Hvar’s Old Town
Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia[4.2 miles]
A character-filled, Venetian-era old town, with a picturesque main square, a lattice of historic streets, and cultural treasures galore.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Best places to stay:
The Pakleni archipelago is a gorgeous cluster of uninhabited pine-scented islets opposite Hvar. On Sveti Klement, one of the islands, Palmizana occupies an overgrown botanical garden, with palms, cacti, eucalyptus, mimosa, fig trees and lilies.
A back-to-nature retreat, it has six secluded bungalows and six villas (sleeping three to ten), all hung with bold colourful modern paintings – the owner is an art collector. There are two restaurants serving Creative Dalmatian cuisine, with an emphasis on seafood and local seasonal produce.
It sits above a bay with a pebble beach, where yachts drop anchor overnight, and lies a 20-minute speedboat ride from Hvar Town.
Palmizana is on a car-free islet, traversed by footpaths leading through pinewoods and herb-scented Mediterranean scrub (a 30-minute walk from end to end).
Nobody lives here year-round, but there’s a large, well-equipped ACI yachting marina five minutes’ walk from Palmizana (open April to October) served by regular taxi-boats from Hvar Town (20-minute crossing).
The sea is crystal-clear, but the Palmizana beach is a narrow strip of pebble and gets extremely crowded in high season.
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Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia[4.2 miles]
A character-filled, Venetian-era old town, with a picturesque main square, a lattice of historic streets, and cultural treasures galore.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Dalmatia, Croatia[11.4 miles]
With sheltered waters, a steady breeze, and too-many-to-count uninhabited islands with hidden coves, the Dalmatian islands are made for sailing.
Best for ages: 13+ | £600 | 3-7 days
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first
Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia[1 miles]
An archipelago of 21 blissful car-free pine-scented islets, famed for secluded coves and fine pebble beaches, with excellent reef and wreck diving.
Best for ages: 6+ | Free
Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia[4.1 miles]
A beautiful pebble beach with a super-trendy beach club, boasting a lounge bar, DJ and restaurant in a magical setting among the pines. The club opens daily from June to September.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia[18.3 miles]
Perched on a remote mountain cleft on Brac island, the Hermitage dates back to the 15th century, when Ottoman Turks took shelter in a cave. They stayed, built outwards and by the 18th century it was a Hermitage serving three local villages.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia[22.2 miles]
A photogenic 500m-long cape of fine golden shingle, that changes shape with the tide. Lined with sunbeds and good for watersports, it’s a great family beach.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free
Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay
Dalmatia, Croatia
A magical, unspoilt archipelago of a thousand-plus islands stretching along Croatia’s southern coast. A heady mix of sea, mountains, adventure sports and medieval buildings