Croatia: Island Hopping - Hvar

Jul 10, 2012

Hvar was the first of the three islands we were going to make a stop on our trip, and we were really excited to see what it would have in store for us. Known as the upscale yacht haven, we had high hopes for it, to say the least. We got our first glimpse of it as the ferry approached the bay of Hvar Town: beautiful white houses with terracotta roofs all across the hillside, kilometers long beach promenade, boats and yachts all over the bay, and amazingly clear waters. And this was just the very first note.

We weren’t only excited to be in Hvar, but we were super thrilled to meet up with our travel buddies Rachael and Christian who were going to join us for the rest of the trip. But before that, we had the first day to spend by ourselves. We got to our little pension called Oaza- a two-storey building with an inner courtyard patio and a location right off the harbour and around the corner from the main town square Pjaca.


As hot as it was, we just wanted to get to the beach and cool off in that seducing clear water. We found a perfect little spot just for us and pretty much spent the afternoon chilling on the rocks, swimming and watching the yachts come and go. The great thing about these islands is that there are beaches absolutely everywhere, which means you can just pick your spot and be away from the crowds. 



The night was calm as well and we got some Croatian delicacies from the supermarket (also very conveniently around the corner) and enjoyed the quiet night at the patio. Later we strolled along the harbour and the riva, and got drinks at one of the most famous lounges not only in Hvar but in the entire coast of Croatia- Carpe Diem.


The next morning we were stoked. We knew we’d have an amazing day ahead of us, and that our friends would arrive later in the afternoon. We rented a boat (a small engine boat that didn’t go that fast but it definitely served the purpose) to get to the other side of the bay to the Pakleni Otoci islands (or Hells’ islands) and to their hidden coves with blue lagoons. We had (or I had) plenty of fun as Denis tried to navigate us out of the harbour avoiding to hit any of the fancier boats that were lined up the docks. Let’s just say it can be very challenging if you never piloted a boat before, but luckily it turned out to be quite simple after the first few wrong turns ;).

We ended up finding the most picturesque spot between the islands and throw the anchor in. We were surrounded by so much natural beauty: pine forests, rugged limestone beaches, and all shades of blue as the sun made the water sparkle.


After our little head start we crossed back to Hvar town where we were going to pick our travel posse to join us to the boat- oh the joy of reunion. We just had to bring them back to our spot and they totally loved it. Every jump into that water and every sip of Karlovacko made us fall more in love with Croatia (not that the beer was so great, but it sure tasted good there!). Before the sunset, we still had some time to get around the islands and we threw the anchor down at few more beautiful locations.



  
In the evening we decided to have a grand picnic on the rocks by the sea, instead of going to a restaurant. That turned out to be so much fun, as we chatted and laughed the night away with a good bottle(s) of local wine. Our hardcore travel companion was unfortunately still recovering from their previous party, so as they hit the sack, me and Denis headed to a once in a lifetime party, namely the Carpe Diem party island. We boarded on this shuttle boat from Hvar town harbour strip (in front of Carpe Diem bar) and crossed the pitch black night bay. It was really cool to see all the lights we left behind, and start to hear some beats from the island. As we got off the shuttle, we walked in to this all island outdoor nightclub. Dance floors everywhere, lights leading to the sea where people dipped in, pools, and anything you could imagine. It was definitely the coolest party setting we’ve ever seen or been to.


The next day was our last day on this island. We wanted to walk around the little town (there’s nothing much to see in the town itself) and get up to the castle, but instead we ended up just chilling on the beach and in the water. No one was really motivated to walk around in that heat, much less to walk up a huge hill to get to the fortress.


As we were waiting our ferry at the harbour lounge, to our surprise, the big mother boat of Yachtweek* arrived just then (the same as we had seen back in Trogir) with tons of crazy partiers on board. It was hilarious to watch them party in the middle of the day, dancing all over the tables in their bikinis…


For our party posse though, it was time to hop on board of the ferry that was going to take us to our new destination- Korcula. Another beautiful island and another adventure!



TIPS & LINKS

Accommodation

Pension Oaza:



General information

Hvar town & island:



Boat rentals:

There are plenty internet sites if you wish to rent a bigger speed boat / yacht, but you can go to the harbour and get a rental directly from one of the companies offering it there (we did that). You can get a cheap deal for 40€/ day (no previous experience or licence needed).

Hells’ islands:


*The Yachtweek:

http://www.theyachtweek.com/croatia/


Nightlife

Carpe Diem lounge & beach:




There are also plenty of other night venues:


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