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Island in Central Dalmatia

Hvar island by boat

Hvar is a long island south of Brač. Hvar town's harbour is on its south coast, with the Pakleni Islands just offshore, and Stari Grad, Vrboska and Jelsa sit in long bays on the north coast.

23 NMfrom Split, about 4 h (Measured by us, )
15 NMfrom Vis town, about 2½ h (Measured by us, )
6places to stay the night
Days 4 to 6of our week from Split
Hvar town harbour packed with yachts and the Pakleni islands, seen from the hillside above townPhoto: “Hvar” by Jeremy Couture, CC BY 2.0, resized
Aerial of Hvar town and its harbour inlet, seen from the southPhoto: “Aerial image of Hvar (view from the south)” by Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized
Local boats and motorboats along the stone quay in Stari Grad harbourPhoto: “The Harbour of Stari Grad” by Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, resized

Written by Domagoj Franc, editor. Reviewed by Ivor Benko, skipper.

Published .

All 59 facts on this page name their source, the latest checked on : 19 from the operator, 16 from official sources, 12 measured by us and 11 from third-party sources, such as pilot books and magazines, so treat those 11 as a guide. The sources disagree on one: shelter in Mlini bay.

See every source

19 From the operator (operator)16 Official source (official)12 Measured by us (measured)1 Sources disagree (disputed)11 Third-party source (third party)

Hvar has no area steward yet. Sail here every season? Become the area steward.

Where to spend the night on Hvar

6 places to stay the night, counting the Pakleni Islands and Šćedro. Prices are for a 12 m boat in 2026. What each wind does. Our cautious answer: weather descriptions, not a forecast: read DHMZ's forecast for sailors before you go. Our skipper reviewer hasn't checked this yet.

Hvar island places
Hvar island placesHvar townPakleni IslandsStari GradVrboskaStari Grad PlainHvar townPakleni IslandsStari GradVrboskaStari Grad PlainHvar townPakleni IslandsStari GradVrboskaJelsaŠćedroStari Grad PlainHvar townPakleni IslandsStari GradVrboskaJelsaŠćedroStari Grad PlainHvar townPakleni IslandsStari GradVrboskaJelsaŠćedroStari Grad PlainHvar townPakleni IslandsStari GradVrboskaJelsaŠćedroStari Grad Plain

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Every place to stay on Hvar, at a glance

The price of a night for a 12 m boat in 2026, as each place's card gives it, and who to call.

PlaceKindA night, 12 m boatContact
Hvar town harbour full of yachts, with the Pakleni islands beyond, seen from the Spanish fortress (Španjola)Hvar town harbourQuay€136 (Measured by us, )VHF 09 (From the operator, )
The Pakleni islands and ACI Marina Palmižana from the hills above Hvar town, yachts at anchor, Vis on the horizonPakleni IslandsBuoys€84 (From the operator, )+385 91 171 8242 (From the operator, )
Visiting yachts moored stern-to along the town quay in Stari Grad, their passerelles down onto the stone quay, with the water and power posts along its edgeStari GradQuay€60 (Official source, )+385 91 176 5290 (Official source, )
Vrboska from the air: the long narrow bay running up into the village, its bridges and quays, and the marina pontoons of ACI Marina Vrboska near the mouthVrboskaMarina, run by ACI€110 (From the operator, )+385 98 398 812 (From the operator, )
Jelsa on Hvar across its harbour: the stone waterfront with the church tower, boats at the quay and pine-covered hills behindJelsaQuay€54 (Official source, )Not listed yet
Mostir bay on Šćedro: small boats at a stone pier by the pebble beach, a yacht moored in the bay and the hills of Hvar across the channelŠćedroBuoysUnknownTell us about the buoy price at ŠćedroNot listed yet

Wind and shelter on Hvar

The three summer winds, and which harbours each one reaches. Check the forecast before you pick a night, and our guide to the winds for which forecast to trust.

Maestralfrom the northwest

The afternoon sea breeze in summer. Good sailing.

Exposed
Hvar town (From the operator, ), Mlini (Sources disagree, ), Stari Grad (Official source, ) and Šćedro (Third-party source, )
Some swell
Palmižana (From the operator, )
Sheltered
Vinogradišće (Official source, ), Vrboska (From the operator, ) and Jelsa (Third-party source, )

Jugofrom the southeast

A warm, wet wind that brings swell.

Exposed
Hvar town (Official source, ) and Vinogradišće (Third-party source, )
Some swell
Vrboska (Official source, )
Gusty
Stari Grad (Official source, )
Sheltered
Palmižana (Third-party source, ), Mlini (Sources disagree, ), Jelsa (Third-party source, ) and Šćedro (Third-party source, )

Burafrom the northeast

Cold, dry and gusty. It can arrive with little warning.

