Hvar Travel Guide: Where to Stay, Eat, Drink, and What to Do
Hvar is the island everyone has an opinion about before they arrive. It's the glamorous one — the yacht-and-cocktail-bar reputation, the celebrity sightings, the late nights — and all of that is real if you want it. But spend a few days here and you find the rest of the island: lavender fields and stone villages inland, a Venetian-Gothic old town that's genuinely beautiful, some of the best wine in Croatia, and the Pakleni Islands strung out across the water just offshore. Hvar can be a party or it can be a slow Mediterranean idyll. The trick is knowing which version you're booking.
This is our honest guide to Hvar Town and the island around it — where to stay, what to do, and where to eat and drink. It's part of our wider Croatia travel guide.
Where to stay in Hvar
The main decision is Hvar Town versus the quieter parts of the island. Hvar Town is where you want to be for a first visit — the old town, the restaurants, the bars, the boat departures, and the luxury hotels are all here, walkable from the harbor. The Stari Grad side and the remote bays are slower and more residential, better if you have a car and want distance from the action. For most travelers, Hvar Town is the answer.
Palace Elisabeth (Hvar Town)
This is the five-star to book. Set in a Venetian-Gothic palace directly on St. Stephen's Square — the largest piazza on the Croatian coast — Palace Elisabeth has been receiving guests since the Austro-Hungarian era and has been immaculately restored as one of the most characterful heritage hotels in the Adriatic. It's named for Empress Elisabeth, "Sisi," who patronized the original hotel. Inside: elegant rooms with period touches, an indoor pool, a spa, a fine-dining restaurant, and panoramic terraces over the harbor and the Pakleni Islands. The terrace tables on the square are some of the best seats on the island. Ask for a sea- or square-view room.
Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel (Hvar Town)
The most stylish design-forward hotel in Hvar Town, the Adriana sits right on the marina with a rooftop infinity pool overlooking the harbor and the old Venetian arsenal. The spa is one of the best on the Dalmatian coast, the cocktail bar is a reliable summer hotspot, and the waterfront restaurant, Val Marina, does good Mediterranean cooking with local ingredients. It's a slightly more contemporary, scene-y alternative to the Palace Elisabeth, and the rooftop is the draw.
Maslina Resort (Stari Grad side)
If you want the other Hvar — calm, green, away from the crowds — Maslina sits in Maslinica Bay near the UNESCO-protected town of Stari Grad, spread across pine forest with the Adriatic at the doorstep. Contemporary design with a French-Mediterranean sensibility, an emphasis on sustainability and wellness, and total privacy. This is where we'd send someone who wants Hvar's beauty without its nightlife.
Our pick: Palace Elisabeth for the classic Hvar Town heritage stay, the Adriana for a contemporary rooftop-pool base in town, and Maslina if you'd rather have quiet and nature than be in the middle of the action.
What to do in Hvar
Climb to the Španjola (Fortica) fortress. The Spanish Fortress sits high above the old town, and the climb up is the essential Hvar thing to do. From the top you get sweeping views over the red rooftops of Hvar Town, the harbor full of yachts, and the Pakleni Islands laid out in front of you — on a clear day you can see all the way to Vis. Go at sunset; it's the best view on the island and a magical end to the day.
Spend a day on the Pakleni Islands. This is the highlight. Just offshore from Hvar Town, the Pakleni (or Paklinski) Islands are a scatter of wooded islets with clear-water swimming coves, beach clubs, and hidden restaurants. Water taxis and boats leave constantly from the Hvar Town harbor. Palmižana on Sveti Klement is the main draw, but the real find is one of the tiny family-run "Robinson" restaurants tucked in the bays — places that grow their own vegetables, press their own olive oil, and serve whatever was caught that morning.
Wander St. Stephen's Square and the old town. The largest square in Dalmatia opens onto the harbor at one end and the cathedral at the other, and it's the heart of Hvar Town. Behind it, the back lanes climb up in stone steps — the Skaline od Gojave is one of the prettiest streets on the island. Don't miss the Arsenal and the Hvar Public Theatre, one of the oldest public theaters in Europe.
