One of the most popular islands in Croatia attracts thousands of people each day, especially on summer days. Visit Hvar and explore his extraordinary beauty.

Take a walk on the sunniest island

Hvar is settled between the islands of Brač, Vis, and Korčula. It is often seen as the party island, but it is so much more than that. With a karst landscape, mild winters and warm summers, it is an ideal destination at any time of the year. It is considered as the sunniest spot in the country with more than 2800 sunny hours each year. Its surface is full of vineyards and the breathtaking lavender fields. You will fall in love with its indented coastline, crystal clear beaches, unspoiled nature, rich historical and cultural heritage, and beautiful scents of lavender, olive, and wine.

Hvar is known for its three main towns – Hvar town, Stari Grad, and Jelsa. It also has several small villages such as Sućuraj, Brusje, Vrbanj, Svirče, and many other unspoiled areas but worth seeing.

Meet the impressive city of Hvar

Take a walk in the magical city of Hvar, where all the streets will lead you to the Hvar’s square, impressive and one of the largest squares in Dalmatia. It is 4500 square meters big and dates back to the 13th century. At the end of the square is the St.Stephen’s Cathedral, a big and historic church which provides a beautiful Mass and the rich works which date back to the 15th century.

Look up at the top of the hill upon the city and you will see an impressive fortress. Fortica or Španjola at first looks intimidating in its height and distance from the town, but it is actually an easy uphill walk. It is one of the most important monuments in Hvar. Fortica with its city walls once represented the central defensive fort of the town of Hvar, the centenary patron of the city and the port. Don’t forget to bring your camera, so you can take awesome landscape photos.

Franciscan Monastery at the end of the city is a hidden gem with lovely cloisters. Many of the paintings are a 15th and 16th century and some are quite impressive. There are even a few relics from the 2nd century when the Romans traded and landed here and left their mark.

If you love theaters than you have to visit Hvar’s Theater, a monument built in 1612. It is the third oldest theater in Europe, and it represents the highest national significance for Croatia.

The city of Hvar may be the most remarkable city on the island but Stari Grad, the oldest village on the island, as well as Jelsa. A smattering of little villages, dotting the coast or cuddled in the curvaceous interior, is well worth a visit.

Getting to Hvar

If you are traveling by car, a bus or train, you should definitely come to Split or Drvenik, from where you can continue a ride by the ferry. Ferries sail from Split to Stari Grad, Jelsa, and to the town of Hvar. Additionally, you can take a taxi boat to transfer you to the island.

The nearest airports are in Split, Zadar, and Dubrovnik. From the airport, you can rent a car, took a bus or take a taxi to the ferry.

Taste the beauty

There are many seafood restaurants on the island, but we recommend the Gariful, it is one of the best by locals. Glorious place at the end of the crucial pier in Hvar. Sitting outside, watching the sunset while drinking the local wine and eating tasteful fresh seafood. Dalmatino is nice restaurant dinner with excellent food and service. Recommended by the Tripadvisor, the guidebooks and those that go there – there’s a good reason for that – its unique, atmospheric and fantastic! Located on a narrow street with beautiful surroundings Fig Cafe Bar will surely be one of your preferred places to eat. If you are a vegetarian, this is the right place for you, try out cranberry and brie flatbread, spicy eggs or vegetarian breakfast burritos.

Things to do on the Hvar Island

• Visit the abandoned village of Malo Grablje, which was inhabited by the wealthy families that plant olives and lavender. It’s a delightful and isolated place to wander around where you can really affect a sense of a way of life pass on.
• Island Galešnik is across the harbor of Hvar, and it is a loving retreat from the energetic Hvar. It is small but has it all, little and lovely streets, charming people, pretty harbor, and sweet little alleys with charming shops.
• Explore the Šćedro island, one of the most peaceful Mediterranean islands. Šćedro is a small island on the south side of the island Hvar and as a natural park, it offers its visitors unique and unspoiled beauty and many secluded bays.
• If you are a gourmet, you need to go to the Blue Cave and Vis Culinary Day Trip, and we guarantee you’ll love it. This trip is something that needs to be on your itinerary.
• If wine and great food are more of your thing, you can try fantastic wine and gastronomy tour. You can visit wineries, sip excellent local wine, learn how they make such a tasteful wine.
• Diving, snorkeling, sailing, and fishing are all also available on the island. If you don’t have your own equipment, don’t worry because there are many companies you can rent from.
• Water activities are great things to do, and if you are an adventurer you can go to the sea kayaking tour from Hvar town to the Pakleni Islands.
• Hvar Island is full of beautiful untouched beaches. We recommend that you see: Dubovica, Pišćena, Zaraće, Banj, Sveta Nedilja, Jerolim, and Jagodna.
• City walking tour is always a good idea if you want to get to know how the locals live and learn more about the history of the area. But if you are not a fan of a walking tour you can rent a car or ATV so you can explore the island on your own.

