she was a great guide, host, cook and carrier of snacks. She was encouraging, interesting and went out of her way to make our trip special, nothing was too much trouble. We were a group of mixed ages and had some great conversations around the dinner table. As a solo female traveller at the older end of the MBA age range it was perfect for me - great company, interesting, safe and exactly the right amount of challenging.

This was my first trip with much better adventures and I will definitely be doing another if they are all as good as this. I really enjoyed the mix of physical activities alongside learning about the history and culture. I think it’s hard to categorise these trips into difficulty ratings as there is so much variation in peoples experience and opinion. The hiking and biking I would class as easy but for others in the group it was moderate and 2km biking uphill was certainly challenging for less experienced cyclists. The sea kayaking was the challenging activity for me mainly as I was very nervous about being in the kayak with the skirt on. My fears were soon put to rest though and I absolutely loved it. Ivana our guide was simply brilliant. Warm, welcoming with a great sense of humour and so knowledgeable. . She really is what made this trip so good. The group I was with were also fab and we gelled really well as a group despite having a wide range of ages and backgrounds. Now my kids are mini adults this was a first solo trip for me while my husband went off on a golf break and meeting new people who are like minded is one of the things that made this trip so enjoyable. The facilities are good and the food was lovely. I’m a pescatarian and a couple of others were vegetarian and we were well catered for. Make sure you ask for Ivanas mash potato! It’s delicious. Ivana also kindly drove the group to local restaurants for a couple of nights on the nights when dinner isn’t included. Whilst recognising that I was there as a tourist I enjoyed the fact that the island isn’t touristy so it feels like you are experiencing the real Croatia. I enjoy cooking so appreciated visiting the olive oil producer, so much so that I came home with four bottles of different flavours! I can’t tell you how good the basil one is. Going early October was also a nice last bit of warm summer sun before the nights get longer and the days get colder.

We just returned home from this trip and couldn’t be more pleased with the whole experience. We were 2 of 10 on the trip which seemed the perfect amount of people-not too many to be overwhelming and just enough for a fun social atmosphere. We stayed in double apartments (4 people to an apartment, shared bathroom). The hiking, biking, kayaking days were tailored to the weather to ensure everyone had a nice time. We hiked through the island villages, bicycled to an olive oil refinery, kayaked to beautiful bays and so much more! Our incredible guide Ivana checked in with each of us regularly during activities and our down time to make sure we were doing well. I opted out of a day of hiking to rest and explore the island on my own and Ivana pulled out the bicycles for us. She was so thoughtful and in tune with our group. If you have any doubts about if the activities are too difficult, put them to rest as you will be well looked after. And the food! All the meals were 100% homemade and incredible. Ivana supplied snacks during activities, and drove us to the store to pick up anything that was needed. She also made us reservations and drove us to other villages for dinner if we chose to do that for our non-included dinners. I’d 100% recommend booking this amazing adventure and want to send a massive “thank you” to Red Adventures Croatia and their wonderful team :)

A very enjoyable and unique experience on the small island of Solte just off Split. Our guide Ivana was excellent and worked tirelessly to run all the activities and help us enjoy the island.

The island is very small and peaceful. The kayaking trips are a real highlight which go around the islands coast. There is time for swimming in the mornings and evenings. The bike ride is fairly challenging as it includes a couple of steep climbs but is rewarding as the views are amazing and we mixed it with olive oil tasting.

All in all a good experience!

Absolutely amazing experience! Ivana, was fantastic - kind, funny and thoughtful. She took care of every detail perfectly. The activities were so much fun, food was delicious and whole trip had such great energy. Couldn’t have asked for a better adventure! Highly recommend signing up, you’ll have the best time! 🌞✨

Another brilliant week spent on this MBA trip in Šolta. The island is less than an hour from Split but feels incredibly remote and peaceful with very few tourists. The accommodation was great - a good sized apartment with two bedrooms (4 people) and a lovely terrace overlooking the cove. The days out were well organised and a good variety of activities (2 walks, 1 cycling and 2 kayaking) with some lovely introductions to local olive oil and wine producers. The pace felt good and seemed to work for the whole group. There was down time each day which meant we could go swimming or just chill for a bit. We ate incredibly well - excellent dinners cooked by the hosts, lunches on the beach and some nice island restaurants - we never went hungry. Finally, a huge shout out to our guide Ivana - the best we’ve ever had on one of these trips. Kind, knowledgeable, funny and straightforward - she really made the week memorable. Thank you!

