Seget Donji, Near Trogir – An Upcoming Croatian Destination?

Our latest posting on our  nautical tourism blog reports on a new marina that is finally open just outside Trogir in the sleepy village of Seget Donji. However, partly because of this and a few other recent developments, Seget may not remain sleepy for much longer.

Seget is actually three villages – Donji (lower), Gornji (upper, inland) and Vranjica – which have, to date, remained mostly outside the discerning tourist’s radar though Vranjica is a well to do residential area with some great apartments and villas, and Donji has a couple of good restaurants – Barba and Franki’s – which have been attracting locals and visitors in the know for some time.

Seget is off the beaten track as the main coast road from Split bypasses it. You have to head towards Trogir and, just before turning to take the bridge over to Trogir island, continue towards  Šibenik along a road that doesn’t inspire much of a desire to explore. However you will pass a number of notable establishments on the way to the heart of Seget Donji such as Barba, a good fish restaurant (on the right), a rare Chinese restaurant (of which we have very mixed experiences) on the left, Hotel Jadran and Hotel Astoria. The resort complex Medena, provides perhaps the most popular and closest beach for Trogir residents and we hear it has had a bit of a facelift. 

The compact old town of Seget Donji is still in something of a time warp, despite the new marina next door. You will find some locals and a very few tourists swimming off what can hardly be termed a beach next to the parking area, but generally there’s an air of quiet indifference. Frankie’s restaurant (pictured) is a popular haunt for business lunches and now there’s a new collection of apartments with a small swimming pool - Aqua Natural, not far from the centre and marina.

Seget seems yet to find it’s true identity – in particular the core itself seems to resist modern tourism offerings, leaving that to the sprawl that has developed around the road from the centre to Trogir. That may be no bad thing and the sea side of this sprawl reveals many pleasant surprises. We’ve heard consistently good reports of  Hotel Jadran as a good value family hotel, and friends of ours regularly choose the restaurant at Aparthotel Astoria for a more upmarket and less frenetic dining experience than might be available in Trogir.

Today’s picture shows Frankie’s  Restaurant and you can just see Trogir’s shipyard to the extreme right of the photo. Perhaps Seget’s true renaissance will come once the future of the shipyard is decided  and maybe the views improve.