Hvar may be famous for sunshine, beautiful beaches and lively summer evenings, but there is much more to this Adriatic island than its glamorous reputation suggests.
Ancient towns, lavender-covered hillsides, vineyards and tiny islands surrounded by impossibly blue water make Hvar a destination worth exploring beyond your sun lounger. If you are wondering where to begin, these three experiences deserve a place at the top of your list.
1. Explore Stari Grad and the Stari Grad Plain
Start with the island’s quieter, historic side.
Stari Grad is one of the oldest towns on Hvar and one of the oldest settlements in this part of Europe. Its narrow stone streets, small squares and waterfront have a wonderfully relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere – particularly in the early morning or towards the end of the day.
There is no need to rush. Wander through the old town, stop for coffee beside the harbour and look for little courtyards, stone passages and traditional houses as you go.
Just outside town lies one of Hvar’s most remarkable historical landscapes: the Stari Grad Plain.
The fertile plain was divided into agricultural plots by Greek settlers more than 2,400 years ago, and remarkably, much of that original layout has survived. Ancient stone walls and paths still run between vineyards and olive groves, creating a landscape that continues to be cultivated today. The Stari Grad Plain has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 2008.
You can explore it on foot or by bike, making this one of those rare sightseeing experiences where history and nature come together almost effortlessly.
And after a few kilometres through vineyards and olive trees, returning to Stari Grad for a long Dalmatian lunch seems entirely justified.
2. Spend a day on the Pakleni Islands
One of Hvar’s greatest attractions is waiting just offshore.
The Pakleni Islands form an archipelago of around twenty small islands, islets and rocks, scattered across the turquoise Adriatic close to Hvar Town. Some bays are known for stylish beach clubs and restaurants, while others feel wonderfully secluded, with pine trees reaching almost to the water.
The best way to discover them is by boat.
Take a taxi boat, join an organised excursion or hire a boat and create your own island-hopping itinerary. Stop whenever the water looks too inviting to resist – which, realistically, will happen quite often.
Spend the morning swimming and snorkelling in a quiet bay, find somewhere for lunch by the sea and leave enough time in the afternoon for doing absolutely nothing.
Palmižana, on Sveti Klement, is one of the best-known stops, but part of the appeal of the Pakleni Islands is discovering smaller coves and finding your own favourite corner.
From Hvar Town they are close enough for a half-day escape, although once you arrive, you may quickly decide that a full day sounds much better.
3. Follow the scent of lavender into Hvar’s interior
Beaches may dominate the postcards, but Hvar’s inland landscapes reveal another side of the island.
Lavender has become one of Hvar’s most recognisable symbols, and in early summer the hillsides around villages such as Velo Grablje and Brusje take on shades of purple. The scent follows country roads and walking paths through a landscape of dry-stone walls, olive trees and Mediterranean herbs.
Velo Grablje is particularly closely connected with the island’s lavender-growing tradition. Visiting the village and surrounding countryside offers a glimpse of a slower Hvar, far removed from the busy waterfronts of summer.
Take a drive or join a tour through the island’s interior, stop in traditional villages and look for locally produced lavender oil, scented products and other small souvenirs.
If you visit when the lavender is in flower, usually around June and early summer depending on the season, the landscape becomes particularly photogenic.
But even outside the flowering period, the drive through Hvar’s countryside is worth making. Vineyards, olive groves and stone villages offer a reminder that island life here has always been shaped by much more than tourism.
Three experiences, one very special island
Hvar is one of those destinations where the hardest part is deciding what to leave out.
You can spend the morning walking through more than two millennia of history, the afternoon jumping from a boat into the Adriatic and the following day exploring lavender-scented villages in the hills.
And that variety is precisely what makes Hvar so memorable.
Come for the beaches and sunshine if you like.
Just make sure you leave enough time to discover everything else.
