Tours in Croatia by Secret Dalmatia

Hvar

The essence of Hvar

The gorgeous town of Hvar exudes the sultry ambiance of Venice, set around a picture-perfect bay and the largest and most elegant square in Dalmatia. Fronted with stunning Gothic palaces and marble streets that shine in the golden Mediterranean light, Croatia’s most famous harbor town is also one of Europe’s hottest destinations for swanky sun-soaked revelers, luxury yachters, and hedonists ready to party through the night in the famous cocktail bars that line the waterfront promenade. Amongst the glitz and glamour though, Hvar town and the peaceful reaches of the island remain as they always have – quintessential seaside beauty and rustic Dalmatian charm, where authentic lives are lived – standing for what made Hvar a destination in the first place; with the first development of organized tourism beginning on the island over 150 years ago.

About Hvar

Called the ‘Croatian Madeira’ because of its 2724 hours of sunshine every year, the island of Hvar appeals to party lovers and nature enthusiasts alike. This champion of sun hours will wake you up with the magic of Pakleni archipelago laid out before the town of Hvar, and will lull you into the evenings over a glass of uniquely local Plavac Mali or Bogdanuša wines. Between its lavender scent and Dionysian aftertaste, Hvar is a visual treat literally every step of the way, sparkly of UNESCO treasures and late-night stern lights.

The island’s interior is blanketed in lavender fields, forgotten villages and ancient olive groves set in the hills, while the shores wiggle between pristine and wild. Paths through the pine forests lead to tiny pebbled coves for a slice of paradise where one can blissfully whisk the day away. Hvar is also the island to sample some superior Croatian wines with a handful of iconic and personality-rich vintners, including a Master of Wine.

In 2016, the island celebrated 2.400 years from the time when the ancient Greeks first set foot on its grounds. The area they settled is today simply called Stari Grad – the Old Town and is the home to one of many UNESCO-listed treasures, the Stari Grad Plain. This agricultural land was divided using a geometrical system and drywalls, and remains very much intact today, still thriving with olives and vines, cultures Greeks left on the island, much to the joy and pleasure of the present-day inhabitants and visitors. Listed shoulder to shoulder to this UNESCO World Heritage Site are the island’s immaterial treasures, its Easter procession Za Križen, the agava lace made by Hvar’s Benedictine nuns, klapa singing and the Mediterranean Diet, ultimately making Hvar the island with the most UNESCO heritage in the world.

Alongside history, culture and protected traditions, Hvar is a perfectly stop for many Adriatic cruises, at close distance to Brač, Vis, Šolta and Korčula. Secret Dalmatia does feel very much at home on Hvar, and we take great pride in our careful selection of authentic experiences which will immerse you in the culture and essence of what makes this island so special.

HVAR

The Lavender of Hvar

Lavender, the aromatic Mediterranean plant used for everyday purposes from perfume to skin care for over 2.500 years, thrives on Hvar’s sun-drenched hills. For the larger part of the 20th century, lavender oils produced on Hvar accounted for approximately 8-10% of international production. However, following great fires in the 1990s, much of the local population turned to viniculture and agriculture instead, the numbers of producers dropping dramatically and some villages that subsisted on its production abandoned. Still, lavender remains a signature Hvar product and souvenir. In June and July, blossoming lavender fields color the island in breathtaking purple.

Explore the backroads and ghost towns of Hvar island! Adventurous, off the beaten path excitement where your guide will take you places only locals know, exploring the hidden and mysterious parts of Hvar Island that time has forgotten. In an off road vehicle, your local guide will take you along ancient roads that lead to panoramic vistas and the abandoned villages of the islands. Amongst the atomospheric setting of one village you will complete your adventurous day with a delicious traditional Dalmatian feast in the abandoned village of Malo Grablje. A perfect day that will have you recalling the beauty of Hvar for days to come!

Available May to October

half day

moderate

Hvar island

Explore the backroads and ghost towns of Hvar island! Adventurous, off the beaten path excitement where your guide will take you places only locals know, exploring the hidden and mysterious parts of Hvar Island that time has forgotten. In an off road vehicle, your local guide will take you along ancient roads that lead to panoramic vistas and the abandoned villages of the islands. Amongst the atomospheric setting of one village you will complete your adventurous day with a delicious traditional Dalmatian feast in the abandoned village of Malo Grablje. A perfect day that will have you recalling the beauty of Hvar for days to come!

Available May to October

half day

moderate

Hvar island

Beyond the sun, sea and famous nightlife, Hvar holds a history of 2400 years and more UNESCO treasures than any other island in the world! From the palatial home of the island’s true Renaissance man, poet Petar Hektorović, to the candle-lit ‘garage wine tasting’ with Croatia’s most famous boutique vintner, stroll down the memory lane of this beautiful island and peek into its precious interiors, discovering along the way the Greek forethought, Slavic feistiness, Venetian sense of style and nature’s beauty enveloping it all. The story of Hvar is the one of traditions persisting in the face of globalization, and sometimes, hand in hand with it.

Available May to October

half day

easy

Hvar island

Beyond the sun, sea and famous nightlife, Hvar holds a history of 2400 years and more UNESCO treasures than any other island in the world! From the palatial home of the island’s true Renaissance man, poet Petar Hektorović, to the candle-lit ‘garage wine tasting’ with Croatia’s most famous boutique vintner, stroll down the memory lane of this beautiful island and peek into its precious interiors, discovering along the way the Greek forethought, Slavic feistiness, Venetian sense of style and nature’s beauty enveloping it all. The story of Hvar is the one of traditions persisting in the face of globalization, and sometimes, hand in hand with it.

Available May to October

half day

easy

Hvar island

Hvar