Introduction & History
Initially settled by the Greeks (a large settlement was built where the present-day Hvar Town is located), the island went into decline under the Romans, who took control towards the start of the 3rd century BC.

Under Venetian control (1420 - 1797), Hvar Town prospered as it was often used as a sailing stop-over point in the Adriatic - so much so that the town became the richest area in Dalmatia. This period, however, wasn't without its troubles. In 1510, a group of around 6000 Croats led a rebellion which was quashed. Furthermore, in 1571, the Turks stormed Hvar Town and completely razed it to the ground.

In 1797 the island fell under Austrian rule. It was briefly held by France (1806 - 1812), before returning to Austrian control which continued to 1918. Four years of Italian rule followed, before the island finally became part of Yugoslavia in 1922.

The Island
Hvar is the fourth largest island at 182 square miles (300 square km). It is even sunnier than Brac, with almost 2,800 hours of sunshine per year. However, there is enough rain to keep the island green and to maintain the beautiful fields of lavender, rosemary, sage, marjoram and thyme and the carefully cultivated vineyards. Many people remark that in the spring, Hvar smells like a herbalist shop! When in Hvar, you must purchase some lavender oil, which is the major export of the island.

The hoteliers on the island pride themselves on consistently good weather - if there is more than four hours of rain per day, they give a reduction on your stay and if snow falls (which happens once a year, on average) your stay is free!

The main resorts are Hvar Town, Stari Grad, Vrboska, Jelsa and Sucuraj.

As some of you may have read, many people have left comments on our message board saying how much they enjoyed their stay on the island. So it comes highly recommended!

Getting There
There are several ferries per day from Split to Stari Grad (journey time 1 hour 40 minutes). There are also daily catamaran services to Hvar Town (50 minutes) and Jelsa (1 hour 30 minutes).

Several times per week, there is a ferry between Stari Grad and Dubrovnik (6 hours 15 minutes).

During the summer months, there are ferries from Ancona and Pescara in Italy to Stari Grad. Split Tours operate overnight ferries from Ancona during July and August, whilst SNAV run fast catamaran services from Pescara.

Accommodation
Hotels and private accommodation are plentiful in the resorts on the island. See Accommodation on Hvar.

Tourist Offices
Tourist Office in Stari Grad at Nova riva 2, 21460 Stari Grad, Tel: 021 765 763, Fax: 021 765 763, Email: tzg-stari-grad@st.tel.hr

More information
Accommodation on Hvar
Hvar.hr
Suncani Hvar
Jelsa Online
Sucuraj homepage
SunnyIsland.info