My Adventures at Beautiful Hvar Island – Croatia

In my recent article, All About Hvar, I explained that Hvar is a long narrow island just off the coast of Croatia near Split. Hvar is probably Croatia’s most famous island and go-to tourist destination because it’s a big summer party spot for the rich and famous, particularly among Europeans and Americans.

If you’re interested in learning more about Hvar’s stunning scenery, its long illustrious tourist history and its main attractions, check out that article first.

In this post I talk about my own wonderful experiences at beautiful Hvar island.

My First Thoughts on Hvar

As I was preparing for my trip to Croatia, I heard and read about Hvar’s fame, particularly as a lively hedonistic summer party destination, and especially for the rich and famous. That immediately put me off visiting Hvar, considering how much I dislike crowds and noise. I assumed it would be way over-developed, incredibly noisy and boisterous, much too crowded for my tastes.

In addition, while later traveling by bus down the coast of Croatia, I’d seen dozens and dozens of Croatia’s offshore islands. They all looked like tame, low forest-covered hills gently mounded up out of the sea.

Since I much prefer very dramatic natural scenery, like soaring cliffs, raw rugged mountains and sandy palm-fringed tropical beaches, I was rather non-plussed about Croatia’s apparently mild islands. I was definitely not much inspired or motivated to go visit them.

However, I had a small hotel assignment to visit four luxury hotels on Hvar Island. So I was more or less obligated to go out there. Pictures I’d seen of cute historic Hvar town and Stari Grad town, did give me a bit of perk to my interest.

Unfortunately, every time I checked for accommodation on the island, it was always way beyond my budget. I also had trouble contacting my assigned hotels to set up site inspections. So I was loathe to book an expensive room for several nights if I might not even be able to visit the hotels.

quaint historic Hvar town

My First Adventure to Hvar

Quite luckily for me, just when I was about to give up on Hvar and head down the coast to Dubrovnik, I finally managed to contact the correct person at the Hvar hotels with help from my host in Split. As it turned out, the four hotels were all part of one local luxury hotel group and, thus, one hotel rep. could show me all four hotels. And that was allowed even though three of the four hotels were already closed for the season.

Even better, she offered me an overnight stay in their only currently-open luxury hotel for one night (by then it was off-season and many Hvar hotels had already closed) so that we’d have enough time to visit all the properties without me having to rush to/from Split all in one day. What luck!

Suddenly I was able to visit ultra-expensive Hvar without paying for any accommodation at all. I just had to pay the inexpensive ferry and bus trips to/from the island.

It got better. On the 2.5-hour ferry out to Hvar, I began realizing that Hvar and its neighboring islands are infinitely nicer than I’d previously thought. I could see that the islands were actually rugged, mountainous and mostly wild & undeveloped.

Hvar interior mountains But it was when I caught the bus over the mountains from Stari Grad port to Hvar town on the incredibly winding mountain roads that I realized how very wild, undeveloped, rugged and beautiful Hvar island is.

When I stepped off the bus and set foot in adorable Hvar town, I immediately ‘got it’. That is, I got why Hvar is so famous and beloved.

The historic stone harbor town is absolutely adorable. Even better, my luxury hotel for the night was situated right on Hvar’s waterfront promenade, with amazing views over the cute harbor and tiny local fishing boats.

I immediately wished I could stay longer at Hvar. I knew I could easily stay on the island for a month, walking along the coast and up in the mountains, completely absorbed in nature.

But it got better still! My hotel contact literally wined and dined me all day. She took me for a gourmet lunch at one of the hotel’s promenade-side restaurants, where I ate an incredible truffle & gorgonzola linguine followed by hot chocolate lava cake. In the evening, she took me for cocktails and a gourmet dinner at my hotel’s rooftop restaurant/bar.

The next morning I had time to hike out along the stunning coast for an hour and back, then climb up to the Spanish fortress looming above the town, then work-out at the hotel gym and take a hot shower before departing for my bus trip back to the Stari Grad ferry to Split. It was a short, fabulous trip.

I was hooked. I only hoped I could return to Hvar for a few weeks to really immerse myself in the cute historic town and the island’s stunning nature.

My Adventures on Hvar, pt 2

Since Croatia is so expensive, my overall plan was to leave the country as quickly as possible after I’d finished visiting 35 hotels around the country. My final destination in Croatia was Dubrovnik, way down near the country’s southern border with Montenegro.

My plan was to cross over into Montenegro and visit a few of my favorite places there and visit a friend or two. However, in the 2020 Covid year, I needed a negative PCR test to visit Montenegro. And the PCR tests in Dubrovnik cost a whopping 200 Euro (about $230 US!). No way was I going to pay such an outrageous fee just to cross the border into Montenegro!

So I had to suddenly change my travel plans. In the process of searching where to go next, I discovered that some private accommodations in Hvar had dropped their prices to unbelievably low rates. I’m talking like $12 US per night for a rather luxurious studio apartment, right in Hvar town. Wow!

My apartment in Hvar 4 It didn’t take me long to decide to head back to Hvar. And why not stay there two to three weeks while writing up my hotel reviews? At those rates, it was just as cheap to stay in Croatia longer as going to Bosnia or any other nearby countries. Sold!

So I caught the coastal bus from Dubrovnik back up to Split, a stunningly beautiful trip that I did not mind repeating at all. Then next day I caught the ferry out to Hvar and began my long, relaxing stay on beautiful Hvar Island.

And here I am, as I write.

Fortress Hvar 3 I’m situated in the outskirts of historic Hvar town, sadly in the rather ugly newer residential area. Sadly, I miss a big aspect of the experience of staying in Hvar town, surrounded by the historic stone houses and beautiful harbor.

But my colorful & spacious studio apartment is wonderful, as are my hosts. It’s also very conveniently situated for long coastal walks and hikes up into the mountains.

I’m happy that I still have another two weeks to explore the island and towns. I’ve been hiking nearly every day, either along the coast or up into the hills and rural farmlands. I also discovered an outdoor public gym beside the sea where I go for weight training sessions.

Palace Elisabeth Hotel – historic Hvar town

Why my Hvar Experience is probably unique

Of course, November is way off season for Hvar. Nearly all the hotels close by the end of October in normal years. And this being the 2020 Covid pandemic year, tourism is even down more than usual. At this time, it’s practically empty.

That all means that my experience of Hvar is decidedly much quieter than usual for this popular island. I get to hike the coast and mountain trails almost entirely alone. I rarely pass anyone else. Supermarkets are uncrowded. It’s easy to maintain social distance everywhere.