Hvar Island, Croatia

Hvar Island is about 2 hours by ferry from Split. This breathtaking place was named one of the top ten most beautiful islands in the world in 1997 by Traveller magazine.

The whole island seems to be made of steep, rather barren hills that have been segmented into small plots of land by rough stone walls (obviously made with the rocks that were removed from the plots). The vast majority of these plots are not planted, though, and there aren't many homes around, either. Those few plots that are cultivated have bursts of lavender growing in neat rows.

As it is, when you reach Hvar Town, one of the first things you
see are a line of stalls with vendors hawking lavender oil, lavender sachets, lavender wreaths... as well as beach-related items (sunglasses, towels, etc.). Sights of interest in Hvar Town are the cathedral and the Venetian fortress. Hvar Town's port is full of sailboats and other boats, which you can rent out by yourself or with a guide. The street around the port was lined with cafes. We had lunch at a cafe that was up off the street a little ways- with an excellent view. The food at Buffet Adria Pape (not a buffet) was good, and the proprietress friendly- and at the end of the meal she offered us Amaro as a digestif. We didn't care for it all that much, but it was interesting, and later we found bottles of it in the store- made in Italy.

Walking away from the busy cafe area, there is a path that led to beachy areas. The beaches are not crowded, but well-spaced, and near one of the hotels is a center where you can rent diving equipment or snorkeling equipment. The beaches are rocky, although occasionally you find a spot that was paved flat, making it easier to lie on. The water is a beautiful deep blue and very clear- and a refreshing retreat from the heat. Just avoid the prickly sea creatures!

Jadrolinija has schedules for one or two ferries a day to go into Stari Grad and Hvar Town. We missed our bus from Hvar Town back to Stari Grad and were concerned about needing to spend the night, but we managed to catch a catamaran (see picture below) back directly from Hvar Town instead.

Links:
Croatian Tourist Information Service
Welcome to Hvar.HR

Jadrolinija Ferries

Back to Split

Last updated 25.07.2001