Hvar is much more than its famous main town. Discover the island from the water, from lively coastal towns and quiet bays to Stari Grad, Vrboska, Jelsa and the Pakleni Islands. We show you how Hvar can become part of a flexible sailing route from Trogir and why the best itinerary always depends on your crew, the weather and the conditions.
Hvar is one of Croatia’s best-known islands. But if you associate the island only with Hvar Town, you are seeing just a small part of what it has to offer. From the water, Hvar reveals a much more diverse character: lively harbour towns, long stretches of coastline, smaller bays, the Pakleni Islands off its western tip, and an inland cultural landscape shaped by vineyards, olive groves and agriculture for centuries.
For a sailing week from Trogir, the key question is therefore not whether Hvar should be part of the route. The more interesting question is: Which part of Hvar suits the crew, the weather and the destinations ahead? That is precisely the difference between a list of sights and a route that genuinely works on the water.
Hvar lies south of Brač and stretches a considerable distance from west to east. Its location makes the island an important part of island hopping in Central Dalmatia. If you arrive from Trogir via Šolta and Brač, there are several ways to include Hvar in your week. From the western side, routes can continue towards the Pakleni Islands and Vis, while along Hvar itself you will find other towns and bays with a very different character from the famous Hvar Town.
At SAILING MANAIA, this does not mean following a rigid weekly itinerary. We prepare the route together, but the actual day-to-day plan remains flexible and depends on the weather, safety, local conditions and the wishes of our guests. This flexibility makes particular sense on a long island such as Hvar: not every interesting place needs to fit into the same week.
Hvar Town lies on the south-western side of the island and is its best-known tourist centre. The historic old town, waterfront promenade, restaurants and the fortress overlooking the town make it an obvious destination for guests who would like to spend an evening ashore. Just offshore are the Pakleni Islands, which add another dimension to this western part of the sailing area.
During the high season, Hvar can be correspondingly lively. That is neither good nor bad – it simply offers a very different atmosphere from a quiet bay. If you enjoy town life, restaurants and an evening stroll ashore, this provides exactly that contrast to life on board. But if you would rather escape the crowds after a day of sailing, there is no need to leave Hvar off the route. The island offers plenty of alternatives.
Immediately off Hvar Town lies the Pakleni Islands archipelago. Geographically and from a tourism perspective, the islands are closely connected to the western Hvar sailing area and form a distinct part of route planning. The official tourism information specifically highlights the archipelago for its beaches, gastronomy, sailing and kayaking.
Stari Grad lies on the northern side of the island, deep within the coastal inlet of the same name. The town offers a very different Hvar experience from Hvar Town. Its history reaches back to the Greek settlement of Pharos in the 4th century BC. Immediately behind the town lies the Stari Grad Plain, whose historic land division and cultural landscape are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
For a sailing trip, Stari Grad is therefore much more than simply a convenient stop. A day on the water can be combined with an interesting excursion ashore, both culturally and scenically. Anyone who associates Hvar primarily with beach clubs and nightlife will discover a much broader picture of the island here.
Further east lie Vrboska and Jelsa. Vrboska developed from the 15th century onwards and is known for its small bridges and narrow coastal inlet extending deep into the land. Jelsa is also located in the central part of the island and is surrounded by villages, vineyards and olive groves.
For route planning, these two places demonstrate one thing above all: Hvar is much more than a single famous harbour. If you allow time to explore the island itself, you can experience very different coastal towns and settings. Whether either of them actually becomes part of your sailing week depends on the route and the conditions.
Along the south coast, the character changes once again. The official tourism information highlights, among others, the bays of Jagodna and Bojanić Bad between Sveta Nedjelja and Ivan Dolac. Steep slopes, vineyards and smaller stretches of coastline shape this side of the island more strongly than large harbour towns.
For a week aboard MANAIA, this variety can be exactly what makes the journey interesting: one evening in a town, another in a bay, with sailing and swimming in between. Whether a particular bay is suitable for an overnight stay depends on the wind, sea state, shelter, occupancy and the current local conditions. These are decisions for the actual voyage, not for an itinerary written months in advance.
A good route is not created by simply connecting as many names as possible on a map. If you want to combine Hvar with Šolta, Brač, Vis or other destinations within seven days, you need to set priorities.
If you are arriving from Brač, the western side of Hvar can be a logical next stage. If Vis is the next destination, Hvar’s western location becomes even more relevant. If, on the other hand, you would like to spend more time exploring Hvar itself, Stari Grad, Vrboska, Jelsa or selected stretches of coastline can become a greater focus. And if the crew mainly wants to swim, sail and enjoy quiet evenings on board, there is no need to visit every well-known place.
That is why there is no single “right route” that works for every crew. Instead, there is a selection of good options from which the route can be built.
Hvar is particularly well suited to combining different forms of life on board within a single week. In a harbour or coastal town, you are immediately ashore, able to wander through narrow streets, go out for dinner and experience island life. In a suitable bay, the focus shifts towards the boat, the sea and an evening spent on board.
For many crews, neither option is inherently better. It is the variety that makes the week interesting. After a lively evening ashore, a quieter night may be exactly what you want – and after two days in bays, a town with restaurants and a little more activity can be equally welcome.
MANAIA sails from Marina Baotić near Trogir. Hvar is one of the typical destinations within the Central Dalmatian sailing area, but it is not a guaranteed stop on a fixed weekly itinerary. Around three weeks before the trip, we plan a conversation to discuss your wishes and expectations. The actual route then develops according to the weather, safety, local conditions and what your crew would like to experience.
Hvar is a perfect example of why this approach makes sense. The island offers towns, smaller coastal villages, bays, culture and the offshore Pakleni Islands. Instead of trying to squeeze everything into a single week, we can choose what best suits each individual trip. This way, Hvar does not become just another point on a checklist, but a genuine part of the sailing experience.
No. Hvar Town is an attractive destination, but the island offers many other towns, villages and stretches of coastline worth exploring. Which stops make sense depends on your route, the weather, local conditions and the wishes of your crew.
Yes. Geographically, Šolta, Brač and Hvar form a natural island-hopping route through Central Dalmatia. Which combination makes the most sense within a single week depends on the actual weather and sailing conditions, so we do not treat any particular route as guaranteed in advance.
The Pakleni Islands lie immediately off Hvar Town and are closely connected to the western Hvar sailing area. They offer numerous bays and anchorages and will be covered in more detail in a separate SAILING MANAIA magazine article.
No. Beyond Hvar Town, the island offers places such as Stari Grad, Jelsa and Vrboska, as well as smaller villages, bays, vineyards and historic cultural landscapes. Reducing Hvar to its nightlife means missing much of what makes the island interesting from the water and ashore.