Best things to do on Hvar Island, Croatia – (Shared by locals): 3 day-long itineraries

The Via Ferrata on Hvar, which means "iron way" in Italian, is a climbing route equipped with steel cables, metal rungs, and other fixed anchors to aid climbers in ascending or traversing a rock face.

The Via Ferrata on Hvar is located on the island's highest peak, St. Nicholas (Sv. Nikola), which soars 626 meters above sea level. The route starts from the town of Sveta Nedjelja.

It involves a steep climb up the mountain, using a series of ladders, metal rungs, and ropes to navigate the rocky terrain.

With the best views of Hvar and the Adriatic Sea, the Via Ferrata is a perfect attraction for adventure seekers and outdoor enthusiasts. Proper safety equipment, including a helmet and harness, is essential and available for rent. Likewise, guided tours are offered for the less sure of foot.

After you finish your journey, head down to Hvar's underwater winery, also known as Bilo Idro, located on the island’s southern coast, on the marina of Sveta Nedjelja. The winery is located in a natural cave carved into the side of a mountain overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

The winery is known for its high-quality Croatian wines, particularly its Plavac Mali red wine, made from grapes grown in the surrounding vineyards. Visitors can take a tour of the underground cave cellars, which are naturally cool and provide an ideal environment for wine storage and aging. The winery also has a restaurant that serves traditional Dalmatian cuisine and a wine-tasting room where visitors can sample the various wines produced on-site.

After lunch, head west towards Hvar Town. The Pakleni Islands are a group of small islands located just off the coast of Hvar. They are known for their beautiful beaches, crystal-clear water, and secluded coves.

Kayaking to the Pakleni Islands is a popular Hvar activity for visitors who enjoy outdoor adventures and water sports. Hvar Away guests can book our guided kayak tour to the islands or rent kayaks for those who prefer to explore on their own.

The kayaking day trip from Hvar Town to the nearby islands of Pakleni typically takes around 30-45 minutes, depending on the conditions of the sea. Along the way, kayakers can enjoy stunning views of the coastline and the islands and the chance to spot marine life, such as dolphins and sea turtles. Once you arrive at the Pakleni islands, there are plenty of coves and beaches to explore, such as the stunning Carpe Diem. You can even take a break to swim, sunbathe, visit the Pokonji Dol lighthouse, and enjoy dinner at a beachside restaurant or beach bar.

Eighty percent of Europeans cannot see the Milky Way from where they live due to light pollution. That is not the case on Hvar. The island became home in 2022 to the first Dark Sky Preserve in southern Europe, established to protect the island's night skies from light pollution. To support the effort, the Municipality of Jelsa has installed shielding in 82% of its public lights. You can enjoy the sparkling constellations from almost anywhere on the island. The preserve is managed by the Hvar Observatory, which is located on the island and is part of the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Geodesy.

The Dark Sky Preserve on Hvar is a popular destination for astronomy enthusiasts and tourists interested in experiencing the island's beauty at night. It is also a valuable resource for scientists and researchers who study astronomy and the natural environment.

So, spend the evening observing the night sky, enjoying the island's supremely clear nights, and unwind under the stars while sipping a glass of excellent wine. We don't think it gets much better.

Best enjoyed during June and July, the Hvar lavender fields are a chance to take a calming walk on the Croatian island. Everyone would agree that the sight of endless purple is nothing short of magical.

If you visit in mid-July, you can attend the annual lavender festival. The festival includes a variety of workshops and demonstrations on lavender's uses, from cooking to crafting. There's also plenty of opportunity to buy unique lavender products, such as scented pillows, soaps, perfumes, and foods infused with the flower's essence.

Many family-run lavender farms on the island welcome visitors, offering a chance to learn about the herb's farming and its significance to Hvar's culture. Many farms have on-site shops where you can buy lavender oil to take home and even try lavender-infused ice cream.

