After breakfast, we walked to the
harbor to catch our ferry to Hvar, an island located off the coast of Split.
This was the only day of our entire Balkans trip that we had not pre-planned,
so on the evening prior to our trip, we booked round-trip tickets from Split to
Hvar Town online on the Jadrolinja website. Although our tickets were emailed
to us, we had no way to print them, and the hotel was unable to help.)
Fortunately, the ferry accepts mobile tickets, so after we scanned our mobile
phone, we were permitted to board. All passengers rode indoors during the
1-hour passage; a bar served drinks and snacks, and restrooms were available.
Hvar, the fourth-most
populated of the Croatian islands (with more than 11,000 permanent residents),
lies off the Dalmatian coast in the Aegean Sea between the islands of Brac,
Vis, and Korcula. Hvar is approximately 42.25 miles long, made of limestone and
dolomite but with a fertile coastal plain and fresh water springs. Its
hillsides are covered in pine forests, vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards,
and lavender fields. (In fact, the lavender fields of Hvar are a UNESCO World
Heritage Site; unfortunately, the blooming season was over when we visited, so
we did not see a lush purple countryside.) Hvar's location at the center of
Adriatic sailing routes made it a desirable naval base, including the main town
of Stari Grad. Remaining buildings such as public theatres, nobles' palaces,
and communal buildings exhibit Greek and Venetian architectural elements;
however, its more unusual fortified structures and city walls on the nearby
hillside indicated that the town once needed protection. Today, Hvar is a
popular tourist destination, consistently listed as one of the top 10 islands
by Conde Nast Traveler magazine. As we approached by sea, we were greeted by a
lovely view of the waterfront promenade with rows of palm trees fronting a
Venetian public loggia, with shops, restaurants, and accommodations. Behind on
a hillside overlooking Old Town, we could still see the old city walls and the
Fortress Fortica Spanola that offered protection to the residents.
On Hvar, we debated
about taking an organized tour because we wanted to see more of the island than
just the port/harbor of Hvar Town. Instead, we organized a private taxi to the
town of Vrboska, a small fishing village known for its fortress Church
of Sveti Marija (St Mary) and its canals. We ate an al fresco waterside lunch at the Trica Gardelin, but our
excursion to Vrboska was largely disappointing. (Somewhere we remembered
reading about the canals being a smaller version of Venice; however, that could
not have been farther from the truth!)
Back in Old Town Hvar, we enjoyed drinks at two side-by-side
bars/restaurants (Caffee Bar El Clasico and Caffe Bar Gentile) at the rear of
the harbor across from the arsenal and near Trg sveti Stjepana (St. Stephen’s
Square). Then, we looked in a few shops, later visiting a bakery to purchase
two ”burek” (dough filled with either meat or cheese) so that we could try some
local snack food. (Our guide in Dubrovnik, Petar from Dubrovnik Riviera Tours
had mentioned burek to us a few days ago.) We took a long walk on the seaside
promenade, stopping for a drink at the elegant harborside Restaurant Bonj (and beach club). Back at the harbor, we dined outdoors on the
terrace at the Riva Hotel’s Fresh Pasta House, which overlooked the small port.
In the evening,
we took the 1-hour ferry ride back to Split. Because we had eaten dinner on
Hvar, upon arrival back in Split, we did not need to stop for a bite to eat,
instead retuning to the hotel to prepare for our onward journey the next day.
En route, we stopped at one of the counter-service cafe windows on the Riva
promenade to pick up a few drinks to enjoy back in our room.
