The island of Hvar is Croatia’s longest island at 68 kilometres and is just 10.5 kilometres wide meaning it’s fairly easy to explore both north and south coasts. It’s a stunning place, famous for vast lavender heaths, old villages and hamlets (some of them abandoned), vineyards – and, its capital Hvar Town.
Located on the southwest coast of Hvar island, Hvar Town is Croatia’s most fashionable resort. It has attracted the beautiful people (evening club scene with bronzed skin and vanilla candles, that type of thing) and wealthy yacht owners looking for something different. International celebrities are often spotted in Hvar Town in July and August.
Things have changed a little in recent years as Hvar Town’s gastronomy scene has upped its game attracting a different type of visitor and the mayor has got firm about the clubbing scene. The appeal of this beautiful place continues to expand to people who perhaps might have thought Hvar was only about the party scene.
Without question this is a place of two different faces: the busy July and August peak period and the other months, although even in June the place can be busy. April, May, September and October are the very best time for a holiday based in Hvar Town or a twin centre perhaps with a few days in Hvar Town and a few days on one of the other Dalmatian islands or on the mainland.
The place looks like a film set and is truly stunning. Old stone houses are built into the slopes of three hills surrounding a bay with the highest peak crowned with a Venetian fortress which is floodlit by night. There is a magnificent square which leads onto the harbour and is backed by the Saint Stephen 16th century cathedral. At sunset, there is a rather special pale honey glow here.
An excellent restaurant and café scene happens all around the square and along narrow side streets. There are some good boutique shops and stalls selling lavender from the island in all forms; in bags, in oils and in creams. A couple of good supermarkets and a local fresh market are close by (usually closes around 11am).
Hvar Town has a couple of small pebble beaches yet many people prefer to take a taxi boat (approx. 10/15 minutes) from the little harbour to the nearby Pakleni Otoci , a group of small, uninhabited tiny islands to the south covered with pinewoods where there are both rocky and secluded pebble beaches. There’s a set fee advertised by the boats either for a one way trip or a fixed time return trip.
There are two ferry routes to the island of Hvar: one from Drvenik on the mainland Dalmatian coast to Sucuraj on the eastern tip of Hvar island then a 40 minute drive across the island to Hvar Town. The other is from Split on the mainland to Stari Grad on the northern coast of Hvar island then a 20 minute drive to Hvar Town. Car ferries do not serve Hvar Town as the water is not deep enough, catamarans work here.
Catamarans all stop at Hvar Town dockside which is very convenient if you are staying in or near the town centre. They connect with many places including Split, islands of Korcula, Mljet, Brac, Dubrovnik with a frequent schedule. There is also a catamaran service from Jelsa on the north coast of Hvar island across to Bol on the island of Brac.
Did you know?
- An excellent and distinctly named “Bogdanusa” white wine is produced on the island of Hvar
- Pakleni Otici means “Hell’s islands” yet hell they are not, they are a beautiful escape and the Guardian’s “40 of the best beaches in Europe” included Mlini cove on the Pakleni island of Marinkovac
- Day trip fish picnic excursion is a good way to explore the island’s coastline and usually has a stop on neighbouring island of Brac
- Hvar Town is home to Europe’s continually operating public theatre (dating from 1612). It reopened in summer 2019 after a massive 20 year restoration project
- Hvar is officially the sunniest island in the Adriatic with a daily average of 7.7 hours of sunshine and some 2843 hours per year
