5 days in Hvar, Croatia

April 2023

Croatia is one of those stunning places that I actually can’t believe exists. Beautiful beaches, old towns and lots of castles. I was in Croatia in April 2022 for about a week and got to see a lot of the Adriatic coast. Here’s how I spent my week in Croatia - some things I loved and some things I’d skip next time.

Hvar is an island right off the Dalmation coast and in the Adriatic Sea - surrounded by other islands. Getting to Hvar can be done so by ferry from Split. I used Kapetan Luka to book the ferry around, which takes about an hour from Split.

Things to do in Hvar, Croatia

I was in Hvar in late April, which is still considered the off season. Although most restaurants were open, some of the beach clubs were closed and were schedule to open on May 1st. If things like beach clubs and nightlife are vital in your trip, I suggest visiting Hvar between late May to September. However, please remember that those are peak times for summer travel. We heard from locals that the island gets packed and even getting a seat at the restaurant can take up to two hours. So, please plan accordingly!

Explore Hvar Town

My favorite part of my time in Hvar was walking the narrow streets and drinking a cappucino by the crystal clear water. It was so relaxing and exactly the type of getaway I was looking for. Explore the narrow streets of Hvar town and take in just the natural beauty of the beautiful place! The entire city is extremely photogenic so I loved just wandering around the nooks and crannies!

Take in the views form Tvrdava Fortica

I was prepared for a hike up to the Hvar fortress but it ended but pretty much a walk up. There was defintiely some incline but not too far off from the hills in San Francisco I’m used to. The view at the top of the fortress are spectaculur…but they do cost about 5 euros. Although the views were breathtaking, I probably wouldn’t do it again since the the views from the hilly parts of the island are already pretty great. It did feel a bit tourist trappy to me but nothing compared to what I experienced in Split.

Venture out of Hvar Town

Hvar town is only one of the cities on the island - there are quite a few others, the most notable one being Stari Grad. Getting to Stari Grad from Hvar town is really only possible with a car or a scooter. Public transit on the island can by pretty rough so we just rented a car for the day. We had a great experience with Antonio Rent and would recommend their service - super easy process!

We had a reservation booked with Hora Hvar - which was a several course meal ranging from cheeses, wine, bread, a main dish, dessert…and more wine. The meal is cooked with fresh ingredients which grow on the Hora farm and local wine It was great to get out of Hvar Town after a few days and explore the “country side”. Hora Hvar was so welcoming and I 100% recommend visiting them if you’re ever in Hvar. We had read that Stari Grad was a beautiful town but a lot of businesses were closed during our visit (due to the off season). There was also a lot of construction being done to get prepared for the summer season. If you do venture out to Stari Grad, a half a day is enough for the town and the other half can be dedicated to Hora Hvar. The drive from Hvar town is also very scenic - loved it!

Day trip to Split

After four days in Hvar, we decided to take a day trip to Split - using Kapetan Luka once again. We honestly wanted to try some new food since most of the options in Hvar were primarily pizza, pasta, risotto and burgers. I’m vegetarian so the seafood options were off the table. I was happy to find some Indian food in Split!

Protip - a lot of places in Split were cash only and the currency exchanges were closed when we were there
(probably because it was a Sunday). So, remember to have some euros on hand!!

Although Split is a beautiful city, I definitely felt like it was scrubbed for tourists and I felt some of the local charm was missing. Maybe if there was more time to venture out of the main area it would have better - but honestly I would skip Split on your visit if you’re already doing Hvar and another big Croatian city.

Relax at the beach

The beaches Hvar are so stunning and truly breathtaking! The water is crystal clear and so blue!! Definitely bring some water shoes though since the beaches are rocky. Also…there are sea urchins in the water by the shore!