Čiovo is a small island just off the coast of Trogir, connected to the old town by a short bridge. That proximity to one of Dalmatia's most beautiful medieval cities is part of the appeal, but Čiovo has its own character: quieter, greener, and with better beaches than the mainland.
The island stretches about 15 kilometres and holds a handful of sleepy villages. Okrug Gornji on the south side is the busiest, with a long pebbly beach and a strip of beach bars that come alive in summer. Okrug Donji next door is calmer, popular with families for its shallow, sheltered coves. Slatine, on the north coast facing Split, is where the catamaran from Split docks -- a useful backdoor into the Trogir area that skips the airport traffic entirely.
The interior is all dry-stone walls, olive groves, and the occasional old stone village like Žedno perched on the ridge. There is not much to "do" on Čiovo in the sightseeing sense -- no museums, no monuments -- and that is precisely the point. You come here for the water, the sun, and the easy pace. Rent a small boat and poke around the coves on the south coast, or walk the coastal paths between villages in the early morning before the heat sets in.
Split Airport is only six kilometres away, making Čiovo one of the most convenient beach escapes in Dalmatia.