Photo by: Chris Goldberg  / CC BY-NC 2.0

Explore the Blue Cave, visit fortresses and churches, explore ancient monuments and learn history on the island of Vis. Make memories on the Croatian coast!

Explore Vis and hear its story

Vis is the furthest island in the Croatian part of Adriatic that is hidden behind the islands of Hvar, Brač and Šolta. In the Tito’s Yugoslavia, it was the military and naval headquarters of the partisan army which was closed for the public until 1989. Thanks to that it kept its architectural and natural beauties.

Rich cultural history and tradition

The architecture of the island has its origin back to the early days of Venetian rule. Old stone buildings, town walls, churches and fortresses, made from stone from the island of Brač, stand as a reminder of some other times. Vis is the oldest established town in Dalmatia, founded in 397 B.C. When it was named with Latin name Issa. Also it has marvelous architecture from time when the Austrians and Italians was occupying this small and memorable island. Visit King George III Fortress that dates from April 1812 when the English commander of Vis, George Duncan Robertson, began building a short and lengthy fortress with walls that leans over the entrance to the port of Vis which was surrounded by a moat. Walk to the remarkably intact 2400-year-old Greek cemetery which is overlooking the harbor. Visit Thermae whose traces still remind us of ancient times although its several meters high walls were destroyed completely at the end of the WW II.

Mesmerizing natural beauties

Visit Viška Luka, the port of Vis, on the northern end of the island where the town of Vis is situated. Feel the spirit of the waterfront while you drink your coffee in one of the cafes or bars, that are located on the squares of the Vis town. While driving down the road that leads you to the village of Kut, catch the most stunning views of the bay. Drive further, to the western end of the island and explore Komiža, the fishing village. This village is great for wandering around, fresh seafood in restaurants, hospitable people and stunning nature. We recommend you to take a boat from Komiža to visit the Blue Cave on Biševo Island. It is located in the Blaun bay on the eastern part of the island and it has been open to the public since 1884. When the sea is calm and the day is sunny, the sun rays reflect through the undersea entrance to the cave and creates the most mesmerizing blue color you’ll ever see.

After the undersea adventure, relax on one of the pebbly or sandy beaches – on pebbly ones you can make sculptures or throw stones back in the sea, and on the sandy ones play the most famous Croatian ball game – picigin.

Surprise your senses

Vis has interesting wines and great food that stand as a reminder of years that it was closed. So, now those certain industries are flourishing for those who stayed on the island – fisherman and those involved in agriculture. The Vugava grapes once used to make white wine and from red grapes, they produces the Croatian favorite – the Plavac wine. The perfect combination with wine definitely makes local delicacies, such as lamb, fish or beef under the peka with potatoes and other vegetables. You’ll learn that slow cooking is Croatian way of cooking because it’s the best way for entertaining gathering. Try lobster on the grill, fresh sardines, homegrown tomatoes, herbs, homemade olive oil, lemons from the trees, squids, asparagus… – everything you ever imagined in one place. Trust us, this place is definitely made to surprise yours and everybody’s senses!

Things to do on the island of Vis

• Visit the Stiniva Bay which when you look from the seaside is enclosed by two high rocky cliffs which, in their closest point, are just four meters from each other. When you sail through that kind of gateway between those cliffs you’ll find a pebbly beach that opens like a Roman amphitheater auditorium.
• Lay down on the Zaglav beach, surely one of the most beautiful beaches in Croatia. Glistening sand, under the blue and sunny sky, near the crystal blue sea. What more can you wish for?
• Investigate undersea while snorkeling in the emerald waters of the Stiniva Cove, Srebrena Beach or around Green Cave on the Ravnik Island, watch out for loggerhead turtles and bottle-nose dolphins. After all, Vis is a great place for exploring old military sea tunnels that served as warship shelters.
• Vis is also a great destination for biking and hiking. Take the road to the Mount Hum (560 m) in the early spring, that leads your, for almost three hours, through abandoned vineyards and olive groves.
• Go kayaking! There are many different types of kayak experiences around there. Go to the island of Ravnik from Rukavac and paddle into the Green Grotto in which you’ll see the sun illuminating the sea in the most beautiful green colors.

