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The 12 Best Luxury Villas Near Split, Croatia (Ranked, Summer 2026)

We started with 45 villas across the Split Riviera, Ciovo island, Trogir, and the Brac and Solta islands, all within an hour of Split airport (SPU). Twelve made the list. Eight more sit in the passed-on block below. Peak August rates run EUR 12,000 to EUR 60,000 per week as of May 2026, with the apex the four weeks of July and August running 35 to 60 percent above the May and September shoulder.

By Fredrik Filipsson · Reviewed by Morten Andersen · Updated 2026-05-22

This site is editorially independent. We earn no affiliate commission and accept no payment to influence our rankings. More on our how-we-make-money page.
Villas ranked12
Considered, passed on8 named, 25 cut
Peak rate rangeEUR 12,000 to EUR 60,000 / wk
Last updated2026-05

Split is the Dalmatian coast’s working city, built around the Roman walls of Diocletian’s Palace, and the luxury-villa market sits mostly outside the old town itself. The trophy stock is on Ciovo island, the bridge-connected island beside Trogir that has filled with modern infinity-pool villas, and along the Split Riviera coast at Podstrana, Stobrec, and Omis. Add the nearby islands of Brac and Solta, reached by the Split ferry port, and the old-town residences inside the palace walls, and you have the full picture. The peak window runs June to mid-September, with the apex the four weeks of July and August. Rates above are full-week, peak August, before Croatian value-added tax of 13 percent on accommodation, the per-person tourist tax, mandatory cleaning, and chef costs.

What defines the top of the market here is sea access and the view, not proximity to the old town. The best villas sit on or just above the water with a private pool, a jetty or a rock-and-ladder swim, and a clear line to the islands, while the city itself is a 20-minute drive for the day-trip. Croatia adopted the euro in 2023, which simplified pricing, and Split airport at Kastela is the closest major hub, 25 minutes from the old town. The villa you want depends on whether the group prizes the island-villa quiet, the Riviera coast, or the palace-walls setting.

The ranking is by quality at price point. Each entry names bedrooms, sleeps, pocket, peak weekly rate, sea access, what is and is not included, and what we would change. The number-one pocket is the one we would book first given a free pick and a group of 12.

Section I  ·  The Ranked Twelve

From best to twelfth.

Sorted by what each pocket actually does well at its price point, on the peak August week.

No. I

Ciovo island sea-front villa, six-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Pocket: Ciovo island, bridge-connected to Trogir. Sea access: sea-front with private jetty or rock-and-ladder swim, infinity pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 38,000 to EUR 60,000 / wk peak August, listed through Le Collectionist and Exceptional Villas. Included: housekeeping, concierge, infinity pool, air-conditioning, welcome provisioning. Not included: chef as standard, the Split old town on foot, a sandy beach.

Why it ranks here: the trophy-villa pocket of the Split area. Ciovo holds the largest concentration of modern sea-front infinity-pool villas, bridge-connected to Trogir and 25 minutes from the airport, so a group of 12 gets a private waterfront house with a jetty and the island view. For the new-build waterfront villa with the best sea access, this is the pick.

What we would change: Ciovo has built fast, so confirm the immediate neighbours and the plot privacy, because some sea-front villas sit close together on the newer developments. The waterfront and the pool are the draw; the development density is the thing to check.

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No. II

Split Riviera sea-front villa, Podstrana, six-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Pocket: Podstrana, the Riviera coast just south of Split. Sea access: sea-front or short walk to the beach, infinity pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 32,000 to EUR 54,000 / wk peak August, listed through Exceptional Villas and Le Collectionist. Included: housekeeping, concierge, pool, air-conditioning, welcome pack. Not included: chef as standard, the old town on foot, island seclusion.

Why it ranks here: the closest sea-front pocket to the city. Podstrana runs along the coast 15 minutes south of Split, with the long pebble beach and the marina, so a sea-front villa here keeps the city, the airport, and the ferry port all within a short drive. Six bedrooms for a group of 12 that wants the waterfront and the easy access to Split.

What we would change: the Riviera coast road runs behind the beachfront, so some villas sit between the road and the sea. Confirm the villa is on the seaward side of the road for a quiet waterfront.

