Whilst in Split for three days I took a day trip to the nearby island of Hvar. The island is easy to reach from the mainland. A ferry from the Split pier takes around an hour and costs 90 Kuna each way.
We headed straight into the town area, there's a square with shops and restaurants. We were quite hungry (we are basically always hungry) so we went to find somewhere to eat. Like Split there are lots of narrow alleyways and streets, however, in Hvar they lead uphill. We stopped off for coffee and a quick snack because I needed the toilet and refused to pay to use the public one. This probably sounds illogical; paying for a coffee to use the restaurant toilet surely costs more?! But we were planning a coffee break anyway just it ended up being a tad ahead of schedule. Anyway, enough of my toilet habits.
We stopped off at the first place we found because quite frankly it looked really cute. The menu was fab too and we ended up having brunch rather than a snack. The restaurant was called Ka'lavanda and served various food options; the brunch menu was particularly lovely. They also served lots of cocktails but seeing as it was only around 10.30 we decided it was best to stick to coffee!
I opted for the waffles. There were a couple of choices for toppings, I went for the Nutella and cherry jam after the waitress recommended it. I was a bit unsure about the cherry but it tasted amazing. Just writing about them make me want to eat them all over again. They were some of the best waffles I've ever eaten and that is a very bold statement because I like waffles a lot. Soph had poached eggs and smoked salmon which looked equally as yummy but I'm glad I opted for a sweet treat.
After eating we headed up to the fort. We wandered up little streets and found some stairs, these led us up until we hit a small road. Across from this was the path up to the fort. There were no longer any stairs just a winding path on an incline. This part of the walk took around 15 minutes (including a break in the shade because it was hot). There was a car park area at the top and you could begin to see the stunning view. We decided to continue into the fort itself so we could get a better look at the view.
To enter the fort you must pay 30 kuna. It's well worth paying the entrance fee because the views are stunning! The sun was shining so we enjoyed sitting, looking out onto Hvar and of course getting lots of pictures. There are various viewing points in the fort as well as information about it. There's also a restaurant and a few shops. We didn't look in either as we'd just eaten and weren't bothered by the shops so I can't comment on the quality of the food. I imagine the prices are quite steep seeing as it is a tourist attraction and you can probably get better food back in the main town but that's just a guess.
Make sure you check out the old prison whilst at the fort. We happened to stumble upon it and weren't sure if we were allowed in but seeing as the door was open we thought we'd go and see. It was a tad creepy and reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean. It was also a good way to escape the heat of the sun for a bit.
Once we'd finished exploring the fort we headed back down to the town. We walked down a slightly different way so came to a little area with lots of stalls. There was lots of souvenirs, as well as, handmade jewellery. I stocked up on some postcards since I'd decided to send one home from each place I visited on the trip.
We then had an hour or so to kill before our ferry back to mainland. We walked past a couple of cafes and found a juice bar called Vita. We decided to stop off and get a juice. I didn't have one but Soph had an apple, carrot and ginger one. The juices and smoothies were 40 kuna. They also sold wraps and sandwiches.
By the time Soph finished her juice a queue for the ferry had started to form so we headed to get into the queue just incase we missed out on seats. The ferry on the way back wasn't as nice as the one going. There was no wifi and the seats weren't so comfy. Not that it really mattered as it was only an hour or so to get back. Once we got back to mainland we headed to get some food and then to the hostel to grab our bags ready to get the bus to Mostar.
I really enjoyed Hvar even though we were only there for half a day. I think it's definitely worth while to take a day trip or do what many people visiting Croatia do and spend a couple of days here to fully explore. We didn't get a chance to see the beach area but I've heard there are a few cool bars there but seeing as we had time constraints and it was the afternoon we thought our time was better spent exploring the fort and old town.
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Conclusion
- The ferry from Split costs 90 Kuna each way and lasts around an hour. It's a pretty smooth journey but if you get very sea sick then best to take a tablet!
- The fort is worth a visit; the views are amazing!
- Explore the small streets off of the main square, you'll find cute shops and lots of nice cafes to stop off at
- Take a trip to the beach area, if there's time, to check out the bars
Have you visited Hvar? What did you think of it?
Sophie
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