We stayed at the Hotel Amfora, which is located conveniently about 5 minutes walk from Hvar Town. The hotel is situated on a steep hill overlooking a tranquil cove that offers a small private beach. We found a better area for sunning and swimming farther down the paved pathway about 15 minutes away. The hotel is huge, and still shows remnants of being a proletariat vacation spot during the darker days of Communist Yugoslavia. Today it’s a sophisticated boutique hotel that is modern, stylish and considered a top notch luxury hotel by European standards.

The beaches are all rocky and not comfortable with a beach towel alone. Lounge chairs are available for 5 kuna a day. Our favorite beach spot offered a small refreshment hut where we could get sodas, beer, and snacks. Some spots have ladders to get in and out of the water. This is something to look out for, because the rocks are several feet above the water and there are sea urchins. The ladders make getting in and out easier.

Lunches were normally spent at the cafe’s along the marina. I found the pizza’s to be consistently good, but salty like all the food in Croatia. The most memorable dinner we had was at a restaurant a few blocks up from the marina on one of the steep alley’s that offer a variety of shops and restaurants. Our waiter was a wildman. He provided great service and recommended fish dishes that were incredible. At the end of the dinner, when the restaurant was almost empty, he brought out Croatian Liquor and started doing shots with us and one of the other waitresses. It was a wild night, the perfect way to celebrate our last night in Hvar.

If you can’t get a booking at Hotel Amfora, I would suggest Hotel Hvar, which is located just next door to the Marina, and seems to be very nice. we had cocktails there, and really enjoyed the environment. My only concern would be the noise from Carpe Diem Nightclub, which is around the corner. The other place to check out would be The Palace Hvar. It’s the oldest hotel in Hvar, beautiful inside and out which translates to very pricey in the peak season. The Palace Hvar is located at the marina and showcases supreme views from it’s patio and marina facing rooms. Right next door is the famous Hvar Theatre, the oldest theatre in Croatia.

The ferry left at sunset and headed north towards Split. There is something about the romance of travel that comes out in a slow boat ride. We passed sailboats passing in front of the setting sun, and watched the small uninhabited islands of Croatia slip from view into the darkness as night fell. The moon was out in full, which created a vibrant moonbeam on the water that trailed our ship along its path to Split.

The islands take their name from “Pakleni Resin”, the resin that was once used to coat ships. They are know for their secluded rocky beaches, deserted coves and sun inspired hills of lavender and rosemary.

Three of us decided to spend the day at Sv. Jerolim. Our trip took us to Sv. Jerolim, the first island in the chain. The water taxis from Hvar town leave often, so catching one is pretty easy. The crowds are heavy in the mornings, so be prepared. The taxi was a cool wooden boat, much like the one we took to Korcula.

The boat arrived at a nondescript landing and in a small cove on Sv. Jerolim. We walked over through forest trails to another cove that was featured a couple of small, run down beach stands selling beer and food, and rental shops. The beach area looked completely uninviting. One small area looked to be populated mostly by larger German tourists, while the other, more remote rock beaches were naturalists, looking suspect of anyone approaching with clothes on. I thought we had made a huge mistake and gone to the wrong island. I almost suggested renting a boat and heading out to a cove, which is what others seemed to be doing. Laura, ever the intrepid traveler, found a guy working at one of the bar stands and asked if there was somewhere more inviting we could find. He gave us directions to another part of the island and sent us on our way.

We hiked up a small trail directly behind his hut and took a right where the trail ended. When we crested over the top of the next hill we were greeted with the most magnificent views I have ever witnessed. Rolling hills that descended onto a gleaming white rocky shoreline that bordered the coast for as far as we could see. There were no trees, the edge of the forest we had initially gone through was behind us. Instead, fields of lavender and rosemary covered the ground for as far as we could see.

As we made our way down the slopes and rustic trails, the eerie shape of the rock beaches came into full view. The landscape was alien and primitive. Giant formations of flat topped rocks jutted out of the Adriatic to form walls and platforms of stone. There was no one else in sight, it was if we had the entire island to ourselves.

The multi-level rocks acted as stairs in some areas, and in others we had to literally climb up to make it to the next section. We kept going hoping to find a spot that was flush with the water. Some of the areas rose several meters above the ocean and would have been impossible to use as a swimming area. Eventually we came upon a cove where the rocks and the Adriatic met.