From the moment we met our tour group at the office in Split, I knew it was going to be a great adventure. Dejan (our host) and Ivana (fearless leader of tours/cook/guru of information) were outstanding. I had the opportunity to reconnect with my college roommate and also to meet so many amazing people from all different places in the world. New friends! We shared life stories, bonded over delicious food and wine, and came to know each other in a way only possible by spending days and evenings together for six days. The adventures themselves were so well orchestrated and wonderful. Kayaking on the open sea was hard! But we powered through, and by the second kayak day we felt a groove and could truly appreciate the beauty. Dejan cooked pica, and folks…that dish was one of the most delightful parts of our tour. Overall, I highly recommend this experience to any traveler with adventure in mind. It was truly an experience I will never forget.

Solta is just a ferry hop away from Split but it feels wonderfully secluded and the perfect place for disconnection and adventure. The team have curated an ideal week of exhilarating activities, delicious food (including Croatian ‘peka’ and plenty of fish) and downtime, with every detail taken care of. Our guide Ivana was a force of energy, humour and interesting facts about the environment and the history that we explored. This really was a week to remember, and has inspired me to explore more of what Croatia has to offer.

I had an amazing time on the hike, kayak and snorkel trip to Solta. It was a lovely mix of activity and rest, amazing food, homestay vibes and beautiful scenery.

The people on the trip were great and super friendly - we gelled really fast. Our hosts were absolutely fantastic and it felt more like you were part of friends and family gathering than an organised trip. Our main host, Ivana, was one of kind with her great energy, kindness and knowledge.

Would highly recommend:)

This was an incredible trip and I would score it 6 out of 5 if I could!

Solta is a beautiful island with the most stunning views, gorgeous beaches and lovely, warm clear waters. The activities were fantastic: kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling, cycling and hiking. As well as some wine tasting and olive oil tasting. If you enjoy water based sports - this is the trip for you!

I joined 9 people I had never met before, from all over the world. And as we got to know each other, sharing the adventures with them, became even more fun. The accommodation was good and the meals provided were great, especially Dejan’s traditional Peka, which he lovingly cooked for us for hours!

The one thing that stands out for me though, and puts this trip above others, would be Dejan and Ivana. They were warm, friendly, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and attentive to the group’s needs. Their love for the island, its history and all things outdoors made this an exceptional holiday - thank you both!

Absolutely wonderful adventure! Our host (Dejan) and guide (Ivana) were incredible. They made us feel like one of the family and made sure we enjoyed ourselves. This is a very active trip with several km of kayaking, biking, hiking, paddle boarding, wine tasting, olive oil tasting, and dining. The island is beautiful and there is also plenty of opportunity to relax and swim in the sea. Everything about this trip was a great experience - wonderful food, people, adventure and culture.

This trip was everything I wanted and more. The activities were wonderful and well balanced, we got to explore the whole island and learn a huge amount about the rich culture and history. But mostly, the trip was made by our guide, Ivana. Ivana helped everyone feel at home and looked after us better then most 5* hotels. The food was out of this world and everything was fresh, local and traditional. Ivana is a force of nature, with expertise knowledge on the history, culture, gastronomy, geography and physical activities that this week away includes! It's a none stop week of stunning views, delicious foods and great laughs. I would not hesitate in recommending this trip, Red Adventures and especially Ivana.

Many thanks to our generous hosts/guides, Dejan and Ivana for such a warm welcome to the beautiful Island of Solta. The activities were well paced and allowed us many options to explore Solta’s beauty. A truly special time. Highly recommend

What an incredible week filled with great company, fun activity, super comfortable accommodation, delicious food and two amazing guides! This trip was such a wonderful way to experience Solta!

What an amazing weekend of activities on the beautiful island of Solta. Dejan our host made us all feel very welcome and along with fellow guide Ivana we were treated to some great activities, walking, cycling, kayaking and snorkeling on and off the island. Dejan and Ivana's local knowledge was superb and added real context to the places we visited. Thank you all for an amazing time.

A fantastic adventure holiday with a really great group of people and amazing host and guide in Dejan and Ivana. The itinerary and activities showcased the awesome natural beauty of Solta and we also experienced the warm Croatian culture first hand with the locals. I highly recommend this trip.

This is the first time we go in Hollidays with Much Better Adventure and it was a fabulous experience. the Organisation and communication were great. Our hosts and guides were knowledgable, listening, fun. We are definitely considering to do it again !

Had a brilliant week, the guides were great really worth having a guide as I don’t think I would have seen have of the island without them. Would recommend this trip☺️

Had the most invigorating, relaxing and joyful week in beautiful Solta with a fantastic bunch of folk hosted by the most amazing guides, Dejan and Ivana.

