My advice would be use it as a port to get to the islands like Brac. The islands are much better, cleaner etc than the main land
Split is OK, bit grubby. Bacvice is a kind of complex with the clubs, restaurants etc. There is a beach there too, although no way near as nice as the beacheson the island.
The Old Town is better than the newer parts and the port area
Plenty of places to stay. Avoid hotels and book an apartment, much cheaper (especially at that time of year) and decent standard. Will try to find the one I stayed in with the missus. Food is great as you can imagine.
Can get a bit touristy but there's lots to see.
Recommend a day trip to Hvar on a ferry which are cheap and quick.
Buffet Fife for cheap eats and excellent atmosphere, though the table wine gave me a right headache.
Hvar is great.....tell the bloke at the port you have a boat license but forgot it and he gives you a speed boat for about 80 quid for the whole day.....loads of fun hacking round the little islands there.
Zadar is the best place along that coast by a long way, and the islands (as has already been mentioned) are fantastic.
However, if it's a lads holiday you want, you're probably better off sticking in Split. I enjoyed it there. Plenty of places to eat and drink and easy to get a boat or coach elsewhere if needed.
If you want to stay on the mainland I would recommend Trogir. Otherwise just get onto the islands. Hvar is a great place but I found it a bit pretentious. Kortula is my favorite island.
Went last June and it was great. Most of the places to drink are more like Cafe's and you can comfortably sit outside all night drinking still in shorts. There was a club that was quite good which is by the beach, bit of a treck from the Old Town. I can recommend the beach as a great day out, loads of fitties and they all get their baps out to sunbathe meaning that you cant help but look!!
Awesome city. Absolutely loved the place and I can't wait to go back.
Check out Hvar by ferry. You can get a fast catamaran or a more leisurely big ferry which has a bar and a nice big deck for sunning yourself on. I found this much more enjoyable even though the little hydrofoil is a lot quicker.
Old town great. Prices great. Beer great. I absolutely LOVE Ozujsko which you'll find on sale EVERYWHERE and slips down an absolute treat in the lovely Croatian sun
Split is obviously the main city / airport with historical ruins and markets, but the whole coastline is beautiful and worth exploring. Been a couple of times to Pisak (beautiful old fishing village) and Makarska, which is much more commercial with plenty restaurants / bars and a great long shingle beach. Bus service runs up and down coast, worth visiting places like Omis for a day and of course as above, Hvar by ferry.
i really liked split. decent old town where you can just wander about for ages, good and relatively cheap bars and one complex by the sea that had a decent enough night club. the beach was nice, the scenery was good and the ferry out to the island for a bit of an explore is a must