Layer upon layer of history makes Hvar one of Croatia's most culturally rich destinations. It has the most UNESCO Heritages of any island in the world: six, including the intangible heritages of traditional Klapa singing and the Mediterranean diet.

With nearly nine millennia of documented human habitation, the history of Hvar has many stories to tell. If you are a Hvar Away guest, our guided historical Experiences bring to life the island’s historic old towns, quaint fishing villages, and UNESCO heritage sites, ensuring a genuinely immersive exploration of its past.

If you prefer a DIY exploration, start your journey in two of the island’s most historic towns.

Stari Grad, which in Croatian just means “Old Town”, is in fact the oldest town on the island. It was founded by the ancient Greeks in the 4th century BC, and settled before that by Illyrians and now-forgotten prehistoric tribes.

One of Stari Grad's main attractions is its well-preserved historic center, which features narrow, charming streets, stone houses, and ancient buildings such as the Tvrdalj Fortress (see below) and St. Stephen's Church. The town's largest square, the Pjaca, is also a popular spot for visitors, with numerous cafes and restaurants offering local cuisine and wines.

Stari Grad is surrounded by beautiful countryside with rolling hills, vineyards, and olive groves. The town is close to several beaches, including the pebble beach at Lanterna and the sandy beach at Maslinica.

The town is also known for its cultural events, including the Stari Grad Summer Festival, which features music, theater, and dance performances, as well as exhibitions of local art and handicrafts. The town is also home to several museums, including the Stari Grad Museum, which displays artifacts from the town's ancient Greek and Roman past.

Petar Hektorović (1487-1572) was a Croatian poet, writer, and humanist. He is best known for his famous work Ribanje i Ribarsko Prigovaranje (Fishing and Fishermen's Conversations), which is considered one of the most important works of Croatian literature from the Renaissance period.

Hektorović was born into a noble family and received a humanistic education, which he furthered during his travels throughout Italy. He was an essential figure in the cultural life of the island of Hvar, where he served as governor and played a crucial role in constructing the fortress.

Fishing and Fishermen's Conversations is a pastoral poem in which Hektorović describes a fishing trip he took with his friends. Through their conversations, he explores themes of love, friendship, morality, and the natural world. The work is notable for its use of the Croatian language, which was still in its early stages of development at the time, and for its incorporation of elements of local dialects and folk traditions.

Hektorović's other works include poems, letters, and a travelog describing his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in developing Croatian literature and culture during the Renaissance.

You can visit the Tvrdalj (or Fortress in English) that Hektorović built in the 16th century. A fortified Renaissance castle, the Tvrdalj expresses a humanistic sensibility. In addition to practical necessities of a dangerous era – walls up to three meters thick – the Tvrdalj is also notable for its garden, which features a central pool stocked with edible fish, and a large potager shaded by an extensive pergola. In addition, the structure is dotted with Petar’s maxims for a life full of virtue and enjoyment.

Open hours and tickets:

Hektorović himself lived in the Tvrdalj until his death in 1572, and the castle remained in his family's possession until the 19th century. Today, the Tvrdalj is open to visitors as a museum, with exhibits on Hektorović's life and work, as well as on the history and culture of Stari Grad. However, local residents still live in the upper chambers of this historic building.

Entrance is inexpensive and the Tvrdalj is typically open from 10am to 1.30pm and from 5pm to 8pm in the summer months.

The Stari Grad Museum is housed in a former palazzo just steps from the Tvrdalj in Stari Grad's historic center. As you might expect, it is dedicated to the cultural and historical heritage of Stari Grad and the island of Hvar. While small, the museum has been beautifully curated, and its collections, which cover a wide range of topics, including archaeology, history, ethnography, and natural history, offer a brief but powerful overview of Hvar's many layers of civilization. Exhibits include artifacts from the Greek and Roman periods and exhibits on the history of the town and island during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Some of the museum's highlights include Roman glassware, pottery, mosaics, and ancient coins. However, the museum also features modern and contemporary artists born or raised in Stari Grad. We are particularly fond of the works of Juraj Plancic (1899-1930), an Impressionist painter who studied in Paris but died too young of tuberculosis, and of the gifted illustrator and cartoonist Magda Dulčić (1965-2016).

