Hvar

Hvar is the sunniest and most glamorous of the Croatian islands, its lovely main town gathered around a marble-paved square and harbour beneath a hilltop fortress, backed by fields of lavender and rosemary. Chic bars and yachts give it a jet-set air, while pine-fringed coves, the scattered Pakleni islets offshore and old stone villages inland offer a quieter, timeless Adriatic.

Background

Hvar lies off the Dalmatian coast between Brač, Vis and Korčula and is about 68 kilometres long. Its spine is a high ridge of Mesozoic limestone and dolomite running east to west and rising to 629 metres, and unusually for the area the island has a large fertile coastal plain and freshwater springs. It covers 297.37 square kilometres with some 270 kilometres of coast, and the 2021 census counted 10,678 residents, the fourth largest population of any Croatian island. The Greeks knew it as Pharos and the Romans as Pharia, and in Italian it is Lesina.

Source: Wikipedia, "Hvar"

Highlights

• Hvar Town - the marble square, harbour and hilltop Spanish fortress.
• The Pakleni Islands - the pine-fringed islets and coves offshore.
• The lavender fields - the fragrant fields and villages inland.
• Stari Grad - the ancient town and its UNESCO plain of old field patterns.

When to go

Late spring and September for warm seas and a calmer scene; July and August bring the peak party crowds and highest prices. June is lovely, with the lavender in bloom inland.

Good to know

The main town is glamorous, lively and expensive, with a strong party scene in peak summer, which is the appeal or the drawback depending on taste. It is reached only by ferry, so plan crossings. The quieter inland villages and other islands offer calm if the town is too much.

Nearby

Split and the other Dalmatian islands of Brac and Vis are a ferry away.

Key facts