Last updated August 20, 2026

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

Where to Stay in Hvar Town, Hvar

Hvar Town sits around a curved natural harbor on the southwest side of Hvar island, and this one area covers essentially all of the town's hotels — from the stone lanes of the old town and the Pjaca square area, along the harbor promenade where the ferries and yachts dock, to the shoreline walk west toward Majerovica bay, where a few larger hotels sit a short walk from the historic core. Pjaca, St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the Arsenal's 17th-century theater all sit within the old town's narrow streets, while the Spanish Fortress rises on the hillside above, reachable by a marked path. Boats to the Pakleni Islands, just offshore, leave directly from the harbor.

What it's actually like to stay here

The harbor promenade is the liveliest stretch, especially in summer evenings, with waterfront bars, restaurants, and a steady flow of people arriving by ferry or heading out to a beach club by water taxi. The stone lanes climbing away from Pjaca and toward the fortress are quieter and more residential, with laundry lines and small courtyards rather than café terraces. Overall the area feels more geared toward an active, social summer crowd than a hushed retreat, particularly around the harbor after dark.

Stay here if

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.

Walkability
The old town's core is small and mostly flat near the harbor, comfortably walkable end to end in 15-20 minutes, though the streets are narrow and paved in stone rather than smooth pavement. The climb up to the Spanish Fortress is steeper and takes 20-25 minutes on a marked path. The stretch of coast toward Majerovica bay, where a few larger hotels sit, adds another 10-15 minutes of walking along a shoreline path.
Noise at night
The harbor and Pjaca get genuinely lively on summer evenings, with outdoor bars, restaurant terraces, and ferry or water-taxi announcements carrying after dark — this is the loudest part of Hvar island at night. Side streets a block or two into the old town, and hotels further along the coast toward Majerovica bay, are noticeably calmer.

Best Hotels in Hvar Town, Hvar

Palace Elisabeth Hvar Heritage Hotel

★★★★★
  • ✨ Best luxury
  • 📍 Best location

Our take A combination that's hard to find in Hvar Town — a real historic palace right on Pjaca, large enough to offer a full spa, pool, and restaurant.

Highlights

  • Occupies a restored historic palace directly on Pjaca, steps from the cathedral and the harbor.
  • Spa and rooftop pool — resort-level facilities, rare inside a heritage building in Hvar's old town.
  • Individually designed rooms, many with sea-view balconies over the square or harbor.

What to know

  • Rooms over Pjaca can pick up noise from the square, especially on summer nights when terraces stay busy late.
  • Room sizes and layouts vary in the heritage building, so check the specific room type if space matters.
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

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

Transportation & practical information

Everything in the old town is reachable on foot. Passenger catamarans and car ferries dock directly at the harbor, and water taxis to the Pakleni Islands' beach clubs also leave from there. Local buses to the rest of the island depart from a stop near the harbor, though service thins out outside peak season.

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.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hvar Town walkable?
Yes — the old town's core around the harbor and Pjaca is compact and mostly flat, and even hotels a bit further along the coast are within a 10-15 minute walk of the center.
Can I swim right in Hvar Town?
There are a few small rocky or concrete bathing spots along the shoreline near the old town and toward Majerovica bay, but the area's best beaches are a short boat ride away on the Pakleni Islands.
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