Hidden Gems in Split: Spots Most Tourists Miss

Sustipan Park

Just a ten-minute walk west of the Riva, Sustipan is a small, flat-topped peninsula of cypress and pine that feels a world away from the busy harbour. It was once the site of the city's old cemetery, and a graceful neoclassical gazebo still stands at its tip, framing the sea like a postcard. Today locals come to walk the dog, read on a bench, and above all to watch the sun drop into the Adriatic.

It's one of our favourite sunset viewpoints in the city precisely because so few visitors think to walk out here. Bring a coffee or a bottle of wine, claim a spot on the western edge, and you'll have one of Split's most beautiful moments largely to yourself.

Kašjuni & the Hidden Coves of Marjan

Everyone knows Bačvice, but the entire southern flank of Marjan hides a string of quieter beaches and rocky coves backed by pine forest, with water so clear you can count the pebbles three metres down. Kašjuni is the best-known of them, with a stylish beach bar, but it's the smaller, nameless coves on either side that reward a little exploring.

The rule of thumb is simple: the further you walk from the road, the more peaceful, and more beautiful, it gets. Pack water shoes for the pebbles, bring your own shade and snacks since facilities thin out quickly, and you'll find pockets of coastline where it's just you, the cicadas and the sea.

The Veli Varoš Quarter

Climbing the slope between the Old Town and Marjan, Veli Varoš is the old fishermen's and stonemasons' quarter, a maze of narrow stone lanes, steep stairways, green shutters and tiny squares where cats doze in the sun. Where the palace can feel like an open-air museum, Varoš still feels lived-in: laundry strung between houses, a grandmother watering geraniums, the smell of someone's lunch drifting from an open window.

There's no single 'sight' here, the pleasure is simply getting lost. Wander uphill without a map, pause at the little 17th-century churches you stumble across, and you'll get a feel for everyday Split that no guidebook stop can match. It's especially lovely in the soft light of early evening.

Matejuška Fishermen's Harbour

Right at the western end of the Riva, where the promenade meets Veli Varoš, sits Matejuška, the city's working fishermen's harbour and one of its best-loved local hangouts. By day, wooden boats bob beside nets and lobster pots; by evening, the long stone breakwater fills with young locals sitting with their feet over the water, a drink in hand, waiting for the sunset.

It's the most authentic, unpolished slice of Split life you'll find a stone's throw from the tourist crowds, completely free, quietly photogenic, and one of the loveliest spots in town to end the day. Grab something from a nearby bakery or shop, find a place on the breakwater, and watch the sky turn over the masts.

Telegrin Peak (Top of Marjan)

Most people climb as far as the first café-terrace lookout on Marjan and turn back. Keep going. At 178 metres, Telegrin is the hill's highest point, marked by a flag and a sweeping 360-degree panorama that takes in the whole city, the harbour, the open Adriatic and the islands of Brač, Šolta and Čiovo laid out below.

The climb from the Old Town is a steady uphill of around 45 minutes through pine forest, so it's far quieter than the lower viewpoints, one of Split's true hidden gems and most rewarding for the effort. Go early in the morning or toward sunset to avoid the midday heat, and bring water.

The Hermitage of Saint Jerome & the Marjan Chapels

Tucked into the steep southern cliffs of Marjan, the tiny Hermitage of Saint Jerome and the little stone churches scattered around it, including the 15th-century church of St Jerome and the medieval cells carved into the rock, are easy to walk straight past, yet deeply atmospheric. Hermits once retreated to these cliffside cells in search of silence, and that contemplative hush still lingers.

Together with the nearby chapel of Our Lady of Bethlehem, they offer a glimpse of Split's quiet, spiritual side, set against drop-dead views of the sea. They make a perfect, peaceful pause on a walk across Marjan.

Kaštelet & the Crikvine Chapel

Below the famous Meštrović Gallery on Marjan's western slope sits a far quieter treasure: Kaštelet, a 16th-century walled summer residence that sculptor Ivan Meštrović bought and restored. Inside its small chapel, Crikvine, hangs one of his masterworks, a cycle of wooden relief panels depicting the life of Christ, carved over decades and considered among his most powerful religious art.

Most visitors never make it past the main gallery, which is exactly why this candle-lit little chapel feels like a secret. It's a moving, intimate space and a reminder that some of Split's finest art sits just off the beaten path.

The Eastern Beaches (Where Locals Actually Swim)

East of the centre, past Bačvice and away from the tourist trail, runs a chain of local bathing spots, Firule, Trstenik, Žnjan, where you'll hear far more Croatian than English. This is where Split actually goes to swim: families with picnics, kids playing picigin in the shallows, retirees doing their daily laps well into October.

The recently redeveloped Žnjan beach has modern facilities and beach bars, while the smaller bays in between stay more low-key. None of it is secret to locals, but most short-stay visitors never venture this way, which is exactly what keeps it feeling real. For the full rundown, see our guide to the best beaches in Split.

Why a Tuk Tuk Reaches the Real Hidden Gems

The catch with Split's best-kept secrets is that many of them are strung along Marjan and the coastline, genuinely hard to reach on foot and completely invisible from the Old Town. Linking the cliffside chapels, the southern coves, Telegrin and the western viewpoints into one day on foot would mean hours of uphill walking in the sun.

A private tuk tuk tour stitches these quiet spots into one easy, breezy route, with a local guide who knows which cove is calmest and which lookout catches the best light. It's the simplest way to experience the local side of Split, the hidden corners and panoramas, without the long walks or the guesswork.

• Quiet viewpoints & cliffside chapels
• Hidden coves away from the crowds
• Local neighbourhoods like Varoš
• Coastal roads off the tourist trail