Hvar

Hvar, once a fishing village but now the latest international playground

Of Croatia’s 3,600 miles of coastline, most famous is its southernmost region: the Dalmatian Coast, where limestone cliffs plunge into the sea and islands are scattered just offshore.  Split, with its impressive Roman ruins, makes a good starting point for visiting the islands, and here we go by ferry to visit the most appealing, Hvar and Korčula.  Looking at the map we leave Split near the top left, pass between Šolta and Brač to reach the town of Hvar on the island Hvar.

St Stephen's Square, Hvar, Croatia

Looking the other direction

Walk up to get views of the harbor

By far the most glamorous of the Adriatic islands, Hvar, once a fishing village but now the latest international playground (think Beyoncé, Tom Cruse, and Prince Harry), can still be pleasant for those of us with more modest means.  Walk up to the fortress and take in the view, so relentlessly gorgeous it makes your eyes ache.  After a swim off the rocks, it's time for midday cocktails at a quayside bar.  Truly a place for 'dolce far niente'.  As for the island of Hvar, it is unusual in the area for having a large fertile coastal plain, and fresh water springs. Its hillsides are covered in pine forests, with vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards and lavender fields.  There not a lot of tourist sites, museums, etc. but in town on the way to the fortress there is a Benedictine convent with a small museum featuring lace made from agave fiber.

With the cool breeze from the sea I could spend the rest of my life right here.

The sisters of a Benedictine convent make lace from agave fiber.

Their convent has a small museum with examples of their work.