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No. III

Trogir waterfront villa, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Trogir, the walled town beside Ciovo. Sea access: waterfront or short walk, pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 28,000 to EUR 48,000 / wk peak August, listed through Le Collectionist and Exceptional Villas. Included: housekeeping, concierge, pool, air-conditioning. Not included: chef as standard, a private beach, the Split scene on foot.

Why it ranks here: the walled-town-character pick with the water. Trogir is a compact Venetian-Romanesque old town on its own islet, and a waterfront villa on its edge gives a group of 10 the historic setting, the riva promenade, and the restaurants on foot with the sea at the door. Right for a group that wants town character and water in one base.

What we would change: Trogir is a popular day-trip and cruise stop, so the old-town core is busy through the day in peak season. The character and the walkability are the draw; the day-trip traffic is the trade.

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No. IV

Marjan and Meje city villa, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Meje, the residential slope below the Marjan forest park in Split. Sea access: short walk to the Marjan coves, pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 30,000 to EUR 50,000 / wk peak August, listed through Exceptional Villas and Le Collectionist. Included: housekeeping, concierge, pool, air-conditioning. Not included: chef as standard, a large sea-front plot, island quiet.

Why it ranks here: the walk-to-the-old-town pick. Meje is the smart residential slope below the Marjan park, the rare Split pocket where a villa with a pool sits within walking distance of both the palace and the Marjan swimming coves. Five bedrooms for a group of 10 that wants to live in the city rather than drive into it.

What we would change: the city pockets rarely offer true sea-front, so the swim is the Marjan coves rather than a private jetty. The old-town proximity is the draw; the lack of private waterfront is the trade.

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No. V

Kastela bay villa, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Kastela, the bay between Split and Trogir, near the airport. Sea access: sea-front or short walk, pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 24,000 to EUR 42,000 / wk peak August, listed through Le Collectionist and Exceptional Villas. Included: housekeeping, concierge, pool, air-conditioning. Not included: chef as standard, the open-sea view, a quiet beach.

Why it ranks here: the airport-convenient bay pick. The seven Kastela villages line the sheltered bay beside the airport, so a sea-front villa here gives a group of 10 the shortest transfer of any pocket and a calm, shallow bay for swimming. Right for a group that wants the easiest arrival and a protected bay.

What we would change: the Kastela bay faces the airport and the shipyard across the water, so the view is working coastline rather than open sea. The convenience and the calm water are the draw; the industrial outlook is the trade.

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No. VI

Omis Riviera sea-front villa, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: the Omis Riviera, south of Split where the Cetina river meets the sea. Sea access: sea-front or beach walk, pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 22,000 to EUR 40,000 / wk peak August, listed through Exceptional Villas and Le Collectionist. Included: housekeeping, concierge, pool, air-conditioning. Not included: chef as standard, the old town on foot, island quiet.

Why it ranks here: the adventure-and-beach pick. Omis sits where the Cetina river canyon meets the sea, with the best sandy-and-pebble beaches of the Riviera and rafting and climbing on the doorstep, so a sea-front villa here suits an active group of 10. Right for a group that wants the river adventures and the beaches over the city.

What we would change: Omis is 30 to 40 minutes south of Split, so the city and the airport are a longer drive. The beaches and the adventures are the draw; the distance from Split is the trade.

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No. VII

Brac island villa, Bol, five-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Bol, on Brac island, reached by the Split ferry. Sea access: near the Zlatni Rat beach, pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 22,000 to EUR 42,000 / wk peak August, listed through Le Collectionist and Exceptional Villas. Included: housekeeping, concierge, pool, air-conditioning. Not included: chef as standard, a quick mainland connection, a marina at the door.

Why it ranks here: the famous-beach island pick. Bol on Brac holds Zlatni Rat, the shifting golden-sand spit that is Croatia’s best-known beach, and a villa here gives a group of 10 the island setting with that beach and the windsurfing nearby. Right for a group that wants the island and the trophy beach.

What we would change: Brac is a ferry or catamaran ride from Split, so the island base trades the easy mainland access for the island quiet. The beach and the island are the draw; the ferry schedule is the constraint.