In my quest to find the perfect swimming area we walked right past a nude couple who apparently expected someone to approach them from the land side. It was no matter, they waved and wandered back to their own private cove close to there boat, which I also did not see until it was too late. Our destination was certainly worth the adventure and hike to get there. We picked an area where the stone rocks created a natural step into the warm, crystal water in the cove. I could see a few boats docked further down the cove, but beside our naturalist neighbors, we had a private spot with no one else around. The swimming was fantastic, visibility was at least 100 meters. The odd thing about swimming in Croatia, is there are no fish. The area might have been over-fished, or maybe I was never in the right spot to see them.

After a couple of hours in paradise, we hiked back to the original tourist cove area and had lunch at a restaurant that was up from the main beach. The views were good and the beer was really good. It had been an adventure filled day. We had found something special, and witnessed some incredible sites that we would have not found if we did not look for them.

The secret to the the Pakleni is to not stay in the tourist areas, ask where the private areas and trails are and go there. Or, even better, rent one of the small cove boats and go search for your own paradise cove. Later I found out that sea urchins can be an issue, so where something to protect your feet when you swim anywhere in Croatia.

Entrance to the fortress is open, and only costs around 4 Kuna. Once inside we explored the interior walls and made our way down to the prison cells, which were creepy, especially for paradise. From the turrets and main walls the views reach past the Pakleni islands, where you get a perfect view of the arrangement of the islands and their proximity to Hvar Town. The view of the Marina and surrounded hillsides are amazing. We were there in late afternoon, which made for a great warm sun-cast of bright orange on the red roof tiled houses that run up and down the hills around Hvar Town.

We hiked back down tracing our way through new back streets getting shots of the low sun darting between the arches and alcoves of ancients rock walls. the locals were very friendly, but not really seen. The streets were quite and peaceful.

Visiting Hvar, you immediately get a sense that you are in a place that has been blessed with good fortune. The natural beauty and feeling of peacefulness and harmony with nature is evident in every aspect from the deep blue Adriatic, to the Lavender and Rosemary covered hills of the Sv. Jerolim and the surrounding Pakleni islands.

Our travels kept us in and around Hvar town. The hub of activity for the island. It’s gotten the reputation of being the “New Riviera” for the jet set. There are quite a few entertainment celebrities, business tycoons, and Euro-royalty that vacation here, either in villas on the island itself, or drop anchor from their yachts. If fact, the marina was buzzing with yachts pulling in and out of the marina during our stay.

The main square of Hvar Town is anchored by the Cathedral of Hvar at the far end of the square. It’s an open area filled with cafe’s, gelato shops, and retail stores geared toward the tourist.

The setting of Hvar town is pitch perfect for a “New Riviera”. The town is formed around a small marina, that is bordered on all sides by shops, cafes and hotels. Hvar Town is nestled at the bottom of steep mountains that vertically ascend just a few meters from the water. The back streets of Hvar town cris-cross up and up finally ending at the entrance to the grand Fortress, Fortica Spanjola that guards the city below.

Our driver dropped us off at the ferry port of Drvenik. Our driver was actually sad to see us go. Even though the language barrier kept us from communicating, he warmed up to our humor and good nature, and was fairly involved with us by the end of the trip. Drvenik is a small ferry village on the mainland of Croatia. We paid for the next ferry to Hvar island and within an hour or so it arrived. We dragged our luggage onboard and went to the top of the ship and readied ourselves for the journey by popping open a bottle of Dalmatino and passing it around. Dalmatino tastes like a Vodka infused Fresca or a light lemon drop martini. It is very good, and a treat I highly recommend. We have yet to find it in the states, so you’ll want to buy a bottle to bring back.

The ferry trip is about 40 minutes from Drvenik to Sucuraj, which is the eastern most tip of Hvar. Hvar is a long thin lsland that extends from Sucuraj to Hvar Town, which is close to the western most point of the island. The ferry ride was tremendous. It was sunset and we had such a perfect view of the horizon that for the first time I actually witness the “Green Flash”. The Green Flash occurs when the setting sun crosses the horizon on a very still ocean. At the moment the last spec of light from sun is above the horizon line a flash of green color will spark as the sun dips below the horizon. It’s quite an amazing thing to see, and very rare.