In the afternoon, explore the Renaissance drama of Hvar Town, which reached its zenith under Venetian rule and still shows many traces of its polyglot, cosmopolitan past as a center for Adriatic trade.

Situated on the western edge of Hvar Town, start your walk at the 15th century Franciscan Monastery. The complex includes a beautiful cloister, a library, a museum, and several other buildings. The church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and features an impressive Baroque altar, as well as several other notable works of art.

The cloister is a tranquil courtyard surrounded by columns and arches, featuring a small garden and fountain. The library contains a collection of more than 20,000 rare books and manuscripts, as well as some important historical documents.

The museum showcases the history and culture of the island of Hvar, with exhibits on local art, architecture, and folklore. It also includes a collection of religious artifacts, including vestments, chalices, and other items used in worship.

During the tourist season, the monastery is open without charge to visitors from 10am to noon and from 5pm to 7pm.

Located in the heart of Hvar Town, continue your walk to St. Stephen's Square. The piazza is one of the largest and most beautiful in Dalmatia. The cathedral, built in the 17th century, is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and features a stunning bell tower. Inside, the church features 15th and 16th century paintings. Entrance is free, but be mindful that modesty is appreciated in all religious sites (and throughout Dalmatia, which has a fairly conservative culture).

While you’re downtown, grab a quick pick-me-up at Kava 37, the best coffee in Hvar Town. The old town of Hvar is itself a historic maze of narrow streets and alleys that date back to the 13th century. The town is full of storied architecture, including palaces, churches, and townhouses, and is a great place to explore on foot.

Discover the painstaking craft of weaving delicate lace from the fibers of the agave plant at the Benedictine Convent, one of Hvar Town’s least visited but most memorable cultural attractions. This artform is a UNESCO heritage and when you see these ethereal objects – each as intricate and precise as a snowflake – you will understand why. Entry to the nunnery is free. Check the convent’s hours by the door; they are located in the town center, just steps from the main square.

End your walk at the top of the city. One of Croatia's most impressive and well-preserved fortresses, the Hvar Fortress offers panoramic views of the island and the surrounding sea. Also known as Fortica or Španjola, the structure was built in the 16th century to protect the town from pirates. The fortress features thick walls, towers, battlements, a drawbridge, and a moat. Visitors can see a collection of historic weapons and military equipment inside the fortress.

Fortica has played an important role in the history of Hvar and has been occupied by various military forces over the centuries. During the 19th century, the fortress was used as a prison. In the 20th century, it was used as a military barracks before being restored and opened to the public as a museum.

Start the day with a visit to the stunning Stari Grad Plain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest agricultural landscapes in the world. Take a laid-back bike ride through the fields, admiring the beautiful vineyards, olive trees, and fruit orchards. This entire landscape looks almost exactly as it did 2,400 years ago when Greeks from the island of Paros colonized the island and divided the Ager (from the Greek αγρός for field) into huge estates. Many of our guests want to know what this history tastes like, and can enjoy a private Farm-to-table Supper in the ancient fields themselves.

Hvar produces several wine varieties, including a few indigenous cultivars that are only grown on the island. Read our complete guide to wines on Hvar to learn more about this intrinsic part of Mediterranean life.

The most intense reds come from the precipitous slopes of the island's south side, where vines are exposed to double solar radiation from Hvar's many days of sunshine and the sun's reflection off the sea. These vineyards are too dizzyingly steep to allow for the use of most modern technology – so as you sip, pause and consider the toil that went into every drop!

Be sure to stop by Jelsa for a private tasting in Ivo Duboković’s candlelit cellar. Building on centuries of family wine-making tradition, Duboković makes natural white wine –that is, wine grown organically and fermented without additives. He engages with the process as a scientist and artist, using wine as a medium to explore flavors and possibilities while sampling the results of hundreds of past experiments.

