Hvar Island

1st day

We set off by car from Mestre, stopping for lunch at Crevenicka in a gostiona where we ate very fresh fish, and then at Seny we turned off from the coast to take the new motorway that led us all the way to Split. The inauguration of the new "autoceste" was on Sunday 26 June, so we didn't pay at the toll booths, and when we arrived in Split we found ourselves in the middle of the celebrations. The show was happening simultaneously in Zagreb and Split precisely to celebrate the completion of the works that brings the beautiful Dalmatian islands so much closer. We had trouble finding rooms in hotels because of the celebrations and also because we had little desire to look around, tired as we were. We found rooms at the Hotel President, 4 stars, renovated but expensive.

2nd day

In the morning we went early to the port to catch the ferry to Hvar, but unfortunately the 10 o'clock crossing didn't carry cars, so we had to wait for the 2 pm one. We spent the morning between the market in Split (very good prices), a beautiful bar very popular also with locals with a view over the port, and a light lunch based on Dalmatian prosciutto (incidentally, the Istrian one is better) in the alleys of the old town, and then we boarded the ferry (for 5 people and the car we paid 350 kuna, about 50 euros). In two hours we arrived at Starigrad after sailing along the islands, in particular Brac, and then after 15 km of well-kept and at times breathtaking road we reached Hvar town. The centre is entirely pedestrianised, so there are two one-way roads for cars that skirt the built-up area to reach the hotels; apparently there seem to be no cars on the island, lovely!!.

We had booked at the Hotel Amfora with a splendid view over the Pakleni archipelago (Spalmadori in Italian, a name derived from the pitch-spreaders on boats), a hotel somewhat in 1970s style with a 25-metre indoor pool, basketball and volleyball court, fitness centre, casino etc., in short the typical hotel in the former Yugoslavia but well integrated into the vegetation so it didn't clash at all with the surroundings, located about 1 km from the centre but with a fantastic seaside walk to reach it. And then we paid only 40 euros each on half board.

Stay on the island

The stay passed among swims in a splendid sea, excursions to the Pakleni islands, in particular Palmizana, a corner of paradise, and then the small islands of Jerolim and Stipanska, also for nudists, strolls around Hvar with its market stalls selling above all lavender, whose plantations are nearby at Bruje. And then the nearby places of Milna (a bit ruined by new houses) but with a beautiful bay, Zorace whose beach lies below an abandoned village, Starigrad, the ancient Faros, with beautiful churches and alleys that recall a bit of Venice and Friuli.

But the town of Hvar itself is full of surprises, also for shopping, little shops everywhere that nevertheless don't disturb the beautiful architecture, which also boasts the ancient arsenal, the 17th-century town theatre, the cloister of St Francis, the waterfront where trendy little bars are found (like Carpe Diem, frequented by young and not so young people, very refined), sailing boats anchored showing themselves off, the fortress on the hill with well-preserved walls; in short, a multifaceted island that was a pleasant surprise.

Last day

We took the 11 o'clock morning ferry from Starigrad with a touch of nostalgia and in two hours we were back in Split. The motorway journey was quiet, the traffic was very light, no lorries (a marvel compared to Italy), the service stations clean and very well stocked; we made a stop at Opatja on the Gulf of Kvarner, but without any problems one could have reached Mestre by evening. We made the stop at the Hotel Kvarner, a hotel from 1894 that still preserves suggestive fin-de-siècle features; the cost was reasonable, about 90 euros for a double room with breakfast. The resort of Opatja, which I already knew, has a Central European air, having been a holiday resort frequented by princes and nobles in the days of the Habsburg Empire, and it is being renovated while keeping the same nostalgic air.

The next morning we resumed our journey after a walk along the seafront, and made a quick visit to Lipica, home of the famous white horse stud farm, and a stop to eat at Basovizza.