Humac

Although now without any permanent residents, Humac was once a centre of human habitation spanning centuries. The village is blanketed with simple dry-wall stone houses, built without mortar, many of which have foundations that date back to the early Stone Age.

Humac was founded in the 17th century, and its villagers were dedicated for centuries mainly to cattle rearing and agriculture. Humac truly flourished in the 19th century, a period marked by significant expansion due to the high demand for cultivation of Hvar's wine and aromatic oils such as lavender. Although residents primarily lived in the nearby village of Vrisnik, they would migrate to Humac during major agricultural seasons and live in the stone houses built with the ancient dry technique, with some retaining architectural remnants of the former sharing of goods – stone gutters bridging the passageways between houses, through which rainwater would flow into a common gutter or well. Today, they stand as testament to the island's agricultural heritage and prosperous past.

Before reaching the village of Humac, first you must arrive on Hvar Island. Read our complete guide as to how to get to Hvar for some pointers.

Humac is situated 11km east of Jelsa, the closest large town. Drive your rental car or take a 15-minute taxi ride along the bendy yet smooth road that connects Jelsa with Humac.

If you are staying in Humac and bringing a car from the mainland, you will begin your drive either from the east at Sućuraj or from the west in Stari Grad. From Stari Grad, the drive is pleasant and unstressful. From Sućuraj, you could say that the opposite is true for the first 40km of the drive, until one reaches the village of Poljica, 5km away from Humac. The old road has windy stretches with steep drop-offs that require opposing traffic to give way. If you are not used to driving in rural areas, our advice is to take your time, pull over to let others pass, and drive defensively.

As you make your way along this picturesque but somewhat alarming route, you may ask yourself: why don’t they build a better road here? In fact, plans are in the works to do so. The challenge for planners and residents is to find a compromise that serves existing communities at minimal cost to agricultural lands. In all likelihood, a solution will be reached, and a modern highway will run through this region in 5 to 10 years, bringing with it all the pluses and minuses of increased tourism traffic.

Humac is the starting point for an excursion to Grapčeva Cave, which dates back to the Neolithic era. Down a steep path over the sea and through a low entrance protected by an iron gate, you will enter the round, spacious cavern of Grapčeva Cave, filled with stalactites and stalagmites. This is also where the oldest known depiction of a boat in Europe was discovered, and one of the archaeological sites establishing what is known as “Hvar Culture.” Far from cave dwellers, the people of Hvar Culture were an ancient nautical civilisation who used this cave as a site for funeral rituals, leaving evidence of their presence with sophisticated – and quite attractive – ceramics.

After delving into the deep past, explore more recent centuries in the ethnovillage of Humac itself, a well-preserved example of the seasonal settlements that flourished in the arduous but lucrative years of the 19th century, when Hvar produced a significant portion of Europe’s wine and aromatic oils. Although founded in the 1600s, Humac was greatly expanded in these “boom years” when Continental wealth fed a demand for the island’s agricultural products.

At the southern end of Humac, a marked trail will lead you up to a panoramic viewing point offering 360 degree views out across the island. Don’t forget to bring small change for the telescope.

Our recommendation to experience the best of Humac is to explore with an experienced local guide. Your guide will lead you down an old stone cart path, past overgrown vineyards and lavender fields, pointing out native plants and their uses in folk medicine all along the way to Grapčeva Cave. Inside, your guide will explain the true cultural and archaeological significance of the site. Head back for your guided tour of Humac village, with included access to the small ethnographic museum, church, and ancient herb distillery which are otherwise closed to visitors.

Enjoy lunch or dinner at Konoba Humac, which has the distinction of being a restaurant without running water or grid electricity. There is a generator which powers a few electric bulbs in the kitchen, but to say the experience is “traditional Dalmatian” is an understatement.

As the sun sets against the sea and the mountains of the mainland, the only illumination comes from candles and the stars above, creating an unforgettable atmosphere.

Where to stay in Humac