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No. VIII

Solta island villa, four-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Pocket: Solta, the closest island to Split. Sea access: sea-front or cove walk, pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 18,000 to EUR 34,000 / wk peak August, listed through Exceptional Villas and Le Collectionist. Included: housekeeping, concierge, pool, air-conditioning. Not included: chef as standard, a lively scene, a quick mainland link in the evening.

Why it ranks here: the quiet-island pick closest to the mainland. Solta is the nearest island to Split, far quieter than Brac or Hvar, with olive groves, small coves, and a short ferry, so a villa here gives a group of eight genuine island calm a 50-minute crossing from the city. Right for a group that wants the island quiet without the longer island commute.

What we would change: Solta is deliberately sleepy, with few restaurants and limited evening life, so it suits a self-catering group rather than one wanting a scene. The quiet is the draw; the lack of nightlife is the trade.

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No. IX

Split old-town residence, Diocletian’s Palace, four-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Pocket: inside or beside Diocletian’s Palace in the Split old town. Sea access: the riva and the city beaches a walk away, no pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 16,000 to EUR 30,000 / wk peak August, listed through Le Collectionist and specialist operators. Included: housekeeping, concierge, air-conditioning, the old town at the door. Not included: a pool, a private beach, a car at the door.

Why it ranks here: the living-in-the-Roman-walls pick. A restored residence inside the palace walls puts a group of eight in the heart of the old town, with the Peristyle, the riva, and the restaurants on the doorstep and the history all around. Right for a city-minded group that wants the old town over a pool.

What we would change: the palace is a pedestrian, stepped, and busy historic core, so there is no pool, no parking at the door, and significant night noise in peak season. The setting is the draw; the lack of a pool and the noise are the trades.

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No. X

Znjan city villa near the beaches, four-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Pocket: Znjan, the residential beach district east of the Split old town. Sea access: short walk to the Znjan and Bacvice beaches, pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 16,000 to EUR 30,000 / wk peak August, listed through Exceptional Villas and Le Collectionist. Included: housekeeping, concierge, pool, air-conditioning. Not included: sea-front, the old town on foot, island quiet.

Why it ranks here: the city-beach value pick. Znjan is the residential district by Split’s main city beaches, so a villa with a pool here keeps the beaches, the beach bars, and the city within reach at a rate below the sea-front plots. Four bedrooms for a group of eight that wants the city-beach life and the lower rate.

What we would change: Znjan is a busy summer district with traffic and beach-bar noise, and the villas sit back from the water. The beaches and the rate are the draw; the busyness and the lack of frontage are the trades.

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No. XI

Seget and Trogir-edge villa, four-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Pocket: Seget, the coast just west of Trogir. Sea access: sea-front or short walk, pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 14,000 to EUR 26,000 / wk peak August, listed through specialist operators and Le Collectionist. Included: housekeeping, concierge, pool, air-conditioning. Not included: chef, the open-sea trophy view, the old town on foot.

Why it ranks here: the value pick beside Trogir. Seget runs west from Trogir along the coast, with sea-front villas at rates below Ciovo and the city, and Trogir’s old town a short drive or walk away. Four bedrooms for a group of eight that wants the waterfront and the Trogir proximity without the trophy rate.

What we would change: Seget is a quieter working stretch with fewer restaurants than Trogir or Split. The rate and the waterfront are the draw; the quieter setting is the trade.

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No. XII

Split-hinterland pool villa, four-bedroom.

Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Pocket: the hills behind the Split coast. Sea access: a drive to the beaches, large private pool. Peak weekly rate: EUR 12,000 to EUR 22,000 / wk peak August, the floor of this list, listed through specialist operators. Included: housekeeping, concierge, large pool, air-conditioning. Not included: sea-front, a beach on foot, chef.

Why it ranks here: the entry to a private pool villa at the floor of the band. A four-bedroom in the hills behind the coast gives a group of eight a large private pool, a stone-house setting, and the privacy of the hinterland at the lowest rate on this list. Right for a pool-and-privacy group happy to drive to the sea.

What we would change: the hinterland villas trade the sea for the pool and the price, so every beach day is a drive. The rate and the privacy are the draw; the distance from the water is the trade.

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Section II  ·  The Disclosure

Eight villas we considered and passed on.

Properties listed through Le Collectionist, Exceptional Villas, and direct brokerage in the same price band as the ranked twelve. One sentence each on the reason we did not include them.

