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Islands off Hvar town, Central Dalmatia

Pakleni Islands by boat

The Pakleni Islands are a chain of small islands about 2 NM off Hvar town. Sleep on a buoy or in the marina at Palmižana, swim in the bays by day, and take a taxi boat over to Hvar town.

€140a night in July, 12 m boat, ACI Marina Palmižana (From the operator, )
2 NMfrom Hvar town, about ½ h (Measured by us, )
1 Apr to 31 OctACI marina season (From the operator, )
Night 4of our week from Split
The Pakleni islands and ACI Marina Palmižana from the hills above Hvar town, yachts at anchor, Vis on the horizonPhoto: “Pakleni otoci - panoramio (4)” by Dejan Sekuloski, CC BY 3.0, cropped and resized
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
Hvar town harbour full of yachts, with the Pakleni islands beyond, seen from the Spanish fortress (Španjola)Photo: “The Spanish Fortress in Hvar, Croatia” by Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized

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

Published .

All 47 facts on this page name their source, the latest checked on : 17 from the operator, 14 from official sources, 8 measured by us and 7 from third-party sources, such as pilot books and magazines, so treat those 7 as a guide. The sources disagree on one: shelter.

See every source

17 From the operator (operator)14 Official source (official)8 Measured by us (measured)1 Sources disagree (disputed)7 Third-party source (third party)

The Pakleni Islands have no area steward yet. Sail here every season? Become the area steward.

Where to spend the night in the Pakleni Islands

6 ways to stay the night: buoys, a marina or your own anchor, mostly around Sveti Klement, the biggest island, or the town quay across the channel. Prices are for a 12 m boat in 2026. Wind and the approach

Pakleni Islands places
Pakleni Islands placesPalmižana buoysACI MarinaMliniStipanskaŽdrilcaHvar townPalmižana beachPalmižana buoysACI MarinaMliniStipanskaŽdrilcaHvar townPalmižana beachPalmižana buoysACI MarinaMliniStipanskaŽdrilcaHvar townPalmižana beachPalmižana buoysACI MarinaMliniStipanskaŽdrilcaHvar townPalmižana beachPalmižana buoysACI MarinaMliniStipanskaŽdrilcaHvar townPalmižana beachPalmižana buoysACI MarinaMliniStipanskaŽdrilcaHvar townPalmižana beach

OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles OpenStreetMap

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Every place to stay on the Pakleni Islands, 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
Vinogradišće bay on Sveti Klement from the beach at its head, yachts on the buoys in pale turquoise water and the islet of Stambedar at the mouthPalmižana buoysBuoys€84 (From the operator, )+385 91 171 8242 (From the operator, )
Yachts on the main pontoon of ACI Marina Palmižana in Luka Palmižana on Sveti Klement, looking out of the cove toward HvarACI Marina PalmižanaMarina, run by ACI€140 (From the operator, )+385 98 398 853 (From the operator, )
Clear shallow water over the pebbles of Mlini beach on Marinkovac, with yachts at anchor off the low wooded shore across the bayMliniRestaurant bayNot listed yetNot listed yet
The taxi-boat pontoon in Stipanska bay on Marinkovac, looking across the channel to Hvar town and the ForticaStipanskaAnchorageNo concession (Official source, )Not listed yet
Sailing yachts anchored in a pine-fringed bay in the Pakleni islands, telephoto from the hillsAnchorages between the islandsAnchorageNo concession (Official source, )Not listed yet
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, )

Getting to Hvar town

Hvar town is across the Pakleni channel.

Water taxi
ACI says Hvar town is a short taxi boat ride from the marina. (From the operator, ) Times and fares: unknown. Tell us about the taxi boat times and fares at Palmižana
Your own boat
About 2 NM from Hvar town to ACI Marina Palmižana, about ½ h at 6 knots. (Measured by us, )
Staying in town
Hvar town harbour is across the channel: €136 a day on the quay in 2026, 12 m boat. (Measured by us, )

Wind, shelter and the approach

The three summer winds, and which bays 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
Mlini (Sources disagree, ); Stipanska (Official source, ); and Pakleni Islands, Vlaka (Third-party source, )
Some swell
Palmižana (From the operator, ) and Pakleni Islands, Ždrilca (Third-party source, )
Sheltered
Vinogradišće (Official source, ) and Pakleni Islands, Taršće (Third-party source, )

Jugofrom the southeast

A warm, wet wind that brings swell.

Exposed
Vinogradišće (Third-party source, ); Stipanska (Official source, ); Pakleni Islands, Taršće (Third-party source, ); and Pakleni Islands, Ždrilca (Third-party source, )
Sheltered
Palmižana (Third-party source, ); Mlini (Sources disagree, ); and Pakleni Islands, Vlaka (Official source, )

Burafrom the northeast

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

Exposed
Stipanska (Official source, ); Pakleni Islands, Vlaka (Third-party source, ); and Pakleni Islands, Ždrilca (Third-party source, )
Gusty
Palmižana (Third-party source, )
Sheltered
Vinogradišće (Official source, ); Mlini (Sources disagree, ); and Pakleni Islands, Taršće (Official source, )
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.

