Hvar – among the best islands in the Mediterranean

Hvar has been elected among 8 best islands in Mediterranean Sea by Conde Nast Traveller Magazine.
You can check it on link: http://www.cntraveller.com/Special_Features/The_Best_Islands_in_the_Mediterranean_Sea/Hvar_Croatia/default.asp

Complete article:

WHY HVAR?
The Dalmatian coast is fast becoming the French Rivera of the east, and Hvar is unquestionably its St Tropez. Although it has been a popular with yacht-goers of the Mediterranean for years, its relative inaccessibility has meant that it managed to hold on to its special tranquil beauty. And it’s easy to see the appeal: the Adriatic air smells of lavender as the rocky hills surrounding Hvar town itself are blanketed in purple. At the bottom of the slopes, the harbour town curves around the south-facing bay, with those yachts bobbing on the crystal clear water.

WHERE TO STAY
Hotel Riva is Croatia’s first member of the Small Luxury Hotels Group, and with its open-plan bathrooms and glass loo doors it has had a daring makeover. It was once two 18th-century villas; more recently, one of the stone buildings was the headquarters of the Croatian Navy. The 54 contemporary bedrooms are businesslike and small; it is the hotel’s position on the harbour, with its gleaming yachts and lavish cruisers, that really makes it special. A handful of rooms have balconies and the laid-back, alfresco lounge-bar is a wonderful place to relax in the summer. Hotel Riva, Riva bb, Hvar (00 385 21 750 750; www.suncanihvar.com/riva).

WHERE TO EAT
By night, when the yachts return from a day at sea and holidaymakers peel themselves away from the beaches and surrounding islands, Hvar town really comes alive. Heading east along the harbour front, on the corner past the low couches of Hvar’s trendiest bar Carpe Diem, you’ll find Restaurant Gariful – one of the most picturesque places to enjoy the day’s fresh fish catch. As you look out at sea to the spectacular sunset, the restaurant’s lobsters crawl in an aquarium cut into the harbour wall and fish is cooked on the open grill carved out next to it. Obala bb, Hvar (00 385 21 742 999).

THE BEST EXCURSION
The other islands in the Croatian archipelago – Vis, Prvic, Sipan and Brac demand proper exploration. Island-hopping between the five is popular, and you can safely book a stay at hotels on each. We recommend Hotel Maestral on Prvic (www.hotelmaestral.com), Hotel Sipan on Sipan (www.hotel-sipan.com), Hotel Kastil on Brac (www.kastil.hr) and Hotel Paula on Vis (hotelpaula.com).

The Guardian: Hvar’s got news for you

In July 2007, in The Guardian was an article “Hvar’s got news for you”.
“The Croatian resort has been compared to a pre-Bardot St Tropez. Now it is undergoing a glamorous makeover, but there are still bargains to be found..”

It’s an odd sight. Here on the jetty at Hula-Hula bar near Hvar, beside the clear pale blue sea beneath the sweltering midday Adriatic sun, and dressed in combat shorts and vest, stands a man honing his snowboarding skills.

Wolf, Hula-Hula’s owner, is making a good fist of balancing on a plank and a log. It’s a shame to interrupt him, but now that we’ve found this hidden gem of a hangout, soaking up the sun, reclining on sunloungers, we’re ready for a drink.

Champagne cocktails? “We only have a sparkling Austrian,” says Wolf (I’m unclear if he means himself or the bottle). “The good stuff comes soon. Have it for €8.”

Wolf will need the new stock. Hvar Town is Croatia’s party place, just an hour by hydrofoil from its second city, Split, and increasingly attracting affluent island-hoppers who arrive on the floating gin palaces moored off the palm-dotted, bar-lined quayside in the picturesque Venetian port. He’ll need all his local Karlovacko beer, too – the town is a prime stop on the backpacking trail. It’s also popular with families who come by plane and ferry for the cheap accommodation, innumerable coves and small pebble and shale beaches lapped by calm waters.

The locals are laid back, seemingly unspoiled by tourism. One landlady asked us to pay for our one night stop in the old town when we left the next day: “Just put the cash in my letterbox.” She didn’t say which one.

But such attitudes can’t last. The town is buzzing most nights from May to September (especially in August, when the Italians arrive). Bars and restaurants line the large Venetian piazza and continue down the quay to the Carpe Diem club, Croatia’s not so hidden gem, probably its most famous club (and very possibly its most expensive, full of windburnt yachties and sunburnt backpackers, funnelling imported beer and £5 cocktails, dancing to Eurotrash anthems or lounging on Moroccan cushions in the alcoves).

The vibe is reminiscent of a pre-superclub Ibiza Town, albeit smaller, more picturesque and more friendly. Or possibly a pre-Bardot St Tropez. Not surprisingly, the island’s dominant hotel chain, Suncanihvar (Suncanihvarhotels.com), has already cottoned on to the possibilities, planning Conran-esque makeovers to attract more high-spenders.

Our first beer is in the Riva (aka the Hvar yacht harbour hotel), Suncanihvar’s first makeover, a trendy four-star venture, its sofas set under cream canopies dominating the quayside. Rooms start at £100 a night, but for £2.50 (expensive for Hvar Town) you can while away the hours, perfecting the 100-yard stare across the seductive harbour of bobbing yachts, fishing boats and gin palaces. Don’t forget your George Michael Raybans and a white jumper over the shoulders.

More info: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/jul/07/saturday.croatia

Hvar – one of world’s sexiest islands by Forbes

Hvar has been choosen as one of the sexiest islands by Forbes Magazine in June 2006.
“Rankings have long helped us distinguish among the finer things in life. We use the four C’s when buying diamonds, and Michelin stars when deciding where to eat. Even A-list actors have Oscar statuettes to separate themselves from the other stars.

But compiling our annual list of the World’s Sexiest Islands is an infinitely more subtle task. What, exactly, makes an island–or any travel destination, for that matter–sexy?

For starters, you can forget the traditional yardsticks for quantifying travel. Easily accessible, affordable and well-signposted? Sure, apply those criteria if you want to see the sights in a new city (along with all the other tourists). But by no means are they sexy.

Hvar, Croatia

Smothered in heather and with a Mediterranean summer climate, the island of Hvar, in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Croatia, is idyllic. There are pristine beaches and a thriving fishing industry, and locals grow olives, figs, lavender and rosemary. Formal luxury hotels don’t really exist on Hvar; your best bet is to book yourself into a private villa like Villa Floriana, which comes with staff, a car and a boat, and costs between $11,000 and $18,000 per week.

More information on: http://www.forbes.com/2006/06/14/sexiest-islands-world_cx_sb_0615feat_ls.html

Travel + Leisure Magazine: 25 great island escapes

Travel + Leisure Magazine included Island of Hvar among 25 great island escapes of the World. This article was published in January 2008.
Complete article:

HVAR, CROATIA

Why here, why now? There is certainly a lot of buzz around this picturesque island, with rocky beaches and a medieval town of winding alleys lined with restaurants and bars. Where to stay? Hotel Riva and The Adriana are vying for your attention. Riva is a boutique hotel, the only Croatian member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and was renovated in 2006. Not to be outdone, The Adriana is Croatia’s only member of the Leading Hotels of the World.

T+L Tip The bar at Riva, which hovers just above the Adriatic, is a perfect spot for a cocktail and yacht watching. The local wine is well worth a try.

The Facts Hotel Riva, +385 21 750 750; www.slh.com; doubles from $286. The Adriana, +385 21 750 200; www.lhw.com; doubles from $310.

Website: http://www.travelandleisure.com.au/islandescapes/default.aspx?page=3