Exposed
Jelsa (Third-party source, ) and Šćedro (Third-party source, )
Gusty
Palmižana (Third-party source, ), Stari Grad (Official source, ) and Vrboska (Third-party source, )
Sheltered
Hvar town (From the operator, ), Vinogradišće (Official source, ) and Mlini (Sources disagree, )
Sources disagreeon Vinogradišće bay, Palmižana, in a jugo

Our cautious answer: Treat the bay as open to the jugo, and leave if one is forecast.

Sheltered from every wind except southerlies: More magazin: Zašto Pakleni otoci tako silno privlače nautičare (Third-party source, )

Sheltered from the bura and the jugo, open to the south-west. An unmarked 4 m shoal lies east of Stambedar islet: CV Sistemi (SmArtNav): peljar.cvs.hr: Prvi hrvatski on-line peljar Jadranskog mora (online Adriatic pilot) (Third-party source, )

Our skipper reviewer hasn't checked this yet.

Wind and sea, next 3 days

For Hvar town harbour.

Model forecast from Open-Meteo.Not an official forecast. Not for navigation.

Official forecast: DHMZ marine forecast (Official source, )

How to read this forecast

Each part of the day shows its strongest hourly wind and gust, and its highest wave, in Croatian time. The words follow the Beaufort scale, and the model can't tell a real bura from any other northeast wind. How to read a model forecast

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, CC BY 4.0. Grouped into parts of the day by OlaSail.

Swim stops on Hvar by boat

Pebble bays on the south coast east of Hvar town, good for a swim before you cross to Vis or go round to the north coast.

No anchoring within 150 m of a natural beach, under the 2025 ordinance. Anchoring near beaches Only a company with a concession for that anchorage, or the port authority inside a public port, may charge you for anchoring. Anywhere else, nobody may.

Not in a jugo. The bays east of Hvar town, Milna, Garška and Zaraće, are open to the jugo and southerlies, which can raise a strong to very rough sea, and Zaraće also to the east. Leave them, even at lunch, when one blows. (Official source, )

Milna bay, Hvar

Milna bay, Hvar

A hamlet and two bays, east of Hvar town: 3.5 NM (Measured by us, )

How to stop
Anchor in the middle of Milna bay on sand, in about 8 m. A stony shoal lies off the point between the middle and west arms. The county's buoy field is in the east arm, kept clear of swimmers, and the west arm is closed to anchoring over two cables. Our cautious answer: keep clear of the west arm's cables and of the swimming area. Our skipper reviewer hasn't checked this yet. (Third-party source, )
Busy
Boats run from Hvar harbour to Milna, which has several restaurants (Third-party source, )
Zaraće

Zaraće

Two small coves under the hills, from Hvar town: 4.5 NM (Measured by us, )

How to stop
Boats anchor on the north side of Velo Zaraće, clear of its shore, which is shallow and reefy. A small pier and pebble beach are at the head of the bay (Official source, )
Rules it out
Velo Zaraće is open to winds from the east and south-east, and sheltered from the north, north-east, north-west, west and south-west (Official source, )
Dubovica

Dubovica

A pebble beach below an old stone hamlet, from Hvar town: 5.5 NM (Measured by us, )

How to stop
Anchor clear of the buoyed swimming area, and off a natural beach stay at least 150 m out: the 2025 ordinance bans anchoring closer (Official source, )
Busy
HvarBoats’ south Hvar tour stops at Dubovica from 12:30 to 13:20 (From the operator, )
Sailing yachts anchored in a pine-fringed bay in the Pakleni islands, telephoto from the hillsPhoto: “Zdrilca - panoramio” by Dejan Sekuloski, CC BY 3.0, cropped and resized

The Pakleni Islands

Swim bays off Hvar town: 2 NM (Measured by us, )

Don't miss on Hvar

Aerial of Hvar town and its harbour inlet, seen from the southPhoto: “Aerial image of Hvar (view from the south)” by Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized

The Spanish fortress

Fortica, on the hill above Hvar town. Walk up through the old town for the view over the harbour and the Pakleni Islands.

Hvar island places

Stari Grad Plain

Fields and stone walls laid out by Greek settlers in the 4th century BC, and still farmed today. A UNESCO World Heritage site, starting at the edge of Stari Grad.

Where to eat

Two konobas near the town quays. Some restaurants have a jetty or buoys for guests.

Giaxa

Fresh fish of the day, grilled scampi and brujet, the fish stew, on its menu. Book online. (From the operator, )

Kod Barba Luke

Fish soup, gregada, the island’s fish stew, and brudet, family-run since 1970 under a covered terrace on the square. Book online. (From the operator, )

On the route

Hvar is days 4 to 6 of Seven days from Split, a 123 NM loop. (Measured by us, ) Day 4 arrives from the Blue Cave on Biševo.