Take a sunset sailing trip. A small-boat sail around the islands at golden hour is one of the loveliest things to do here — two hours on the water with a drink in hand as the light goes. Easy to book last-minute from the harbor in season.
Where to eat in Hvar
Hvar's food scene runs from harbor-front fine dining to those barefoot island restaurants, and the wine is a genuine reason to come — the island produces excellent reds from native Plavac Mali and whites from Bogdanuša grapes.
Hotel dining rooms anchor the high end: the restaurant at Palace Elisabeth and Val Marina at the Adriana are both strong, with harbor views to match.
The Pakleni Island "Robinson" restaurants are the experience to plan for — hidden bays on Sveti Klement where a family makes everything themselves, from the wine to the grappa. Have a boat taxi drop you for a long lunch; it's the most memorable meal on Hvar.
For coffee and a sweet stop, the back lanes behind the Riva hide a couple of gems: Kava 37 for serious coffee, and Nonica, a tiny patisserie selling the traditional Hvar cake — hvarska torta, spiced and baked in olive oil.
Where to drink in Hvar
Hvar's nightlife is the most famous on the Croatian coast, and it runs on a rhythm: beach bars in the afternoon, cocktail bars at night.
Hula Hula is the sunset institution — a beach bar west of town where the afternoon party peaks around early evening, DJs and cocktails with the sun going down over the water. Walk the coastal path to get there.
Carpe Diem is the famous one — the cocktail bar on the Riva that built Hvar's party reputation, with a separate beach club on its own islet that runs late into the night in summer.
Falko is the antidote: a relaxed, bohemian little spot further along the coast past Hula Hula, more chill-out lounge than party — cold drinks, healthy snacks, quiet sunsets.
For wine, seek out a small old-town wine bar like Luviji to taste the island's Plavac Mali and Bogdanuša with someone who knows them. It's the most distinctly Croatian evening you can have here.
Best time to visit Hvar
May and September are the sweet spots — warm enough to swim, the bars and restaurants open, the boats running, but without the crush and the heat of high summer. July and August are when Hvar's party reputation is at full volume: gorgeous, but crowded, expensive, and loud, with the bars and beach clubs packed. If you're coming for the nightlife, that's the window; if you're coming for the island itself, come in the shoulder months. The ferries from Split run frequently in season and should be booked ahead in summer.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hvar worth visiting, and is it all parties? Hvar is worth it, and no — the party reputation is only one side. Hvar Town has serious nightlife if you want it, but the island also has a beautiful Venetian old town, a hilltop fortress, excellent wine, lavender fields, and the Pakleni Islands offshore. You can have a glamorous late-night Hvar or a slow Mediterranean one depending on when you go and where you stay.
Where should you stay in Hvar? For a first visit, stay in Hvar Town, where the old town, restaurants, bars, and boat departures are all walkable. Palace Elisabeth is the heritage five-star on the main square; the Adriana is the contemporary rooftop-pool option. For quiet and nature, Maslina Resort near Stari Grad is the pick, though you'll want a car.
What are the Pakleni Islands? A chain of small wooded islets just off Hvar Town, with clear-water swimming coves, beach clubs, and hidden family-run restaurants. Water taxis run constantly from the Hvar Town harbor. Palmižana on Sveti Klement is the main hub; the tiny "Robinson" restaurants tucked in the bays are the real highlight.
How do you get to Hvar? Most visitors take a ferry or catamaran from Split to Hvar Town. In summer these run frequently but book up, so reserve in advance. Hvar Town itself is walkable; for the quieter villages and beaches, a car helps.
When is the best time to visit Hvar? May and September offer the best balance — warm water, open restaurants and bars, and far smaller crowds than peak season. July and August are the busiest, hottest, and liveliest months, best if nightlife is the point. The shoulder months suit travelers who want the island over the party.
What food and wine is Hvar known for? Hvar produces excellent wine — reds from native Plavac Mali grapes and whites from Bogdanuša. The local sweet is hvarska torta, a spiced cake baked in olive oil. The signature dining experience is a long lunch at one of the family-run restaurants on the Pakleni Islands, where everything from the olive oil to the grappa is made on-site.