Hvar is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, just off the Dalmatian coast. Hvar is also the name of the largest city on the island.
Home to 4,200 permanent residents, the population of Hvar increases significantly during the summer as it is a very popular tourist destination full of hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs – and of course the Mediterranean climate and endless beaches.
We got the morning ferry from Split, and 75 minutes later, were docked in the port at Hvar.
Hvar was an independent commune of the Venetian Empire during the 13th to 18th centuries, and was an important trading port and naval base. Prior to this, Hvar was part of the Greek Empire and the Roman Empire. The city walls, as well as many of the buildings of this era are still standing today.
I will focus more on the city and the architecture in a later post, but today I was to focus on the stunning coastline. One of the best things to do in Hvar is to sleep in, chill out on the beach, go for a stroll up the coast, get some lunch, hang out at a bar, go to the beach again, sleep, grab some dinner, then go to another bar. Usually I’m quite intensely trying to pack a lot into the holidays that I go on, and it was nice for a change to not to much of anything for a few days.
There are a lot of boats in Hvar. Some are transporting people from island to island, some are docked and have people staying in them, some are for partying, and some are for fishing.
As well as the public beaches, many of the beaches on Hvar are restricted to use by those staying at whatever accommodation is located directly up from that section of the beach. The photo below is the view from the shore of the beach that was connected to the apartment we had rented for the 2 nights we were there. It was the perfect relaxation spot.
Dotted along the coast are several bars. Again, some are restricted to those staying at the hotel up from the beach, but many are open for all. One of the things that I love about Hvar is that people are treated like adults. The bars go right up to the water, and you can grab a drink and sit by the water and enjoy it – taking in the vibe and listening to whatever music might be playing, be it from a radio or a live DJ.
Spend just one day in Hvar, and you start to question how much you really need to live a good life. The stresses of the “real world”, work and the big city all become insignificant.
Hvar, and the other Croatian cities located on the Adriatic are blessed with some of the most amazingly fresh seafood that you’ve ever eaten. Here we saw a local fisherman gutting his catch of the day, ready to sell to the restaurants for the evening. Often you’ll see the fresh seafood being cooked on the grill right out the front of the venues on the side-walk – an enticing proposition for would be diners for sure.