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The whole route, Seven days from Split
Seven days from Split on a map
Not for navigation

What sailors told us

From sailors after a night here. They tell us what to check next, and don't count in the checks above.

Mostir bay, Šćedro

On the evening of 20 August 2026 the music from party boats in Šćedro went on until 2 am.

A boat owner there that nightRobert on boote-forum.de · Posted · Retold in our words · Account not independently verified · Read the reply

Milna bay, Hvar

At the end of May 2025 they spent a night on a buoy in the small bay of Milna on Hvar, which they found idyllic, and stayed as long as they could the next morning.

A travel blogger on a 38 ft yacht with a hired skipper, late May 2025One Girl Whole World: a week sailing from Trogir, late May 2025, the Hvar section · By Jessica · Reported · Retold in our words · Account not independently verified

Hvar

On Hvar in August 2024, marinas turned away boats without a booking from Sunday to Thursday and were calmer on Fridays and Saturdays, while charter crews changed over at their bases. The ferries were full and the buses from Stari Grad to Hvar town and Vrboska were booked out.

A boat owner on Hvar that weekThomas59 on boote-forum.de · Posted · Retold in our words · Account not independently verified · Read the reply

Hvar

Cruising from Krk down to Korčula and back in summer 2024, a boat owner was turned away by several marinas on Hvar and Korčula and ended up anchoring in a bay more than once.

A motorboat ownerwelli on boote-forum.de · Posted · Retold in our words · Account not independently verified · Read the reply

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Photos on this page

  • Hvar town harbour packed with yachts and the Pakleni islands, seen from the hillside above townHvar town, island of Hvar. Photo: “Hvar” by Jeremy Couture, CC BY 2.0, resized
  • Aerial of Hvar town and its harbour inlet, seen from the southHvar town, island of Hvar. Photo: “Aerial image of Hvar (view from the south)” by Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized
  • Local boats and motorboats along the stone quay in Stari Grad harbourStari Grad, island of Hvar. Photo: “The Harbour of Stari Grad” by Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, resized
  • Hvar town harbour full of yachts, with the Pakleni islands beyond, seen from the Spanish fortress (Španjola)Hvar town, island of Hvar. Photo: “The Spanish Fortress in Hvar, Croatia” by Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized
  • The Pakleni islands and ACI Marina Palmižana from the hills above Hvar town, yachts at anchor, Vis on the horizonPakleni islands, off Hvar town. Photo: “Pakleni otoci - panoramio (4)” by Dejan Sekuloski, CC BY 3.0, cropped and resized
  • Visiting yachts moored stern-to along the town quay in Stari Grad, their passerelles down onto the stone quay, with the water and power posts along its edgeStari Grad town quay, Hvar. Photo: “Yacht Line Up, Stari Grad - Hvar Island” by Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, resized
  • Vrboska from the air: the long narrow bay running up into the village, its bridges and quays, and the marina pontoons of ACI Marina Vrboska near the mouthVrboska and ACI Marina Vrboska, north coast of Hvar. Photo: “Aerial image of Vrboska, island of Hvar (view from the south) - 2024” by Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized
  • Jelsa on Hvar across its harbour: the stone waterfront with the church tower, boats at the quay and pine-covered hills behindJelsa harbour, north coast of Hvar. Photo: “Hvar Jelsa” by Juloml, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized
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  • Mostir bay on Šćedro: small boats at a stone pier by the pebble beach, a yacht moored in the bay and the hills of Hvar across the channelMostir bay, island of Šćedro, south of Hvar. Photo: “Mostir, Šćedro 20220726 15” by Argo Navis, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized
  • Sailing yachts anchored in a pine-fringed bay in the Pakleni islands, telephoto from the hillsŽdrilca, Pakleni islands, off Hvar town. Photo: “Zdrilca - panoramio” by Dejan Sekuloski, CC BY 3.0, cropped and resized
  • Kut waterfront in Vis town with yachts and gulets moored and a yacht on a buoy in frontKut, Vis town, island of Vis. Photo: “J32 421 Vis-Stadt, Lučica” by Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized
  • Milna waterfront seen from the water, stone houses, palms and yachts moored on the quayMilna, island of Brač. Photo: “Milna, kikötő - panoramio” by Sztudva Gyöngyi, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized

Nearby

The Pakleni islands and ACI Marina Palmižana from the hills above Hvar town, yachts at anchor, Vis on the horizon
Pakleni IslandsBuoys, a marina and swim bays across the channel
2 NM
Kut waterfront in Vis town with yachts and gulets moored and a yacht on a buoy in front
VisTwo harbour towns, Vis and Komiža
15 NM
Milna waterfront seen from the water, stone houses, palms and yachts moored on the quay
Milna, BračAn ACI marina, night 6 of our route
15 NM