Hvar & the Pakleni Islands

Hvar town occupies a peculiar position in the Adriatic charter world: it is simultaneously the most social harbour in Croatia and the gateway to some of the coast's emptiest anchorages. The town's main square, claimed to be the largest piazza in Dalmatia, sits a few hundred metres from a waterfront where superyachts and bareboat 38-footers jostle for stern-to berths on summer evenings. The Fortica fortress above offers a vantage point over the harbour and the Pakleni Islands scattered to the south-west. The Pakleni chain — sometimes written Paklinski — runs roughly parallel to Hvar's southern coast. Palmizana, the most developed anchorage, has a restaurant, an art gallery, and a network of paths through Aleppo pines. Vinogradisce and Zdrilca, further along the chain, are quieter; boats anchor in two to four metres over sand with good holding and swim off the stern. The islands are not an overnight destination for most — the crossing from Hvar harbour takes twenty minutes — but charterers heading south from Split often spend a night or two here before or after visiting Hvar town. The sailing around Hvar is intermediate rather than beginner. The south coast, facing the open Adriatic, can develop a significant swell when the sirocco blows from the south-east, and the channel between Hvar and Vis has more fetch than the sheltered passages further north. That said, the maestral is the dominant summer wind, and it creates manageable conditions for anyone comfortable with 15-knot sailing. Hvar town provisions adequately for a few days — a small supermarket on the back streets, a fish market on the harbour, and several bakeries. For a full week's provisioning, most charterers stock up in Split before departing. Water is available at the town quay and at ACI Palmizana. Fuel requires a trip to Hvar's main port on the island's north side, an inconvenient detour that experienced Dalmatian charterers plan around. The island draws a younger, more social crowd than most Croatian charter destinations. July and August evenings in Hvar town are lively — cocktail bars along the harbour, restaurant tables spilling into the square. For those who prefer quiet, the Pakleni anchorages and the island's north coast offer a counterpoint that is geographically close but atmospherically distant.