To the west of the island is Brac and to the west is Drvenik Veliki. To the southeast is Hvar , and to the north is Split. Solta belongs to the middle Dalmatian islands. It lies in the central part of the Adriatic Sea, near its eastern coast. In the northwest Solta is ca 360km away from the coast of Marunska lagoon (the most drawn in part of the Adriatic) while from the Strait of Otranto (the border between the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Sea) in the southeast it is distant 390 km. Solta is 185km distant from the Italian coast and from the Croatian mainland 10,7km (Uranjica). It is at a distance of 15 km (9 nautical miles) from Split. The natural beauty of Solta has attracted and inspired many well known people. In 295 AD the Roman Emperor Diokletian built his fishery in one of Solta's bays.

The father of Croatian literature, Marko Marulic, wrote parts of "Judita" while spending his leisure time on Solta. In 1555, in honor of Marko Marulic, another great poet, Petar Hektorovic, wrote "Ribanje i Ribarsko Prigovaranje". In the poem he describes his fishing voyage to Necujam, the purpose of which was to remember Marulic. Today, Solta remains as an oasis of untouched natural beauty, because of the lack of industry and tourism. The traditional way of life is still preserved: As the sun comes up the day begins. Fishermen take to the seas, while you walk to town to get freshly backed bread, home made wine and the daily portion of the town's gossip. As you enjoy your morning coffee and talk about yesterday's events, the fishermen come back offering their catch.
After a day filled with activities like wind surfing, swimming, and fixing little things around the house, you and your friends sip wine, enjoying grilled fish and watching the sunset behind the distant mountains.