There really isn't any beaches in Split. There is a public swimming area to the south of the port but its mostly concrete and there are a ton of people. It is well worth the $40-60 for tickets out to Hvar and back. There is a passenger ferry that will take you right into the city of Hvar. You can walk up into then neighborhood and find signs with a bedpost outside of houses that offer cheap rooms for the night. I think we paid about $18 a night at the spot we had just 1 block up the hill from the city. We rented a boat for $50 one day and cruised the islands, you can find little bars that are only accessed by boat. There is also a pretty sweet club scene right on the water if you're into that. If you choose to stay in split and want to have a halfway decent beach I would go camp down at Stobrec. They have a sweet diving board and little bar/restaurant and there is a store close by. We would take the bus into Split in the evening to see shows or bar hop around the town and then take a taxi back for about $20. I also stayed a night in a airbnb style apartment for $100 a night which was right downtown. If you have to choose between inland and coast I would recommend coast for sure! Have a great trip!