Approach to the marina

Coming from the south between Borovac and Sveti Klement, the sea is under 5 m deep and the passage has no lights, ACI says. It also warns of Baba rock, marked by a black and red column. Use the official chart. (From the operator, ) The approach in full

Wind and sea, next 3 days

For Palmižana.

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 in the Pakleni Islands by boat

Clear water and pine-lined bays, a short hop from Palmižana. Our swim and lunch stops on a week from Split fits them into the route. 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.

Palmižana beach

Palmižana beach

A short dinghy ride from the buoys, at the head of Vinogradišće bay on Sveti Klement.

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

Ždrilca, Marinkovac

Day visit or a night at anchor, from the Palmižana buoys. 2 NM

Fee
The county's concession map shows no anchorage concession at Ždrilca (Official source, )
Busy
HvarBoats’ south Hvar tour stops at Mlini and Ždrilca from 17:30 to 18:20 (From the operator, )
Rules it out
Boats anchor in 4 to 6 m on sand off Marinkovac. In a westerly the lee of Planikovac is safest, a current runs in the passage, and the bura is dangerous here. Our cautious answer: leave Ždrilca before a bura, treat it as open to the jugo, and mind the current and the shallows in the passages. Our skipper reviewer hasn't checked this yet. (Third-party source, )
Vlaka, Sveti Klement

Vlaka, Sveti Klement

A lunch stop on the north side, from the marina. 1.5 NM

How to stop
About ten concrete blocks with buoys serve local and visiting boats. Use them: the county study bans anchoring in the east of the bay over a submarine cable, and the online pilot says anchoring is banned in the whole bay (Official source, )
Rules it out
Fully open to the heavy sea a bura or a northerly raises. Sheltered from winds from the east round through the south to the west (Official source, )
Taršće, Sveti Klement

Taršće, Sveti Klement

A swim on the south side, from the Palmižana buoys. 1 NM

How to stop
Anchor in the middle of the bay in about 6 to 13 m (Official source, )
Rules it out
Open to the south: a southerly raises big waves in the bay. It is a good anchorage in a bura (Official source, )

Where to eat

Several restaurants line Vinogradišće bay. Some have their own buoys or jetty for dinner guests: see restaurant moorings.

Zori Vinogradišće bay, Sveti Klement

Local catch from the grill, on the water in Vinogradišće bay since 1947. Open May to October, dinner from 18:30. Book online. By yacht, berth in ACI Marina Palmižana and walk over. (From the operator, )

On the route

Night 4 of Seven days from Split ends at ACI Marina Palmižana, on the north side of Sveti Klement. The buoys are in Vinogradišće bay, on the south side. Day 4 arrives from the Blue Cave, and day 5 leaves for Stari Grad on Hvar.

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Photos on this page

  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Vinogradišće bay on Sveti Klement from the beach at its head, yachts on the buoys in pale turquoise water and the islet of Stambedar at the mouthVinogradišće bay, south side of Sveti Klement, Pakleni Islands. Photo: “PALMIŽANA - panoramio” by sanja mm, CC BY 3.0, cropped and resized
  • Yachts on the main pontoon of ACI Marina Palmižana in Luka Palmižana on Sveti Klement, looking out of the cove toward HvarACI Marina Palmižana, Sveti Klement, Pakleni Islands. Photo: “Palmizana - panoramio” by Dejan Sekuloski, CC BY 3.0, cropped and resized
  • Clear shallow water over the pebbles of Mlini beach on Marinkovac, with yachts at anchor off the low wooded shore across the bayMlini bay, Marinkovac, Pakleni Islands. Photo: “Mlini beach - panoramio (2)” by Dejan Sekuloski, CC BY 3.0, cropped and resized
  • The taxi-boat pontoon in Stipanska bay on Marinkovac, looking across the channel to Hvar town and the ForticaStipanska bay, Marinkovac, Pakleni Islands. Photo: “Hvar 09” by José Sáez, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
Show all 10 photo creditsShow fewer photo credits
  • Light glowing blue on the water inside the Blue Cave (Modra špilja)Blue Cave, Biševo, near Komiža. Photo: “Biševo - Blue Cave - 2021-07-30 11-56-09 2642” by Pierre-Selim Huard, CC BY 4.0, 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

Nearby

Hvar town harbour full of yachts, with the Pakleni islands beyond, seen from the Spanish fortress (Španjola)
Hvar townThe busy harbour across the channel
2 NM
Local boats and motorboats along the stone quay in Stari Grad harbour
Stari Grad, HvarA town quay, night 5 of our route
13 NM
Light glowing blue on the water inside the Blue Cave (Modra špilja)
The Blue Cave, BiševoDay 4 stops here on the way over
28 NM
Kut waterfront in Vis town with yachts and gulets moored and a yacht on a buoy in front
VisQuieter, with clear water and two harbour towns
13 NM