Photos by Mario Fajt / CC BY

Feel the summer breeze in your hair, smell the sea in the air and greet the sun in Zadar – a perfect location for your magical vacation that’ll fill your heart.

Greet the Sun in Zadar

What can we say about the city of Zadar that hasn’t been said yet? Well, we try to represent it in another way every time. And we will always try to bring you a picture to remember, a picture that you’ll take with you every way you go. A picture that will be a part of you for the rest of your life. The sunny Zadar picture!

The Story of Zadar

Situated in the centre of the Adriatic, Zadar is the administrative, economic, cultural and political centre of the Northern Dalmatia. The Zadar archipelago counts 24 bigger and around 300 smaller islets and rocks and it is located near 3 nature parks – Telašćica, Velebit and Vransko jezero (Vran Lake) – and 5 national parks – Paklenica, Plitvice Lakes, Kornati Islands, Krka and Sjeverni Velebit. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful beach for soaking up the sun or you’re into the popular and dynamic places – Zadar is a place to be!

The city of Zadar is a city of history, rich cultural heritage and extraordinary people. This is a city of tourism, fun, tranquillity and leisure – everything you need for an amazing adventure. Zadar is a monument for itself, it is a representation of the ancient times combined with modernity. The archaeological and monumental traces, renaissance and contemporary architectural achievements, delicious food and rich tradition are proofs of Zadar’s importance in Croatian cultural heritage. So, come and learn its story!

Try the food of Gods in Zadar

Taste some of the Dalmatian delicacies such as a special meal that is cooked in a thousand different ways with various types of fishes mixed with crabs or shells. Try sardines and anchovies in olive oil, homemade goat cheese from Pag, or made from specially made dried part of the pork neck that is soaked in red Benkovac wine. And most of all try the famous Maraschino, a desert liqueur made from local autochthonous Maraska cherries that are known as the food of Gods.

See the Remains of the Ancient Times

Walk along Zadar’s streets and take a look inside the doors on the Five Well Square that were once used as military storage facilities. Sneak into the Cedulin Palace, the complex of an old hospital that represents excellent fitting of the Romanesque buildings in the present, modern and urban surroundings. Go to the top of the bastion above the Bridge Gate where you’ll find a promenade called Muraj.

Discover pure history while looking at the Zadar walls that were built during the Middle Ages and during the Turks occupation of Venetian Republic. Peek inside the St. Anastasia’s Cathedral (the biggest cathedral in Dalmatia), St. Donatus Church (the symbol of the city of Zadar), St. Chrysogonus Church (the martyr and a patron saint of Zadar) or walk along the remains of the Church of Stomorica (whose foundations were made in 11th century).

Reach the extremes and learn the local culture

For the curious ones, there are plenty of “extreme” options such bungee jumping, sailing, scuba diving, trekking, cycling or a daily trip to the Cerovac Caves which are located 4 km from Gračac along the road towards Knin.

Zadar is a magical city with beauty recognized by many famous artists. The scents, scenes, locals and sounds that you’ll hear, see and feel while walking on its cobblestone streets will take you to an amazing journey throughout history and its legacy. Get to know the local culture and visit the Museum of Ancient Glass Zadar or the National Museum Zadar. This city will always manage to surprise you, especially with its legends and fables. One of them is definitely a story about the Sfinga from Zadar that grants love wishes. Stand beside it, make a wish, we assure you that there is some kind of magic!

Visit and always remember the symbols of Zadar

One thing is for sure – once you see the Greeting to the Sun and hear the Sea Organ, two of the most recognizable symbols of Zadar, you’ll want to come to Zadar again and again. And you’ll wish you never have to leave. So, come to Zadar for a vacation!