We also love Vinarija Plančić in Vrbanj. The setting is delightfully casual, but the wines are anything but. The Plančić brothers are true wine obsessives, deeply committed to the craft and capable of building phenomenal wines from the ground up.

If you are a Hvar Away guest, choose from our wine-centric Experiences. These unique enrichments range from full-day tours of a hand-picked selection of the island’s best wineries to a single evening tasting in the company of the winemaker himself.

No visit to Hvar is complete without a first-rate seafood dinner. Dalmatian cuisine prepares fish simply – with just olive oil and a garnish of garlic, lemon, and parsley – to let the incredible flavour and texture shine through. Don’t expect to find maple-glazed salmon or tuna with mango salsa here. For truly local, wild-caught fish – and it really is a delicious, unique cuisine – head over to Kod Barba Luke back in Stari Grad. Long a standby of the in-the-know sailboat and yachting crew, Kod Barba Luke is the place for anything from the sea. Unfortunately, many other restaurants, even high-end ones, import their fish from distant waters.

Beaches on the island offer a little something for any taste – from the secluded spots on Hvar's Far Eastern bays to the family-friendly options on the Northern Coast.

Some busy beaches of the Pakleni Islands (like Palmižana) will be popular with the party "beasts".

Our recommendation: mix it up to make the most out of days in Hvar.

It's a wide topic, so we have a separate guide on it - read more in our detailed guide to the best Hvar beaches.

Taking place from June to September, the Hvar Summer Festival is known for its rich program of music, theater, and dance performances.

The festival was first organized in 1961 and has since become one of Croatia's most important cultural events. It attracts both local and international artists and tourists from all over the world who come to experience its unique atmosphere.

The Hvar Summer Festival program includes classical music concerts, jazz and blues performances, theater plays, dance shows, and film screenings. It takes place in various locations in the town, including historic churches, theaters, and open-air venues.

One of the festival's highlights is the annual opera production, which is performed in the historic Arsenal building, a former naval shipyard that has been transformed into a cultural center. The opera performances are known for their high production value and attract audiences from all over the world.

In addition to the cultural program, the Hvar Summer Festival also features a variety of delicious food and wine events, including wine tastings, cooking classes, and gastronomic dinners.

Bottom line: If you want to experience the local vibe in one spot, jot this down as a "must" among things to see during your time in Hvar.

At Hvar Away, we offer a wide range of Hvar villa holidays tailored to meet the varied tastes of travelers seeking a great and peaceful escape on the stunning Croatian island.

For those who crave the sun and sand, these beach villas are ideally situated just steps away from the crystal-clear waters of the Adriatic Sea. Our beach villas provide direct access to the beach, allowing you to enjoy sunbathing, swimming, and water sports whenever you please. Start your day with breakfast on a private terrace overlooking the sea and end it with a sunset stroll along the shore.

See the beach villas here

With Mediterranean heritage and charm, the stone houses offer a glimpse into the traditional architecture of Hvar. These villas are built from local stone, providing cool interiors during warm summer days and creating a rustic ambiance. Perfect for those who appreciate historical aesthetics, these homes are often nestled in quaint villages, providing an authentic experience of island life.

See the stone villas here

For the discerning traveler seeking opulence and comfort, our luxury villas are designed to impress. These villas are perfect for a lavish getaway; with high-end amenities, bespoke interiors, and often infinity pools with excellent views. Guests can expect personalized services, including private chefs and wellness specialists, ensuring an indulgent and stress-free holiday.

See the luxury villas here

These spacious and family-oriented villas are equipped to accommodate everyone, from toddlers to grandparents. With multiple bedrooms, kid-friendly amenities, and outdoor recreation spaces, families can bond over shared experiences in a relaxed setting. Many of these villas are located near family-friendly beaches and attractions, making it easy to explore the island together.

