Where to stay in Hvar

Hvar town keeps both the fortress and the harbour for the Pakleni islands within walking distance of the bed — a dorm bed runs €23–33. Anyone not here for the nights out gets the same island quiet in Stari Grad or Jelsa, with a longer bus ride into town. The tourist tax runs €2 Apr–Sep, €1.50 otherwise.

Hvar town — for the nights out and the fortress

This is where the island's nightlife is, and the shortest walk to day one of the plan — Fortica fortress up the hill, taxi boats to the Pakleni islands from the same harbour. A dorm bed runs €23–33; the tourist tax is €2 Apr–Sep, €1.50 otherwise.

2 daysWhat gets covered in town before the boat leaves:Hvar in 2 days →

Stari Grad — quiet, with the plain on the doorstep

Anyone spending the second day of the plan here anyway doesn't need to head back to Hvar town in the evening — the plain with its plots from 384 BC sits right at the edge of town, and the harbour where the car ferry docks is quieter than the one in Hvar town.

Day tripsWhat to add if a third day is on the table:Day trips from Hvar →

Jelsa — further along the coast, the same kind of quiet

Jelsa sits further along the island's north coast, beyond the main two-day plan described here — a reasonable choice for anyone after the same quiet as Stari Grad, but with a longer bus ride to town and the fortress.

Before booking a bed

• The catamaran and the car ferry don't dock at the same spot. Split ferry port is the catamaran harbour in Hvar town; a car crosses on the ferry to Stari Grad, some twenty kilometres away.
• The tourist tax runs €2 Apr–Sep, €1.50 otherwise. The same rate applies all year round, including off-season.
• Hvar town is busier and louder in the evening. Anyone after quiet picks Stari Grad or Jelsa, away from the centre of the Pjaca.

FoodWhere to eat wherever on the island you stay:What to eat in Hvar →

When to goHow much the crowds drop outside July and August:The best time to visit Hvar →