Hvar Island

Hvar

The sunniest island in the Adriatic, with the Venetian-style town of Hvar, a hilltop fortress and the Pakleni Islands. It is synonymous with summer lavender and yacht parties.

Hvar Island is 68 km long, receives more than 2,700 hours of sunshine a year and is the most fashionable island in Dalmatia. Its heart is Hvar Town on the south coast, centred on St Stephen’s Square in the 16th-century Venetian style, the largest old square in Dalmatia, and its cathedral. By the harbour stand the Arsenal, which houses Europe’s oldest surviving public theatre, built in 1612, and the Franciscan monastery. A zigzag path climbs about 20 minutes to the Spanish Fortress (Fortica, admission about €10), where the view over the town, the harbour and the Pakleni Islands is the island’s signature image, especially at sunset. The town’s beaches are rocky, so for swimming most people take a 10-minute boat ride to the Pakleni Islands (Palmižana beach and a pine-shaded restaurant), or head to Dubovica Bay on the west side. From late June to mid-July, lavender blooms on the island’s highlands around Velo Grablje and Brusje. Visitors can rent a car or scooter to tour the island, reaching Stari Grad on the north coast, home to the ancient Greek farmland plain, a World Heritage Site, and Jelsa. Hvar is famous for its summer nightlife, including the Hula Hula sunset bar and Carpe Diem. Room rates and noise peak in July and August, so families will find May, June and September more suitable. Getting there: the fast ferry from Split to Hvar Town takes about 1 hour (Jadrolinija and Krilo; book ahead in peak season), and the car ferry to Stari Grad takes about 2 hours. In summer, a fast ferry runs along the Dubrovnik–Korčula–Hvar–Split route. A stay of one to two nights is recommended.

Hvar Island

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Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby