Island in Dalmatia
Hvar
- Best time to go
- May, June, July, Sept
- Part of
- Dalmatia
Hvar is a long, sunny island off Split, known for lavender fields, vineyards and some of the oldest towns on the Adriatic.
Hvar town is the glamorous end, with a Venetian square, a hilltop fortress and a busy summer nightlife. Stari Grad, founded by ancient Greeks, and the north-coast villages of Jelsa and Vrboska are calmer, while the Pakleni islands just offshore are made for swimming from a boat.
Things to do
Don't miss in Hvar
- Climb through the pines above Hvar town to the Fortica fortress for the view over the harbour and the Pakleni islands.
- Visit St Stephen's Square in Hvar town and the theatre above the Arsenal, one of the oldest public theatres in Europe.
- Walk out to the Stari Grad Plain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where fields are still divided as the ancient Greeks laid them out.
- See the Tvrdalj in Stari Grad, the fortified summer house and fishpond built by the Renaissance poet Petar Hektorović.
- Take a taxi boat to the Pakleni islands and swim in the clear coves around Palmižana and Jerolim.
- Drive the old inland road through Brusje and Velo Grablje, where lavender blooms in June and July.
- Taste local Plavac Mali and white Bogdanjuša wines at family wineries around Jelsa, Svirče and Pitve.
Where to stay
Pick your neighbourhood
Hvar town
people who want the busy harbour, restaurants, bars and boat trips to the Pakleni islands right on the doorstep; loud and expensive in high summer
Stari Grad
a calmer, older town with a long harbour, good for families and for drivers coming off the car ferry
Jelsa
a central base on the north coast with a relaxed waterfront, pine shade and easy drives to both ends of the island
Vrboska
couples who want a small, quiet village on a narrow inlet, a short walk or ride from Jelsa
Pakleni islands
a few nights away from everything on Palmižana, with swimming and long lunches, reached by taxi boat from Hvar town
Tours and getting around
Day trips from Hvar
The most popular trips from Hvar are boat days to the Pakleni islands, and longer speedboat tours to the Blue Cave on Biševo, Vis and the Green Cave on Ravnik. On the island itself you can join wine tastings, jeep or e-bike tours of the abandoned inland villages, and sea kayaking around the Pakleni islands. Split and Brač are also easy day trips by catamaran.
You can manage without a car if you stay in Hvar town and use taxi boats and the island buses, but to see the island properly you will want one, as the villages, wineries and south-coast beaches are spread out. Scooters and quads are common in Hvar town, though the island roads are narrow and winding. Renting a small boat for a day is one of the best ways to reach the Pakleni islands and the quieter coves.
Getting there
How to get to Hvar
The nearest airport is Split, and from Split harbour you can take the car ferry to Stari Grad, which takes about two hours, or a foot-passenger catamaran straight to Hvar town or Jelsa in about an hour. At the island's eastern tip, a short car ferry runs from Drvenik on the mainland to Sućuraj, but from there it is a long, slow drive to the western towns. The Stari Grad ferry port is a little outside the town itself, and Hvar town is about half an hour's drive away. Hvar town's centre is car-free and parking near it is limited in summer, so many visitors arrive by catamaran and leave the car behind.