See the villas for families here

For those needing privacy and peace, our secluded villas provide a peaceful retreat away from the stress of everyday life. Our secluded villas are surrounded by natural beauty, allowing guests to unwind and reconnect with nature. Perfect for romantic getaways or quiet retreats, these villas offer a relaxing sanctuary.

See our secluded villas here

Ideal for friends or large families traveling together, the villas for groups are spacious and designed for socializing. With communal living areas, big dining spaces, and outdoor patios, these villas facilitate memorable group experiences. Whether hosting a dinner party or enjoying a game night, these properties cater to shared moments and celebrations.

See the villas for groups here

At Hvar Away, the focus is not just on providing a place to stay but curating an unforgettable island experience. The on-island team is always available for assistance, whether arranging tours, making dining reservations, or booking private boat trips. We make sure that every day, you feel supported to have a visit to Hvar filled with unique experiences personalized to your interests.

Want the best places to stay on Hvar Island? Talk to our on-island team to make your travel dreams a reality.

You can take a regular catamaran from Split to Hvar Town. The journey takes about an hour and offers stunning views of the Adriatic Sea. Alternatively, you can opt for a speedboat transfer, which is slightly more expensive but faster. Check the ferry schedules in advance, especially during the peak tourist season.

You can reach Hvar Island by ferry or catamaran from mainland cities like Split or Dubrovnik. Numerous ferry companies operate regular services, and the journey can take from 1 to 3.5 hours, depending on your departure point and whether you take a passenger catamaran or a car ferry. Private yachts and boats are also popular for those seeking a more personalized journey.

Read our full guide on how to get to Hvar.

The best time to visit depends on what sort of trip you want to take to Hvar. In April, May, September, and October – called shoulder season,– you're offered warm weather, but not as hot as peak summer, fewer crowds, and discounted accommodation options. April and October's weather can be more unpredictable. November to March is cold, with the island largely closed, so not the time to visit if you want to truly experience Hvar. In June to August, the high season, expect sunny weather and high temperatures, but peak accommodation prices and summer crowds in the busy spots.

Read our full guide on the best time to visit Hvar.

Yes, Hvar offers several family-friendly activities, including beach days, exploring the Pakleni Islands, hiking to the Hvar Fortress for its stunning views, and enjoying local cuisine at family-friendly restaurants. Many beaches have shallow blue waters and safe swimming conditions for kids.

The party island side of Hvar is chic and glamorous, so dressing to impress is key. Men often wear stylish shirts and dress shoes, while women may opt for elegant dresses or fashionable outfits. Don't forget to bring a light jacket or wrap as the evenings can get colder by the sea.

Yes, the streets of Hvar are safe for tourists. The main tourist areas and beaches are well-lit and busy, especially during summer. However, as with any destination, it's advisable to be aware of your surroundings and take common-sense precautions.

There are many convenient ways to enjoy exploring Hvar during your travels. There are a few car hire companies on the island – though many visitors rent cars on the mainland and bring them to Hvar on a car ferry. However, some roads in Hvar have car restrictions – the old towns have pedestrian-only areas and some coastal roads are rough gravel.

A budget-friendly choice is scooters, ideal for short trips, and costing about €50 for 24 hours. Hvar Island also has an affordable bus system connecting the towns of Hvar, Stari Grad, and Jelsa – so is a good choice for some tourists.

There are many taxi boats, too, for nearby destinations like the Pakleni Islands. While a lot of Hvar’s towns are walkable, getting from one place to another often requires driving. Joining guided tours can be a great way to visit multiple sites and nearby islands while having someone to show you the way and organize transport.

For questions not covered here, see our complete Croatia vacation guide.

Hvar offers a range of accommodation options to suit different budgets, from luxury villas and boutique guesthouses to hostels and private apartments. To secure the best deals and locations, booking in advance is recommended, especially during the high season.

To read more about the island’s regions, see our guide on where to stay in Hvar.