2 days in Hvar

Day by day

1. Day 1: St Stephen's Square and Hvar Cathedral and Fortica (Spanish Fortress)

   St Stephen's Square and Hvar Cathedral, Fortica (Spanish Fortress), Arsenal and Hvar Theatre and Franciscan Monastery, then Hvar Town harbour in the evening.

   1. Morning

      St Stephen's Square and Hvar Cathedral

      A 16th-century well stands in the middle, and the Arsenal and theatre close the harbour end.

   2. Late morning

      Fortica (Spanish Fortress)

      A shaded path through pine woods and agave climbs from the town in about 20 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Hvar gregada

      Konobas in Hvar Town, Stari Grad and on the Pakleni Islands; ask the day before if it is not on the menu.

   4. Afternoon

      Arsenal and Hvar Theatre

      On its upper floor, the theatre founded in 1612 is one of the oldest public theatres in Europe, open to people of all classes from the beginning.

   5. Late afternoon

      Franciscan Monastery

      A waterfront walk leads there from the square in about 10 minutes.

   6. Evening

      Hvar Town harbour

      Bars along the waterfront, including the long-running Carpe Diem, fill from late evening in July and August.

2. Day 2: Pakleni Islands and Stari Grad Plain

   Pakleni Islands, Stari Grad Plain, Tvrdalj Castle and Stari Grad old town, then Sunset beach bars west of town in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Pakleni Islands

      Palmižana on Sveti Klement has sandy coves, a botanical garden and restaurants; Jerolim is partly a naturist island; Stipanska has a beach club; and quieter coves such as Ždrilca reward a longer walk.

   2. Late morning

      Stari Grad Plain

      It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Peka

      Inland konobas and village restaurants; reserve in advance.

   4. Afternoon

      Tvrdalj Castle

      It sits a short walk from Stari Grad's waterfront.

   5. Late afternoon

      Stari Grad old town

      It has a lived-in feel compared with Hvar Town.

   6. Evening

      Sunset beach bars west of town

      Bars on the rocks west of Hvar Town, such as Hula Hula, are popular for sunset drinks and music.

If it rains

• Swap in Benedictine Convent and agave lace (Hvar Town): Buy a small piece of lace from the convent itself if you want an authentic one.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 14–17 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9 hours in December to 15.4 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Hvar Town, Stari Grad and Jelsa are compact and easy to explore on foot, though the climb to the fortress is steep.

More or fewer days

• One day in Hvar
• 3 days in Hvar
• 5 days in Hvar

Questions travellers ask