What is Hvar Like? Croatia’s MUST VISIT Paradise Party Island

My extended stay on Hvar Island

As part of my Europe trip last summer (2019) which started in Split, Croatia, I decided I would visit a few of Croatia’s islands before heading down the coast in the direction of Greece.

Hvar was one of 2 Croatian Islands (the other one was Bol, another beautiful island) I visited and planned to stay in Hvar for 2-3 days.

7 days later and I was still in Hvar!

The week I spent in Hvar was one of the best parts of my trip and I would certainly recommend the island to anyone considering it.

Arrival in Hvar Town

I arrived in Hvar Town, the hotspot of Hvar Island and would head to my youth hostel for the night, Dink’s Place Hostel, Hvar.

I would get sorted and freshened up and then get chatting to everyone in the common area. After several hours of pre-drinks with my new found mates from Ireland and America, it was time to hit Hvar Town.

The first night was a real blur, but I have pieced together my week in Hvar and picked out the best places to make sure you have as good a time as what I had when I was there.

Best Bars In Hvar (and Bar Crawl)

Hula Hula Beach Bar

Hula Hula beach bar is located a little bit of a walk away from the main town, but promises the best sunset in the whole of Hvar. Head there for around 6pm and start your night there before heading back into the main Hvar town.

Jazz Bar

Jazz Bar was where we usually started our nights. The bar itself is normally empty around 10-11pm but it’s the perfect time to go and throw some cocktails down you.

They do a 1L Long Island Ice Tea cocktail, which is enough for 2 people and costs about £10 each but is very strong and it soon hits you. It can save you some money for later on in the night, if you make it that far!!

Kiva Bar

Kiva Bar is probably Hvar’s most popular and busiest bar. I spent many nights here, great offers on drinks and a great atmosphere which spills out into the cobbled streets in the early hours.

Carpe Diem Nightclub

Last but not least there is Carpe Diem. The nightclub on it’s own island!

Entry to Carpe Diem is around 150KN but you can get free entry to Carpe Diem as part of the Hvar Pub Crawl, which costs around 200KN.

Hvar Pub Crawl

The Hvar Pub Crawl starts with a 60 minute unlimited booze cruise around the Pakleni Islands, you then get dropped back ashore back to the Hvar Town bars. Around 1 hour later, it’s back on the boat to head to the Carpe Diem nightclub, undoubtedly something you’ve never experienced.

Best Youth Hostels In Hvar

I stayed in a total of 5 different youth hostels over my week in Hvar, so I’ve got a good idea of the best places!

Dink’s Place

Dink’s Place was by far my favourite youth hostel in Hvar. It wasn’t the nicest I stayed at but the whole atmosphere of the place was fantastic. There is one big common area where everyone can hang out and they do a big BBQ every 2-3 days which is another excuse to socialise with everybody there.

Not only that, they have Matt who helps out with the BBQ, he takes everybody out to Hvar Town on the bar crawl and makes sure you get looked after in all the bars. Finally there’s a grocery shop nearby to grab all your essentials and beers!

Youth Hostel Villa Marija

I didn’t actually stay round here a lot but Villa Marija was by far one of the nicest, cleanest, most modern hostels. I think it’s insulting to call this a hostel, it was much more like a hotel.

Hvar Things to Do and See

When you’re not laid low in your hostel bed recovering from the night before, here’s a few things to do through the day in Hvar Town.

Rent a Boat and Sail to Pakleni Islands

We rented a 5-man boat for 500KN, about £12 per person, and sailed out to the Pakleni Islands. As you can see from the pictures, this is a must. Stock up on food and beer and set sail for a day of paradise on Pakleni Islands.

Explore Hvar Town

Explore the St Stephen Square and climb the Hvar fortress (Tvrdava Fortica)

Have a beach day

One of the best beaches in Hvar we visited was Pokonji Beach, situated about 20 mins walk from the main town, well worth a visit, look at that clear blue sea!

Rounding up my week in Hvar

My week in Hvar was one of the best of my trip around Europe. The island is so relaxed through the day, there are some fantastic youth hostels and there’s plenty to do through the day if you want to. It’s not the cheapest for nightlife but at the end of the day it is a Croatian island, so its going to be. Overall a brilliant week in Hvar and I would certainly recommend.