Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
island's official name is Svetog Klement, but nobody calls it that). The beach at Palmižana
is a popular swim destination because it's partly “sandy” (translation: smaller pebbles). The
onlyrealtownonthisislandisPalmižana,whichisbasicallyamodestmarinaandahandful
of cafés huddled around a beach. From there, you can hike through the woods and scramble
your way to some postcard-perfect hidden coves.
Getting There: Excursion boats
ferrytouristsouttotheislands everysummermorning
from the harbor in front of the Hvar TI—just look for signs to the specific island, beach,
or cove that you want. It costs about 60 kn round-trip per person to Palmižana; most boats
take people over between 9:00 and 14:00, then go back to fetch them around 16:00 or 19:00
(schedule fluctuates wildly with demand—they run more or less constantly in peak season;
figure about 20 minutes each way to Palmižana). This works well, provided you want to
spend the entire day stranded on a tropical island. Visiting Jerolim or Marinkovac costs 35
kn round-trip.
An efficient sightseer might prefer just a few hours of island time—enough for a quick
dip, a hike, and maybe a meal. For this purpose, you can pay double for a faster, private
water taxi
to zip you there in just 15 minutes, and then pick you up whenever you like. I
had a good experience with one of these speedy taxis, helmed by English-speaking Luka.
I called him 15 minutes before I wanted to head over, and again 15 minutes before I came
back—door-to-door service to any island you like (300 kn round-trip for up to 3 people,
mobile 098-959-5094,
www.water-taxi-hvar.com
)
. Luka's small, inflatable boat is built for
speed rather than comfort, so the ride can be rough.
Planning Your Time:
Ifyou'rerelativelyfitandhaveafewhourstospare,trythisplan:
Ride with Luka to Palmižana, hit the Vinogradiš
ć
e beach, hike across the island to the set-
tlement ofVlaka, have lunch ordinner at Konoba Dionis, call Luka, andride with him from
Vlaka back to Hvar.
Beach at Vinogradiš
ć
e Cove:
The most popular spot for swimming on the island is the
beach at Vinogradiš
ć
e. To get here from the Palmižana marina, hike up the trail (to the left,
past the little cantina). When the road forks, take the middle fork and follow the restaurant
signs (they're all at the beach). While it's not as “undiscovered” as you might hope, Vino-
gradiš
ć
eisapicturesquespot,withasmallpatchofsemi-sandsurroundedbyrocksandcon-
crete pads for catching some rays. A smattering of sailboats on the horizon rounds out the
idyllic Croatian scene.
Hike to Vlaka:
For a hardy 45-minute (2-mile) hike on a rough trail with some pleasant
views—and a restaurant reward at the end (Konoba Dionis, described later)—trek across
the top of the island to the little settlement of Vlaka (wear good shoes and bring water).
From Palmižana, first follow signs to
Meneghello.
After you pass Meneghello Restaurant
and some of its bungalows (described next), go right at the fork in the path (following the
faint red marking on the wall to
Vlaka
). You'll climb up to the crest of the island, on a very
