While visiting Split for a few days, my boyfriend and I thought it would be nice to explore one of the islands off the coast. Each island has something different – Bol and Brac are both great places to visit but Hvar is probably the most well known (it’s where a lot of the Made in Chelsea series set in Croatia was filmed), with a lot going on; it’s home to a lot of bars, beaches and beautiful scenery, so we picked to go there.

Getting There

We got the catamaran over via Jadrolinija as it was the fastest route, which cost 110 kuna each way. The ferry (which also takes cars, if you need to), is cheaper but takes a bit longer and seeing as we were only going for the day, it made sense to go for the fastest option. We were travelling just at the end of peak season so there were still plenty of boats but I recommend checking timings in advance, just in case because there are less out of season. I also recommend booking in advance (you can book online now but you couldn’t the first time I visited!), as in high summer it gets very busy. I would also turn up a good 15-30 minutes before departure if you have a car/15 minutes early if you’re a passenger to ensure you can get on.

We got the earliest boat we could, first thing in the morning, meaning we got there before a lot of people staying on the island had even woken up! I definitely recommend doing this, as these moments spent walking around before it gets busy are precious and for me, something I haven’t easily forgotten.

 

Where to Eat

The boat we got took us into Hvar Town but another good option is to go into Stari Grad, which is a stunning town and lovely to walk around. It’s a bit more relaxed than Hvar Town and slightly less busy, so dependant on the kind of vibe you want, you have options!

Saying that, Hvar Town is also beautiful and well worth wandering round. The main square has stunning architecture and lots of food options – we managed to get a (much sought after) table at Fig’s, which was genuinely one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Ok, it wasn’t cheap, but it was well worth it. I didn’t even mind that while waiting, I accidentally broke my dress strap and had to get changed in the toilets (note I’m wearing a tshirt in these photos but I arrived on the island wearing a dress)- that’s how good it is. There’s a bunch of other great restaurants too – as per usual, be wary of going for restaurants directly in the square/right by the port as they’re always going to be a bit pricier than places up the hills and down the back streets.

What To Do

We decided to make the most of the off season and wander round Hvar’s beaches. It had been due to rain horrifically the day we went but we chanced it anyway (we had already booked tickets) and I think it really paid off for us, as almost every beach we reached was completely empty.

On a previous trip to Hvar, I had a car and I have often seen people hire mopeds. All of the beaches we wanted to reach weren’t too far away, so we decided to walk and save some money, but dependent on where you want to reach there are lots of options from where to hire from nearby to the Port.

We went to a few beaches but the two I would recommend the most are:

• Pokonji Dol Beach: Only 25 minutes walk from the town AND has it’s own beach bar. There were some boats/canoes around as well but sadly they weren’t up for rent due to the weather while we were there. We of course still stopped for a drink and a swim!
• Strand Mekicevica: Further on from Pokonji Dol Beach but definitely worth the walk. This one feels like a secret beach (especially as we were the only ones on it) and is a great place to relax (in between swims!)

I had hoped to hire a boat to drive around them but with the potential incoming storm, it didn’t seem worth the risk; both are a bit out of the way so a boat would be handy but they’re well worth the walk (which is also a lovely experience along a tree long coastal path).

I would definitely recommend bringing a towel and some sandals/beach shoes for the walk (as well as your swimming costume). There are also restaurants in between these beaches – they weren’t open when we were there (we brought snacks which was lucky) so double check before hand!

We actually ended our day by meeting a friend who also happened to be on the island with her husband and toddler, so happily wiled away the afternoon drinking with them but I think if we had been there longer we would have probably ventured further round the coast to more beaches.

So all in all, my hot take on a day trip to Hvar out of season would be: it’s much emptier than usual which is lovely BUT check ahead that the things you want to do are actually open!

 

Abi

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@travelteatv