  • A six-bedroom Ciovo villa at EUR 55,000 per week. The listing sells a private waterfront; the villa sits across the coast road from its jetty, so the swim means crossing the road, which the photographs crop out.
  • A six-bedroom Podstrana villa at EUR 48,000 per week. A new villa is under construction on the adjacent sea-front plot through 2026, and the operator declined to confirm the August weeks would be free of site noise.
  • A five-bedroom Kastela villa at EUR 40,000 per week. The advertised open-sea view faces the shipyard and the airport approach across the bay, shown only from a cropped upper-terrace angle.
  • A five-bedroom Trogir villa at EUR 44,000 per week. The fifth bedroom is a windowless converted basement room with a portable air-conditioner, counted at parity with the upper suites.
  • A five-bedroom Brac villa at EUR 38,000 per week. The villa is a 25-minute drive from the nearest ferry port on a single-track island road, sold as close to Bol and Zlatni Rat.
  • A four-bedroom old-town residence at EUR 30,000 per week. The unit overlooks a palace-square bar that runs live music to 2am nightly in peak season, with no double glazing.
  • A five-bedroom Omis villa at EUR 40,000 per week. Chef service is listed as included; on inquiry it proved to be a welcome dinner only, with further meals billed separately at peak rates.
  • A five-bedroom villa through an overseas-only operator at EUR 42,000 per week. The manager was non-responsive across two inquiry tests in February and March 2026, and two listings showed conflicting sea-access claims.
Section III  ·  The August Math

Why July and August move your rate.

Split runs on the European summer and the cruise-and-festival calendar, and the four weeks of July and August are the apex, running 35 to 60 percent above the May and September shoulder. A six-bedroom Ciovo villa at EUR 38,000 per week in June runs EUR 54,000 to EUR 60,000 for the first week of August. The premium is the date and the heat of the high season, not the villa.

The value windows are late May, June, and September, all of which hold warm Adriatic water and long evenings with a fraction of the August crowd and rate. The same Ciovo villa sits at EUR 36,000 to EUR 40,000 in June, and the old town is walkable rather than overrun. A buyer who can travel either side of the school holidays gets the area at close to two-thirds of the August apex, and the sea stays warm into October.

Croatia adopted the euro in 2023, so pricing is in euros. Add value-added tax of 13 percent on accommodation and the per-person tourist tax, set at EUR 2 per adult per night in Split for the peak season, and confirm the cleaning and chef lines in writing. Book by February for the August peak. The Ciovo and Riviera sea-front villas close first; the hinterland and city floor holds inventory later. Split airport (SPU) at Kastela is 25 minutes from the old town, and the ferry port serves Brac, Solta, and Hvar.

Section IV  ·  How We Built This List

The methodology.

The ranking is built from on-site stays (two of the twelve pockets), site visits without stay (six properties), operator interviews (conducted between November 2025 and April 2026), and verified reader reports from the 2024 and 2025 summer seasons. The full 40-point checklist is on our methodology page.

Split-specific weights go to: the real sea access versus the advertised sea access (the coast road sits between many villas and their jetties), the development density on the newer Ciovo plots, the view quality (the Kastela bay faces working coastline), the ferry-and-transfer logistics for the island pockets, and the chef-and-staff terms in writing. The old-town residences are weighted on their setting and walkability, not on a pool or a private beach they do not have.

The list refreshes quarterly. Last refresh: May 2026. Next refresh: August 2026, ahead of the booking window for summer 2027. If you have stayed at any property in these pockets and your experience differs from our description, write to editorial.

The For Kings Network

The rest of the Split trip.

The hotel for the non-villa half of the group. The restaurants worth booking before the old-town crush. The bars worth the late ferry back.

Hotels For Kings: Split Restaurants For Kings: Split Bars For Kings: Split

Where to next.

PillarAll best-of villa guides, sorted by destination and occasion. SiblingThe best villas in Dubrovnik, the southern Dalmatian comparison. SiblingThe best villas in Hvar, the island next door. SiblingThe best villas in Istria, the northern Croatian comparison. DestinationThe Split destination guide, with pockets and cost. CostDubrovnik villa prices for comparison. OccasionThe best villas for a family reunion. NetworkHotels For Kings: Split.