Malo Grablje – The 2024 travel guide

Positioned in a deep ravine between high cliffs, Malo Grablje offered its residents natural protection from pirates, Turks, and various enemies throughout history. The village's history is a fascinating tale of resilience, adaptation, and finally abandonment – beginning with peasants who worked the land for a tithe to their noble owners in Hvar. For centuries, they toiled in the fields, and their fortunes ebbed and flowed with the island's agricultural prosperity. The late 1800s marked a high point for Malo Grablje, as the village thrived on wine production while the devastating phylloxera plague ravaged European vineyards but spared their own.

The prosperity of Malo Grablje during this period is evidenced by the construction of significant communal facilities, including an impressive library, a school, and a water cistern. In 1905, the villagers purchased land on the coast, distributing parcels to each household. The turning point came in the 1960s when a vine disease decimated their grape crops. With no viable means of livelihood, the villagers made the difficult decision to abandon Malo Grablje. They relocated to the coastal settlement of Milna, leaving behind their homes, belongings, and even exhuming their dead from the village cemetery.

Malo Grablje stands today as a ghost village, where time seems to have stood still. Remarkably, despite strong interest, no property has ever been sold in Malo Grablje. Each property owner shares the surname Tudor (a decidedly non-Croatian sounding surname), a name steeped in local legend. According to myth, the village was founded by an illegitimate son of King Henry VIII, who was shipwrecked off the coast of Milna and settled in the area after meeting a local girl. Whether myth or reality, this story adds another layer of intrigue to Malo Grablje’s already rich history.

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

Malo Grablje, despite its sense of complete separation from civilization, is situated just 6 kilometres east of Hvar Town. Drive your rental car or take a 10-minute taxi ride. While in the past Malo Grablje was only accessible by going off-road, in recent years, after a decade of promises, a new asphalt road has been constructed connecting Malo Grablje to the island’s main road. Although this has resulted in mixed emotions, there is no doubt that adding exploration of this mysterious village to your travel itinerary just got a lot easier.

Malo Grablje is also reasonably easy to reach on foot. Start your hike from the little beach town of Milna where you can fuel up for your hike at one of the many beachside restaurants. Head into the island, towards the beautiful cliffs towering overhead. You’ll pass through a tunnel, and then you’re on your way towards the mysterious abandoned village of Malo Grablje.

The mass exodus in the 1960s left Malo Grablje entirely deserted, save for one authentic Dalmatian restaurant and the restored heritage palazzo, Villa Fulmin, breathing life into the village today. Today, it is a haven for hikers, cyclists, gourmet enthusiasts, and off-road safari travellers seeking a glimpse of Dalmatia as it once was.

Start by taking a slow wander through the crumbling buildings and overgrown pathways to experience the quiet solitude of this abandoned settlement. You will notice the stark contrast between the decaying structures and their vibrant natural surroundings.

Alongside the abandoned ruins, don’t miss the church, the school, the well and water collection system, and the exquisitely preserved olive mill from 1894. We recommended touring the village with an experienced local guide to really bring this experience to life.

An ancient stone stairway path winds up between canyon walls to Velo Grablje, Malo Grablje’s (slightly) more lively sister village. Velo Grablje is one of the highest villages on the island, sitting almost on top of the ridgeline, overlooking the shimmering Adriatic. The sunsets are incredible.

Velo Grablje was at the centre of European lavender production in the twentieth century, and the landscape that developed around the plant’s cultivation is like nothing you’ve ever seen. Hvar’s soil is seriously rocky, so previous generations had to scrape out stones one by one to make a fertile patch of soil, and then they heaped the stones around these pockets to protect their plants from the island’s bracing winds. Surrounding the town, this knitted pattern of stone and lavender stretches up and down vertiginous hillsides as far as the eye can see. Nothing evokes the sacrifice and toil that characterised the lives of previous generations like this titanic stone mesh.

Velo Grablje, like Malo Grablje, is completely preserved – no concrete to be found here – but with a few more painstakingly restored homes and konobas. Aside from the charming Lavender Festival, which takes place in high summer, life in Velo Grablje is quiet, with around 14 permanent inhabitants.

Consider the walk from Malo Grablje a hike, not a leisurely stroll. Remember to wear appropriate footwear, bring adequate water, and the path is not lit, so we don’t recommend making this a moonlit walk – as romantic as that would undoubtedly be.

Reward your efforts and refuel for the next adventure with a first-rate lunch, taking your pick from two of the highest-rated restaurants on the island: Alavia or Zbondini.

Come back for dinner at the incredibly special konoba in Malo Grablje with just eight tables, called Stori Komin, which translates to “old hearth”. It is the only working building in this lost little village (aside from our Villa Fulmin), and the upper terrace has a spectacular view over the rooftops to the rocky heights of the canyon wall opposite.

The konoba is run by a Mr. Berti Tudor, who restored his family home and has been running this small family restaurant, offering traditional meals prepared with ingredients found in the surrounding area of Malo Grablje, since 2005. Berti lives only by the food and products of his zone, from wine to olive oil, rosemary, sage, capers, and basil.

Stori Komin specialises in peka (a southern Croatian technique of slow-cooking octopus, lamb, or game meat under a metal dome heated by coals of pine branches), which must be pre-ordered as it has to be slow cooked over charcoal for at least 2-3 hours – so make sure to reserve in advance before paying Berti a visit.

Where to stay in Malo Grablje