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If you only have a few days on Hvar Island, split your time between Hvar Town and one of the quieter villages such as Stari Grad or Jelsa. This guide covers how to get there, where to base yourself, and what’s genuinely worth your time.
How To Get to Hvar
Most visitors arrive from Split. There are two main options:
- The car ferry from Split to Stari Grad takes about two hours and is the one to use if you’re driving.
- Catamarans run from Split to Hvar Town in around an hour, carrying foot passengers only.
In summer there are also catamaran links to Dubrovnik, Korčula and Vis, which makes Hvar an easy stop on a wider island-hopping route through Dalmatia.
Where To Stay on Hvar
Hvar Town is the island’s showpiece, with a Venetian square, a hilltop fortress and a harbour full of yachts. Stay here if you want restaurants and bars on your doorstep, but expect higher prices and late nights in peak season.
Stari Grad is older, calmer and better value. It’s a real working town with a long, sheltered bay, and it makes a practical base if you’ve come over with a car.
Jelsa and Vrboska, on the north coast, are the pick for a slower trip. Jelsa has a pretty harbour and easy beaches, while Vrboska is a tiny fishing village built around a narrow channel, often called the little Venice of Hvar.
The Best Beaches on Hvar
Hvar’s beaches are mostly pebble, and the water is exceptionally clear. A few favourites:
- Dubovica: a small bay with a stone house and a single beach bar, reached by a ten to fifteen minute walk down from the main road.
- Pokonji Dol: a short walk or drive east of Hvar Town, and much quieter than the town beaches.
- Milna: a small village with several coves and a couple of good seafood restaurants.
- Palmižana: on the Pakleni Islands, with a sandy stretch and pine shade, reached by water taxi from Hvar Town.
Things To Do on Hvar
Walk up to the Fortica. The fortress above Hvar Town takes about twenty minutes to reach on foot, and the view over the Pakleni Islands at sunset is the best on the island.
Explore St Stephen’s Square. It’s one of the largest squares in Dalmatia, framed by the cathedral at one end and the harbour at the other. Nearby, the old Arsenal houses a theatre that opened in 1612, one of the oldest public theatres in Europe.
Island-hop to the Pakleni Islands. This chain of wooded islets sits just off Hvar Town, and you can spend a whole day moving between beaches and konobas by water taxi.
See Stari Grad Plain. Greek settlers divided this farmland into stone-walled plots in the 4th century BC, and the layout has barely changed. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and makes a lovely bike ride.
Taste the local wine. Hvar is known for Plavac Mali, a rich red, and for Bogdanjuša, a light white grape found almost nowhere else. Several family wineries around Jelsa and Svirče offer tastings.
Visit Humac. This abandoned shepherds’ village in the hills east of Jelsa is a strange and beautiful place, with stone houses, dry walls and views over both sides of the island.
Drive to the south coast. A narrow, single-lane tunnel near the village of Pitve, controlled by traffic lights, leads through the hills to Zavala and Ivan Dolac. The slopes here are covered in vineyards that drop almost straight into the sea, and the beaches are far quieter than anything near Hvar Town.
Take a day trip to Vis and the Blue Cave. Speedboat tours from Hvar Town combine the Blue Cave on Biševo with swimming stops around Vis. Go early, as the cave is at its brightest around midday and queues build quickly.
Nightlife on Hvar
If you do want to go out, Hvar Town is the place. The bars along the harbour fill up after dinner, and in peak season boats shuttle partygoers to beach clubs on the Pakleni Islands until late. Things rarely get going before midnight. If you’d rather sleep, stay in Stari Grad or Jelsa and visit Hvar Town for an evening instead.
What To Eat on Hvar
Look for gregada, a simple fish stew with potatoes, olive oil, and white wine that the island claims as its own. Many konobas also cook lamb or octopus under a peka, a heavy iron bell covered in hot embers, but it often needs to be ordered a few hours ahead.
For something sweet, try paprenjak, a spiced honey and pepper biscuit with a long history on the island. Pair dinner with a glass of local Plavac Mali, and finish with a small shot of travarica, the herbal brandy you’ll be offered in half the family restaurants on Hvar.
How Many Days Do You Need?
Three days is enough to see Hvar Town, spend a day on the Pakleni Islands and explore one quieter village. With five days or more, add the beaches of the south coast, a wine tasting and the day trip to Vis.
A Simple Three-day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Hvar Town, wander the old streets and St Stephen’s Square, then walk up to the Fortica for sunset.
Day 2: Catch a morning water taxi to the Pakleni Islands. Swim at Palmižana, have a long lunch in the shade and return in the late afternoon.
Day 3: Head to Stari Grad for the old town and the plain, then continue to Jelsa and Vrboska for a harbour-side dinner.
When To Visit
June and September are ideal. The sea is warm, the crowds are thinner and prices are more reasonable. July and August are hot and busy, especially in Hvar Town. The lavender flowers from late June into early July, which is a lovely time to drive through the interior villages.
Getting Around
Local buses connect Stari Grad, Hvar Town and Jelsa, though services thin out outside summer. To reach the smaller beaches, renting a scooter or small car for a day or two makes things much easier. Just be ready for narrow roads and a few tight bends.
Practical Tips
- Croatia uses the euro. Cards are widely accepted, but carry some cash for small konobas, beach bars and water taxis.
- Bring water shoes. Most beaches are pebbly, and sea urchins are common on rocky entry points.
- Parking in Hvar Town is limited and expensive in summer. Leave the car at your accommodation where you can.
- Cover up in town. Hvar Town fines visitors who walk the streets in swimwear, so keep a shirt and shorts in your beach bag.
- Book water taxis and boat tours a day ahead in July and August, when the best departure times sell out.