Expertly led, Dejan shared with us his deep knowledge of Croatia’s history and culture as we progressed through the well balanced itinerary of well organised activities. In addition to the activities, Dejan organised some honey, wine and olive oil tasting giving us the chance to meet the locals and try their produce.

Food was also another highlight as we enjoyed delicious regional dishes cooked by Dejan and his partner while also getting the chance to enjoy local restaurants too.

Dejan and team were brilliant in bringing the group together and ensuring that everyone’s needs were met and adaptations were made to factor in abilities and weather. The group felt very much looked after.

Can’t recommend this trip enough!

I had an incredible trip to Šolta Island, and I can’t recommend it enough. The guides were excellent—deeply knowledgeable about Croatian history and culture—and their passion truly enhanced the experience.

What made this trip especially unique was staying in Dejan’s personal home. It created such an intimate and welcoming atmosphere. Many of our meals were homemade by Dejan and his wife, Tena, and you could feel the care and love in every bite. They were such generous and thoughtful hosts—I genuinely felt like a part of their family.

The activities were adventurous and at times strenuous in the summer heat, but the guides were always attentive and made thoughtful accommodations for the weather. Since we went on the final trip of the season (due to the high temperatures), I’d recommend booking earlier in the year for a more comfortable climate.

Thankfully, the accommodations had air conditioning, and there were plenty of opportunities to swim and cool off in the Mediterranean. We also visited three local farmers—a beekeeper, a winemaker, and an olive oil producer—each sharing fascinating insights into their craft and the island’s traditions.

My favorite part of the trip was the kayaking. Over two days, we explored nearly the entire island by sea—an unforgettable way to experience Šolta’s natural beauty.

All in all, this was more than just a vacation—it was a cultural immersion. I left feeling refreshed, inspired, and deeply connected to the island and its people. Thank you, Dejan, Tena and Ivana for making it so special!

Dejan and Ivana led an incredible week of activities. I had a super fun time and found both Ivana and Dejan super easy to chat to and was impressed with their organisation and flexibility. Thanks for always being so accommodating, the great comfortable apartments (with great terraces) and the amazing food! Highly recommended!

The most amazing week! Dejan was an absolute dream of a host. Everything was planned perfectly with so much sights and history.

Fabulous! Perfect! We loved the adventures, we loved the food, we loved the company. Solta is such a beautiful place!! Thsnkyou Dejan our amazing host.

Amazing place - made evan better by a host who immersed our small group into his culture and gave great understanding of its history. Food was fantastic with a mix of traditional home cooking and delightful restaurant fare. All activities were awsome allowing us to explore almost all of his island home. So beautiful, so much fun, and so rejuvenating

I feel blessed to have been on this adventure. What a jam packed holiday, where we saw the magic of Šolta by kayak, foot, bike and paddleboard. Going on a trip like this solo can be daunting, I had nothing to fear.

Dejan and Ivana were the most amazing hosts, they couldn’t have done more for us. The other 9 people on my booking were great and we all bonded straight away which meant the week was full of laughter and joy. Activities were all well organised, and Dejan went out of his way to make sure everyone could do everything.

I would do this trio all over again ❤️😍

Ivana and Dejan were spectacular hosts and made this holiday very special. Would highly highly recommend.

Trip was very well organised by two amazing hosts. No review here can summarise the effort the hosts have put into this trip to accommodate everyone of all abilities as well how much fun we had on the activities. Great company, food/drink and above all the activities were better than imagined. Would recommend this trip highly.

Our tour was well-planned, each day was filled with exciting activities like kayaking, hiking, biking and snorkelling, but not overloading ourselves as we still had time to chill on the beautiful beaches after planned activities.

Our hosts Dejan and Ivana were amazing, they ensured everything ran smoothly and with back-up plan based on weather changes. They also shared a lot about Croatia and the island’s history which made the tour more interesting.

Solta island was away from those tourist hotspots, so we had a great time immersing ourselves in the local environment without the crowd of other tourists.

A beautiful, still unspoiled island with fabulous coves and beaches accessed by kayaks. Snorkelling and swimming in the clear warm sea. Hiking and cycling to the highest point. The food and accommodation provided by Red adventurers was fabulous. Dejan and Ivana were great hosts making us feel at home and worked so hard to provide a fun and active holiday. I would totally recommend them.

Had the most incredible week, all thanks to Dejan and Ivana, they were the perfect guides and hosts! From start to finish, they went above and beyond to make sure everyone in the group felt comfortable, included, and truly looked after. I completely fell in love with the island of Šolta and the activities were amazing. It was so nice to be immersed in the local culture and island history. Every moment felt authentic and unforgettable. I honestly couldn’t recommend this experience more!10/10 🙌🏼✨