Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Hvar Island’ Category

Writer Maeve Haran extolled Hvar Town this week in The Telegraph. She loves it all: the glamorous waterfront promenade, the shopping, the dining, the boats to the nearby Pakleni Islands and the ritzy Hvar Yacht Harbour Hotel. What’s not to like? Not much, according to this writer. I couldn’t agree more. Go to article. Read more about Hvar Town.

Writer Clare Mann wrote a useful recap of her Dalmatia sailing adventure in this week’s Telegraph. What I particularly like is the PR boost she gives to some of Croatia’s less-visited gems. Yes Hvar and Korcula are “party islands” (particularly Hvar) but just sail out to Vis, Mljet or the Kornati Islands and you can get plenty of peace and quiet even in mid-August.

In addition to recounting her itinerary, the writer gives a rundown of where to fuel up, and I don’t mean put petrol in the boat. There sure aren’t a lot of restaurants jostling for space in Zlarin for example, but it’s nice to hear about her scrumptious local meals. Just keep in mind that many of the destinations mentioned are only accessible by sailboat. Another good reason to charter a sailboat in Croatia!

Click here for the article on the Dalmatian islands.
Click here for where to eat and drink.

See my Croatian islands guide.

“Forget St Tropez” says writer Julia Chaplin in this month’s Conde Nast Traveller. Croatia is the place to go, says she, in this comparison of the Croatian, Turkish and Montenegrin coastline.

Croatia comes out very favourably, naturally, especially since she concentrated on luscious Hvar Island. Hvar Town, Stari Grad, and Jelsa are all part of the visit and she raves about Lopud and the Pakleni Islands. Couldn’t agree more.

Here’s my favourite part!

no one has told me no; to me, this is the purest form of luxury. I’ve had no hassles getting a restaurant reservation or hiring a boat on a moment’s notice. Not only that but everyone speaks English, there’s no visible crime or poverty, and, to top it all off, the air somehow smells of watermelon.

You can read the article here.

The Pakleni Islands near Hvar island are a major attraction in Split-Dalmatia county, drawing tourists on day trips from Hvar Town and a sprinkling who spend a holiday there  in a rented room or apartment.

The latter group will have fewer (if any) options when the government implements plans to destroy all housing on these unspoiled islands.  Although the islands have become a refuge for nature lovers and celebrities escaping paparrazzi, they have never been zoned for housing and the government is now cracking down.

Maybe. In fact, no date for demolition has been set and it’s unclear exactly which houses will be eliminated. Most are on the island of St Klement which also contains the prestigious Meneghelo resort. Although it’s been there for a century, it’s fate is uncertain.

Although bad for those planning to stay on the islands, it won’t affect the ability of day-trippers to enjoy the wild natural beauty. There are regular boats from Hvar Town making trips to the Pakleni Islands all summer.

Read more about the Pakleni Islands.

Go ahead clubbers. Party away in Hvar Town. True culture buffs now zero in on the Stari Grad Plain, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located outside Stari Grad town on Hvar Island, this new site makes seven World Heritage Sites in Croatia. The others are: Plitvice Lakes National Park, the Old Town of Dubrovnik, Trogir, Diocletian’s Palace, the Euphrasian Basilica and the Cathedral of St James.

On 8 July, the UNESCO committee inscribed the Stari Grad plain on this prestigious list, noting that:

Stari Grad Plain on the Adriatic island of Hvar is a cultural landscape that has remained practically intact since it was first colonized by Ionian Greeks from Paros in the 4th century BC. The original agricultural activity of this fertile plain, mainly centring on grapes and olives, has been maintained since Greek times to the present. The site is also a natural reserve. The landscape features ancient stone walls and trims, or small stone shelters, and bears testimony to the ancient geometrical system of land division used by the ancient Greeks, the chora which has remained virtually intact over 24 centuries. (see full text)

What is especially appealing about this decision is that the region is much less well-known than the other WHS in Croatia, giving visitors an extra reason to venture beyond the beaten path that leads to Hvar Town.

Find out more about the history of Hvar Island.