Impressions

Hvar, Milna, Stari grad, Jelsa

By Dana & Bob

Here are some impressions on our trip to Hvar.

As we were very happy with our anchorage in Vrboska we decided to stay there for few days and visit other places by scooter. Jelsa, Stari grad and Hvar were on the list. Too much for just a one day but we did our best.

At first, idea was to sail there. But finding a good and free anchorage with a good access to the shore and walking distance to the town was almost impossible. So renting a scooter sounded perfect.

Rental service ˝Rent a Quad˝ near ACY marina was very good choice. Very good service, scooter and really affordable prices.

We are happy to recommend ˝Rent a Quad˝ service in Vrboska. Very friendly staff, good scooter and fair prices.

There are two roads to Hvar. The main road passes through a tunnel and can be busy. Another option is the road through the village of Brusje with very little traffic. That’s the road we took.

Parts of the road are quite steep, and the 50 cc engine struggled under the load of 2 people. But it took us safely where we wanted.

There are several points where you can stop along the way and enjoy the magnificent views.

We only met a few cars and some people on bikes and motorcycles. There was almost no traffic.

Hvar is a very famous tourist destination so it was very busy as we expected. Beautiful old town with many nice restaurants. The selection is huge, so there is something for every taste.

As it is very busy, prices are skyrocketing. For the price we paid for the ice cream we could have dinner somewhere else. It was very good, but certainly not worth the price. So be prepared.

Fortress – Fortica Španjola towers high above the city. The view down to Hvar and the Pakleni islands is magnificent. It is well worth the effort to walk there (you can also take a taxi). Entrance is charged at the gates of the fortress.

After couple of hours in Hvar we had to move on because there is much more to see.

Now we took the main road trough the tunnel. Little village Milna was on the way so we stopped there for refreshing drink. Interesting cosy place with a camping site, nice beach, beach bar, few restaurants and normal prices.

After short break in Milna we continued trough the tunnel (Selca-Dubovica) to Stari Grad. Road is good and ride was pleasant.

One more interesting old town with very long history. Compared to very busy and expensive Hvar, Stari Grad is quiet and lazy with lot of local flavour. Bars and restaurants are mostly lined up along the harbour. As much as we could notice, prices are normal.

Stari Grad on the island Hvar. A picturesque little town with a lot of history. We have to come again….

It was already late afternoon. We still had to visit Jelsa and walk around Vrboska before going for dinner.

Jelsa is the second largest town on the island Hvar. During our visit (late afternoon), it was buisyer than Stari Grad but quieter than Hvar.

Beautiful old town (around 3,500 inhabitants) with interesting architecture and many restaurants and bars to chill in the late afternoon and evening. Same as in Stari Grad, prices are well balanced.

After running around all day, we were totally exhausted and it was time to return the scooter and have a dinner. Jelsa is only about 3,5 km away from Vrboska so ride back was quick.

After short chat with Rent a Quad owner and few recommendations we visited fortress church of St. Mary of Mercy. Interesting building, history and great view from the roof. Don’t miss it. It is dominating landmark in Vrboska. It is certainly worth paying a small entrance fee.

Only thing we found disappointing in Vrboska was restaurant (konoba) ˝Gardelin˝. It has quite good reviews on Google but our experience in that time was very bad (bad service, bad house wine and very, very salty food, ). Only positive thing was beautiful view.

But there are many more restaurants to choose from.

We found Vrboska very charming, warm and welcoming.