Hvar Town

Hvar Town is the capital of Hvar Island, population 3,700. First settled as the Greek town of Heraclea, Hvar grew stronger as it passed into the hands of the Romans, and later the Venetians, who used Hvar Town as a mighty naval port. As the town grew, so did its role in business and culture. A theater opened here in 1612; it is the oldest surviving public theater in all of Europe. The catamaran ferry service from Hvar Harbor takes tourists to outlying islands such as Brac, Vis, Lastovo and Korcula. The interior of the old town is completely pedestrianized, and at night the waterfront comes alive with revelers letting their hair down.

Stari Grad

One of the oldest continuously-occupied towns in all of Europe, Greek settlers colonized the area called Stari Grad (pop. 2,800) in 384 BCE, and named it `Faros` (similar to the island of Paros, from whence the settlers came). During the time of the Romans, Faros became known as Faria; after the capital of Hvar was moved to Hvar Town and away from Faria, it was renamed `Stari Grad` (`the old town` in Croatian). The Greeks cultivated the fertile plain adjacent to the town of Stari Grad, and it has grown crops for over 2,000 years.

Much of the town`s hustle and bustle is focused around the waterfront road called Riva and the main square, which locals call Skor. Stari Grad is also the point of entry for most travelers with automobiles, arriving on the ferry from Split. The Stari Grad Plain, which includes one of the world`s earliest irrigation systems as built by the Greeks, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Vrboska and Jelsa

With a population of just 1,800, Jelsa is a small, yet inviting town located on the north coast of Hvar Island. It is a popular jumping-off point to explore the nearby Stari Grad Plain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Jelsa was founded by the Illyrians in the third century before the Common Era, and the current town charter was drafted in the fourteenth century. Jelsa, while small, still regularly receives tourist catamarans and ferries from Split on the mainland. Tourism has been a part of Jelsa`s economy since the time of the Austro-Hungarians.

Three miles north of Jelsa is the village of Vrboska, the smallest of the major towns on Hvar Island, population just 550. Lush olive groves and lavender fields sit to the west and south of town in the fertile Stari Grad Plain. As far as we know, Vrboska was first mentioned as a settlement in official documents in the 13th century, although it is believed that the first people who called this home did so a lot earlier than the 1200s. Out of all the towns on Hvar Island, Vrboska relies on tourism the least; instead the local economy is heavily dependent on fishing and canning.

The Southern Coast (Milna, Zarace, Sveta Nedilja, Ivan Dolac, Zavala)

Three of the five towns on the extreme southern coast are actually considered to be part of Hvar Town`s municipal area. Of the towns you will encounter on the southern coast, many of them are sparsely populated. Sveta Nedilja is the largest, with just 131 people living there. Zavala, the easternmost town, is administered by Jelsa and is home to 144 people. If you decide to stay here, it is for sun and relaxation, as there are very few amenities and few businesses in general in these tiny villages. Jagodna, Milna and Zavala in particular are known for their beaches.

Sucuraj

Sucuraj`s town limits begin with the final three miles of D116, the west-east road on Hvar Island. The population of Sucuraj is roughly 400, and it is so remote that you have to travel to Jelsa for gas. There are restaurants, shops and even a supermarket here, but people don`t come to Sucuraj for the nightlife, they come for the relaxation and the sun. Sucuraj is known as one of the sunniest parts of Hvar Island, with over 270 days per year boasting 10+ hours of clear and bright conditions. The ferry port will take passengers from Sucuraj to Drvenik across the water, a popular hopping-off point for day treks to Dubrovnik and Medugorje (Bosnia-Herzegovina).