HVAR - Croatia and Slovenia - page 369

the bus station (to meet your soba host), walk the length of St. Stephen's Square, jog left
around the cathedral, then angle left through the big open square.
CarferriestoHvarIsland(includingthebigJadrolinijacoastalferries)arrivejustoutside
the town of Stari Grad, across the island from Hvar town. Buses are timed to meet arriving
boats and take passengers over the island's picturesque spine to Hvar town (20 minutes, 27
kn; off-season, not every car ferry is met by a bus—confirm before booking your ticket).
By Bus: Hvar's bus station is just beyond the far end of St. Stephen's Square from the
harbor. As you get off your bus, you can see the main tower of the cathedral—marking the
town center, a two-minute walk away. The island's few taxis usually hang out at the bus
station.
By Car: Car ferries from Split and most other destinations arrive on Hvar Island at the
town of Stari Grad. There are two ways to drive from Stari Grad to Hvar town: the speedy,
newerroadviaDubovica(andalongtunnel)tothesouth;ortheslower,windyroad(through
prettier, less-traveled terrain) via Brusje to the north. In Hvar, you can park by the bus sta-
tion. Be warned that the car ferries can be crowded in summer—waiting two hours or more
is not unusual.
A second ferry crossing is at the opposite tip of Hvar Island, connecting the island's set-
tlement of Su ć uraj to the mainland town of Drvenik. But the road connecting Su ć uraj to
Hvar town is long, twisty, and challenging to drive—most visitors prefer arriving and de-
parting at Stari Grad instead. If you do need to drive from Hvar town to Su ć uraj, give your-
self about 1.5 hours, and add about an hour to get to the boat dock before everyone else
making the same trip. There are plans to straighten some stretches of this road, which may
make the trip easier and slightly shorter.
Helpful Hints
Boat Tickets: Tickets for the fast catamarans to Split and Kor č ula Island sell out quickly
in peak season—buy them as early as possible (they generally go on sale at 8:00 in
the morning on the day before departure). You can get tickets for Jadrolinija con-
nections at their office in Hvar town (open long hours daily in summer but closed
about 13:45-15:00, office is along the embankment where the big boats put in, tel. 021/
741-132). To buy tickets for the Krilo catamaran to Split, go to the Pelegrini travel
agencyalongthesameembankment,attheoppositeendofHotelRiva(longhoursdaily
inpeakseasonbutclosesforabrieflunchbreak,inshoulderseasondaily7:30-13:00&
16:00-20:00, Riva 20, tel. [phone], www.pelegrini-hvar.hr , [e-mail] ) .
Live Music: The Hvar Summer Festival fills the entire peak season (mid-May-early Oct)
with frequent concerts. Ask the TI for a Summer Festival Program with the latest
schedule. Other festivals include the Lavender Fest, which packs the little village of