Adventure Cruises in Hvar

No cruise spent island hopping in Croatia is complete without a visit to Hvar Island. One of the most popular islands in the Adriatic, Hvar features pristine coves flanked by massive mountains, fragrant fields of lavender, and Hvar Town, a summer getaway for locals in the know. Cruises to Hvar, Croatia, explore the coast of this longest of the Dalmatian Islands, grant visitors access to the nearby Pakleni Islands and their beautiful beaches, and lead to walking tours of Hvar Town, delving into the island's rich artistic, historical and cultural heritage.

Top things to do and see in Hvar Island

Hvar is one of the most visited islands in the most visited region of Croatia, the Dalmatian Coast. A Croatia sailing cruise to Hvar, however, will allow for plenty of time spent away from the crowds, lounging on the beaches of secluded coves or kayaking among the Pakleni Islands. Those visitors looking for culture will enjoy strolling the streets of Hvar Town or dancing at Carpe Diem, the island's most popular after-hours beach bar.

The Pakleni Islands lay scattered along Hvar's southwestern coast, visible from Hvar Town's harbor. Though their name means 'Hellish Islands', they are, in fact, closer to paradise on earth. Known for some of the prettiest beaches in the region, the Pakleni Islands are largely untouched and undiscovered, offering a quiet escape from the crowds. Sparsely populated, the largest of these nineteen islands, Sveti Klement, is home to three small villages. Palmižana village has a few restaurants and hotels, including the oldest still-operating hotel in the region, first built in 1906. The island of Jerolim has a popular nudist beach, while Marinkovac Island is known for its boisterous beach bar parties and lovely Mlini Beach.

Hvar Town, the main settlement on Hvar Island, has a long history of art and culture. Tours of its Old Town will feature the Clock Tower, the Civic Loggia, and the Hektorović Palace, while the Franciscan Monastery and Our Lady of Charity can be visited outside the walls of Old Town. While the town square is dominated by the impressive Cathedral of St-Stephens, one of the area's prettiest churches, the hilltop Fortica keeps watching over the entire town. Its Venetian architecture hugging a picturesque bay dotted with small luxury yachts, Hvar Town is the perfect spot to enjoy a coffee or glass of local wine while gazing across the water at the Pakleni Islands.

Hvar Town's Fortica, or Town Fortress, is a medieval castle first constructed in 1282 and further fortified by the Venetians in 1557, but it sits upon the site of an ancient Illyrian settlement dating back to before 500 BC. Today the fortress houses a few archeological finds brought up from the seabed, as well as a small cafe and bar. The Fortica is reached via a walk through Old Town's narrow streets followed by an easy hike over well-shaded hills.

Restaurants, bars, and cafés are in abundance in Hvar Town, with something to meet every taste. Foodies will want to book reservations ahead to enjoy seafood at Macondo or the tasting menu at Zlatna Školjka. To let loose and party past sunset and even until sunrise, head to Carpe Diem, a little bit of Ibiza in the middle of the Adriatic, while Veneranda offers club events and the occasional open-air movie screening. Be sure to try the local wines, with the best whites coming from Dalmatia and the Kvarner area, and reds from Poreč, Buzet and the Pelješac peninsula.

Best time to cruise to Hvar Island

The Adriatic coast is blessed with a Mediterranean climate, meaning that the best time to take a Hvar cruise depends largely on your preference.

May and October are generally the best time for a cruise of the Dalmatian Coast. During these shoulder months, the weather is excellent, the crowds are smaller and tourist services are still open.

Hvar cruises in June to August take advantage of the highest temperatures and clear skies. This is the peak season, however, so plan ahead as hotels and cruises will fill up fast during this period, while prices will be higher. Crowds will also be bigger on the beaches and tourist areas, though this may be a plus if you are seeking raucous parties.

Hvar cruises in late October to April are rare as many tourist facilities, including hotels and shops, are closed for the winter. Crowds will be much smaller and the weather is still mild, but the offseason means opportunities for exploring the region will be limited.

Where do Hvar cruises depart from?

Most Croatia small ship cruises including stops at Hvar depart from Split or Dubrovnik. If your Croatia cruise leaves from Split, you will fly into Split Airport. Cruises leaving from Dubrovnik are serviced by Dubrovnik Airport.

The Dalmatian Coast is serviced by three international airports, in Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik. All three airports can be reached by direct flights from many countries within Europe. Visitors flying in from outside Europe may have to connect in Zagreb or another European airport.

Top Tips for visiting Hvar on a cruise

  • Take your camera when hiking to Hvar's Fortica to capture the panoramic views of the Adriatic.
  • To enjoy the clear waters of the Pakleni Islands, pack your own snorkeling gear.
  • Wear sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen, especially during the summer months.
  • Note that if you wish to sample the food at popular restaurants in Hvar Town, like Zlatna Školjka or Macondo, reservations are highly recommended.

Please contact our reservations team to book your next cruise to Hvar Island, Croatia.


Hvar Reviews

  • 9.3 Superb
  • 103 Verified Reviews
  • 8.4 Very good
  • LAWRENCE L
  • United States United States

Hvar is a very busy place. Great for nightlife.

Cruising Hvar in July on the Diamond

  • 6.0 Review score
  • Anne T
  • United States United States

Excursion was a one hour walk with a guide.

Cruising Hvar in August on the Mama Marija

  • 8.4 Very good
  • Christian H
  • United States United States

Really nice quick tour. The guide told interesting history and stories about the island

Cruising Hvar in May on the My Way

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Louis C
  • United States United States

Lots of nightlife here. Some quick and easy hikes up to a fabulous view and a little history along the way.

