Hvar (pronounced V-AR) is only the fourth-largest of the Croatian islands in the middle Adriatic, but it's the chicest to emerge on a new Riviera flush with luxury hotels and upscale nightlife for the global jet set.
The toughest part is getting there. Once you figure out the logistics (There's no airport, and access is by ferry from Split or Dubrovnik.), you realize why billionaires like Jeffrey Katzenberg and Bill Gates prefer to arrive in Hvar via yacht.
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Hvar Harbor
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Welcome to Split
Hvar is best experienced as a five-day add-on to a trip to Dubrovnik, Montenegro or Southern Italy.
One way to get there is by taking a flight into Split's Soviet-era airline terminal.
Taxis are impossible to find and usually not air-conditioned, so spend the money for a decent rental car from an international chain. You'll drive 30 minutes into town, where you'll likely smell the harbor before you see it. Heed the city name and "split" on a ferry as fast as you can.
Hvar at First Sight
You'll likely catch your first glimpse of Hvar on the top deck of a rickety, smoke-spitting ferry, amid a crowd of elderly locals and teenage tourists carrying their weight in backpacks. The city surrounds a small harbor lined in regal yachts attended by deckhands in fresh white shirts.
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Beach Islands
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The seafront is recently renovated and lined with nautical flags. There are polished marble streets, and a fresh coat of paint covers most of the renovated buildings in a rugged-stone spin on that iconic waterfront in St. Tropez.
Finding a Good Hotel
This isn't Hvar of 2005, which was the first time I visited the island: Then, I discovered weary communist hotels and filthy campers quite content without essentials like air conditioning or one good restaurant.
Hvar has cleaned up its act, and essentially recreated itself as a luxury beach destination, even though there are very few sand beaches.
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In Hvar
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This year we can recommend three hotels, all owned by
Suncani Hvar, which has single handedly renovated each of island's legendary historical hotels.
The best hotel on Hvar is the
Adriana Hotel and Spa. Opened in 2007, it's the island's first true luxury hotel and is located in a historic waterfront building walking distance from the town center. The hotel is home to a glitzy in-house restaurant adjacent to a hip lobby lounge and the island's first Sensori Spa. It's also home to The Top, Croatia's first rooftop pool and lounge, which sizzles from May through September, hosting guests like Nicky Hilton.
Just across the harbor is the
Riva Yacht Hotel, the island's first true boutique hotel. It's located next to the ferry pier at the edge of town.
The hotel's long outdoor lounge is a popular gathering point for yacht-hoppers looking for a quick food fix and the lively lounge scene at Roots Restaurant. The hotel lacks a pool or spa but allows guests to use the Adriana for all their splashy needs.
New for 2008 is the recently renovated
Amfora Resort, along a tranquil bay and private beach a short 5-minute walk through town. Don't let the hotel's institutional façade put you off. The interior of the property, as well as all rooms and common areas, has been painstakingly stripped of socialist styling and invigorated with boutique-chic furnishings and a family-minded resort pool area.
Michael Martin
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