Hvar Town is the island’s famous face: a stone harbour, a fortress on the hill, and a summer crowd that arrives by yacht. It is 77 kilometres from Sucuraj, which is far enough to make it a proper day out rather than an evening trip.
The drive
The road runs the length of the island, along the ridge for much of the way, with the sea on both sides in places. Allow about two hours each way. It is a beautiful drive, and it is also a winding one, so take it gently if anyone in the car gets travel sick.
Fill up before you leave, because there is no petrol station in Sucuraj.
When to go
Leave early. The town is at its best before 11 am, when the light is still soft and the harbour is quiet. By early afternoon in July and August the main square fills up and the parking becomes difficult.
The other good window is late afternoon into the evening, once the day boats have gone. If you go then, plan on driving back in the dark.
Parking
Parking in Hvar Town is paid and limited in season. The car parks on the approach to the town fill first, and the walk in from the further ones takes 10 to 15 minutes. Have coins or a card ready, and note where you left the car, because the streets look alike on the way back.
What to see
The town is small and best walked. The main square opens onto the harbour, with the cathedral at one end. Above it, the Spanish Fortress is a steep 20-minute climb, and the view over the Pakleni Islands is the one everyone photographs.
The old arsenal, the narrow side streets and the seafront promenade fill the rest of a morning comfortably. There is no need for a plan.
Stari Grad and Jelsa
If Hvar Town sounds like too much, two closer towns are gentler. Stari Grad is 61 kilometres away, with a quiet harbour and the oldest town centre on the island. Jelsa is 50 kilometres, smaller again, with a shaded square and a good stretch of coast around it.
Jelsa also holds a two-day wine festival in summer, which is worth timing a visit around if you are here for it.
Coming home
The best part of the day is often the last hour of it. You come back over the ridge, the traffic thins, and Sucuraj is where you left it: the harbour quiet, the garden cool, and nowhere you need to be.
That contrast is the reason many of our guests do the day trip once and then choose the beach for the rest of the week.
Planning your stay in Sucuraj? Check our available apartments.