Things to do in Zadar

• The best time to travel to Zadar is definitely summer due to low-cost flights, an abundance of festivals and entertainment events such as ribarske fešte (fisherman’s fests)
• Stay in one of the best hotels in Zadar such as Art Hotel Kalelarga or Hotel Venera
• Sip wine like the landlords at the Kraljevski Vinogradi in Punta Skala – a royal wine yards that offer you degustation of three sorts of wine – Plavac Mali, Crljenak and Pošip
• Visit island of Galešnjak, a heart-shaped island also known as the Lovers’ Island, whose natural sites will leave you breathless. Its shape was recorded for the first time in the 19th century by Napoleon.
• Treat yourself with an ice-cream at the patisserie Donat
• Learn the history of amazing Roman times while walking among the ancient ruins at the Roman Forum
• Visit the Permanent Exhibition of Religious Arts or Archeological Museum
• Climb the Bell Tower next to the St. Anastasia Cathedral, from where you’ll have a perfect view over the Zadar old town

Have you ever dreamed of a perfect vacation – sipping cocktails and daydreaming on a beach? Book a holiday in Dalmatia and experience it!

Dalmatia – nature’s masterpiece

Have you ever wished to find beauty in extraordinary and unexpected places? Have you ever wished to explore nature’s greatest accomplishments? If the answer is “yes”, we recommend you to visit Dalmatia. Unspoiled nature, crystal emerald sea, pebbly beaches, pine trees, many islands, delicious food, and hospitable people – what more can you ask for?

Dalmatia is much more than its sea, mountains and sun, its hot and dry summers and mild winters. It amazes us every day that so many nature’s masterpieces are waiting to be discovered. So, do not delay! Get out of your car, take a walk, peek into that cave, swim in that lake, jump into the sea while the sun is high in the summer sky.

Experience historical times

Take a walk among the trees where many churches, forts, and citadels are standing tall for centuries as a reminder of some ancient times. We assure you it’ll be a great experience that you’ll want to retell to everyone. Explore Dalmatian hills that offer unforgettable and breathtaking views, trails, climbing routes and unspoiled natural landscapes, such as hiking/climbing trails on Velebit mountain, Mosor mountain, Vidova Gora on Brač island, the Biokovo mountain, Dingač area on the Pelješac peninsula, etc.

Sail around and discover all the colors of the Adriatic, check out one of the last habitats of the griffon vultures in Europe, swim with the dolphins or, if you’re lucky enough, you’ll have an opportunity to see the rare Mediterranean monk seal. Learn about Croatian history in Knin, Trogir, Solin, Dubrovnik, Split or Šibenik – towns with great historical significance.

Soaking up the sun on Dalmatian beaches

You will discover that Dalmatia is a paradise for yachtsman and divers, as well as for those eager for climbing, hiking and camping. It is a place for those who seek a vacation where they can become one with nature. Relax and sip a cocktail on any beach you like – family beaches, modern city beaches, nudist beaches, animal-friendly beaches or hidden intact beaches – the choice is yours. There are all types of beaches such as pebbly beaches on Hvar, Zaton or Murter, rocky beaches of Brač, and sandy beaches of Makarska, Dugi Otok, Zadar or the Island of Ugljan and Vir.

Taste Dalmatia

Fall in love on the islands of Iž, Pašman and Zlarin where the locals will share their stories with you after delicious lunch. If you really want to boast around about your Dalmatian gourmet adventure, you must try Croatian delicacies – the sea bass, commonly called brancin, or dentex, known as zubatac, with rosemary, lemon, olive oil, laurel, thyme and white wine, as well as the traditional sea meal capalonge or mussels (local sea shells) with shrimps, onion, tomato sauce, olive oil and red wine. The taste of Dalmatia on your plate!

Vacation in Dalmatia

Recharge your energy while walking through Dalmatian landscapes, exploring its islands and hidden bays, dive into the sea, chill on the beach and just relax. Everything you ever wished for is possible on a vacation in Dalmatia.

Let yourself go to the Dalmatian state of mind, let yourself go to the fjaka!

Things to do in Dalmatia

• Visit Telašćica Nature Park on the Dugi Otok island and see all the colours of nature in one place
• Welcome the sunset or sunrise near the Sea Organs and Greetings to the sun, the most famous sites in Zadar or visit Marjan hill and fall in love with the Adriatic sea
• Peek into the Museum of Ancient Glass in Zadar that stands as a reminder that something as delicate as glass can survive all the troubles of war and natural disasters, such as earthquakes
• Make a wish while rubbing a toe of the Grgur of Nin statue in Split – it is believed that rubbing its toe will bring you your true love
• Take a walk around the main square, also known as the Saint Josephs square, on the island of Hvar
• Go canyoning on Cetina river gorge and experience the true adrenaline of your summer vacation or hike with your friends or family across the Biokovo mountains
• Visit Trogir, a real jewel of Croatia that is known for its historic town centre that has been listed as UNESCO’s World Heritage site