Last updated August 15, 2026

View from the Spanish Fortress over Hvar Town's red-roofed old town and the yacht-filled harbor

Steve Jurvetson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Croatia

Where to Stay in Hvar

Hvar Town is the main town on the island of Hvar, off Croatia's central Dalmatian coast, reachable only by boat since the island has no bridge or airport of its own. The old town wraps around a natural harbor that has served sailors for centuries and is now one of the Adriatic's best-known yachting stops, lined with everything from small fishing boats to superyachts in summer. At its center sits Pjaca, the largest square in Dalmatia, flanked by St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Arsenal, a former Venetian shipyard that now houses one of Europe's oldest communal theaters. Above the rooftops, the Spanish Fortress looks down over the whole town and the Pakleni Islands just offshore. Hvar's reputation as one of the sunniest spots in the Adriatic, combined with its yachting harbor, has made it a magnet for a specific kind of visitor: couples and groups after boutique hotels and beach clubs rather than campsites, plus a well-known summer nightlife scene built around bars on the harbor and beach clubs a short boat ride away on the Pakleni Islands. Day trips from town cover those islands' pebble coves, plus the rest of Hvar island's lavender fields, vineyards, and smaller villages like Stari Grad and Jelsa.

Quick facts

Best time to visit
June through September brings the warmest sea and the fullest harbor, with July and August the busiest, hottest, and liveliest for nightlife — also the hardest months to find a room without booking well ahead. May and October are quieter and cooler but still mild enough for sightseeing and some swimming, with many seasonal bars and beach clubs closed or just opening/winding down.
Renting a car
You don't need a car inside Hvar Town itself — it's small and mostly pedestrian. A car (or scooter) becomes useful if you want to explore the rest of the island on your own schedule, since buses to Hvar's smaller villages, beaches, and vineyards run infrequently outside the summer peak.

Where to stay

Stay here if you want to be inside walking distance of Pjaca, the cathedral, the harbor, and the boats out to the Pakleni Islands — it suits couples and first-time visitors after a central, walkable base, and anyone who wants easy access to Hvar's beach-club nightlife without needing a car or a long taxi ride back.

Hvar Town's harbor packed with sailboats and yachts, with the old town's red rooftops along the shore

Jeremy Couture / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Hvar Town

Best for: Couples, First-time visitors, Nightlife, Luxury travelers

Our picks for Hvar

A handful of editorial calls across every neighborhood above, not just the highest star rating — see each hotel's own card further down for the full case for and against it.

🏆 Our overall pickRiva Hvar Yacht Harbour HotelHvar Town❤️ Best for couplesRiva Hvar Yacht Harbour HotelHvar Town👨‍👩‍👧 Best for familiesAmfora Hvar Grand Beach ResortHvar Town✨ Best luxuryPalace Elisabeth Hvar Heritage HotelHvar Town📍 Best locationPalace Elisabeth Hvar Heritage HotelHvar Town

A couple of hotels in Hvar Town

Hvar Town is the top-recommended area to stay in Hvar.

Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort

★★★★
  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Best for families
  • 🏖️ Best for beach access

Our take This is the pick for anyone who wants a proper resort setup — pool, beach, and space to spread out — while keeping Hvar Town's old core within walking distance rather than a drive away.

Highlights

  • A multi-level cascading pool and direct beachfront access, beyond the old town's hotels.
  • Set in a quieter, more wooded bay, so evenings are calmer than at the harbor.
  • Close enough to Hvar Town's old core to walk in for dinner and back.

What to know

  • It's roughly a 10-15 minute walk from the old town's harbor and main square, not a doorstep location.
  • As a large resort, wear varies between renovation cycles — check current room photos.
Check availability on Booking.com

Riva Hvar Yacht Harbour Hotel

★★★★
  • 🏆 Our overall pick
  • ❤️ Best for couples
  • 📍 Best location

Our take The appeal here is being genuinely on the water in the center of town — a compact hotel that trades size for a position right on the harbor front.

Highlights

  • Sits directly on the harbor promenade, close to where catamarans and ferries dock.
  • Rooms face the water, with views over the moored boats and yachts.
  • Small enough to feel personal rather than like a standard mid-size hotel.

What to know

  • Rooms are on the smaller side, in keeping with the building's compact footprint.
  • The harbor-front location means some street and boat-related noise carries into rooms, particularly on summer evenings.
Check availability on Booking.com

Useful travel information

Croatia uses the euro. Hvar island has no airport of its own and no bridge to the mainland, so most visitors fly into Split and continue by boat — a passenger catamaran covers Split to Hvar Town directly in about an hour, while a car ferry runs to Stari Grad on the other side of the island, a further 20-minute drive or bus ride to Hvar Town. The old town's core is largely closed to cars and easy to cross on foot. Cards are widely accepted, and English is common in hotels and restaurants given how international the summer crowd is. Local buses connect Hvar Town to Stari Grad and other villages, but service outside peak season is limited.

Tips

  • Book a water taxi or table at Carpe Diem Beach or Hula Hula ahead of time in July and August — both fill up, and getting to the Pakleni Islands beach clubs takes some planning.
  • Reserve catamaran or ferry tickets to and from Split a few days ahead in peak summer, when the direct routes to Hvar Town can sell out.
  • Walk up to the Spanish Fortress in the late afternoon rather than midday — it's a steep climb with little shade, and the light and temperature are both better a couple of hours before sunset.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Hvar Town?
There's no airport on Hvar, so most visitors fly into Split and then take a boat — a direct passenger catamaran to Hvar Town takes about an hour, or a car ferry runs to Stari Grad followed by a short drive or bus to Hvar Town.
Is Hvar Town more about nightlife or a quiet getaway?
Both exist side by side — the old town itself is relatively calm during the day, with the well-known beach-club nightlife concentrated on the Pakleni Islands a short boat ride away and along the harbor after dark, so it's possible to choose how much of that scene you engage with.
How many days do I need in Hvar Town?
Two to three days covers the old town's main sights at a relaxed pace plus a boat trip out to the Pakleni Islands; longer stays make sense if you want to explore the rest of the island's villages and vineyards too.

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