Cruising Hvar in July on the Ambassador

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • KRISTE M
  • United States United States

Nice but too short of time we had to hurry

Cruising Hvar in August on the Prestige

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Zlatko V
  • United States United States

Dinner was fabulous in Stari Grad at the vineyard!! Great food, good wine, and a lot of laughter. Our host at the vineyard was very kind, and knowledgeable. Hvar was a beautiful harbor, quite hot that day.

Cruising Hvar in August on the Antaris

  • 7.6 Good
  • Debbie C
  • United States United States

Wonderful guide, beautiful city

Cruising Hvar in September on the My Way

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Lisa M
  • United States United States

We only stopped at Bol, Hvar for a few hours, it was pleasant but not the most memorable of all the excursions

Cruising Hvar in September on the Antaris

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Sean M
  • United States United States

Informative guide and plenty of time to explore on our own

Cruising Hvar in June on the My Way

  • 8.4 Very good
  • Tim M
  • Canada Canada

We originally felt it unfortunate that we were not moored in Hvar harbour, but actually really enjoyed strolling around Stari Grad ( where we were moored). Again, excellent local guide for walking tour. We liked that we had time on our own to explore and have dinner at a great restaurant (Black Pepper).

Cruising Hvar in July on the My Way

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Nigel H
  • South Africa South Africa

Interesting facts and good tour

Cruising Hvar in July on the Diamond

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Martin H
  • Canada Canada

Amazing, so much to do, would like to go back and spend more time there.

Cruising Hvar in August on the Diamond

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Michael L
  • Canada Canada

Excellent. Informative and humorous guide, with ample free time to explore, shop, and eat at our own pace.

Cruising Hvar in August on the My Way

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Philip G
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

Very beautiful architecture and plenty of history. Very busy, restaurants needed reserving early. Went mid August so expected it to be busy.

Cruising Hvar in August on the Mama Marija

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Erika K
  • Ireland Ireland

Only the guided tour of city included. I loved the guided tour of the city and afterwards in the free time I climbed the steps to the amazing fortress with spectacular views over the city and ocean with some of the group. At the top we enjoyed a lovely cocktail & had a fantastic dinner in the Old Town afterwards.

Cruising Hvar in October on the Katarina Line Premium Class

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Tana T
  • Canada Canada

The food wasn’t wonderful but the sunset was stunning!

Cruising Hvar in June on the Antaris

  • 8.8 Fabulous
  • Amanda C
  • Canada Canada

Perfect! We had a great guided tour of the city and then some of the other guests and I went to the party island at night

Cruising Hvar in July on the Princess Aloha

  • 9.2 Superb
  • John M
  • Australia Australia

quick visit and tour.. extra hour would have been better

Cruising Hvar in July on the My Way

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • tony S
  • Australia Australia

The trip to Hora was good fun and value it would have been nice to have the ship at the other wharf, where there was more night life action

Cruising Hvar in August on the Antaris

  • 6.8 Review score
  • barbara L
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

Nice place to vist great atmosphere. Had basic walking tour which was interesting

Cruising Hvar in September on the Splendid

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Cliff D
  • Australia Australia

Stari Grad on the island of Hvar is really an interesting place to explore the harbour and the back streets.

Cruising Hvar in October on the Antaris

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Deny B
  • Australia Australia

Great. We hired motor bikes and were able to explore the island.

Cruising Hvar in October on the Antaris

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Amanda H
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

Love Hvar. Great for people watching and the small bars tucked up on streets above the port

Cruising Hvar in October on the Equator

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Frederick L
  • South Africa South Africa

This was quiet due to the Sunday and a good walk was sufficient.

Cruising Hvar in May on the Antaris

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Steven M
  • Canada Canada

We didn’t go to Hvar town due to weather. Instead we had improvised tour of Vis. The Vis tour was probably the weakest and a bit rushed possibly due to last minute rescheduling. Guide communication was weak in English.

Cruising Hvar in June on the My Way

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • William D
  • Australia Australia

Hvar was lovely and with less tourists was very enjoyable.

Cruising Hvar in June on the My Way

  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • antony S
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

Jelsa was beautiful one of my favourite places, Hvar town just too busy with the ‘party’ scene would have preferred a quieter place to stay instead.

Cruising Hvar in June on the Equator

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Aniruddha D
  • India India

Very good. Great town and plenty of time to explore as the city is awake till 2 AM.

Cruising Hvar in June on the Desire

  • 8.0 Very good
  • Amela G
  • Australia Australia

We anchored in Stari Grad and were transported to Hvar town in small combi, not the best mode of transport in 37+ degree heat. Windy roads were also an issue for many.

Cruising Hvar in July on the Prestige

  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Nigel G
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

Excellent. The walk upto the fortress and views were amazing. Great restaurant options with Dalmatino our favourite.

Cruising Hvar in August on the My Way

  • 8.4 Very good
  • Jodie W
  • New Zealand New Zealand

Fun, we walked up to the fortress, went for lunch and had a swim

Cruising Hvar in September on the Katarina Line Traditional En-Suite

  • 8.4 Very good
  • Martin W
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

We were able to do our own thing onshore on all the islands with great advice from the crew. Sailing around the islands was amazing

Cruising Hvar in September on the Alisa

  • 8.4 Very good
  • Fiona Margaret D
  • Australia Australia

Very interesting doing the guided tour of the old town. Enjoyed seeing Hvar but it was quiet as the season was ending.

Cruising Hvar in October on the My Way

  • 9.2 Superb
  • Alan L
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom

Very short walk around half of the town.

Cruising Hvar in October on the Prestige