Summer is coming, and a great place to visit this summer is Jelsa.
As part of our new cooperation with the Jelsa Tourist Board, we are starting a new series – 25 Reasons to Visit Jelsa in 2016. We will be looking at the attractions, villages, traditions and the relaxed pace of life over the entire area covered by the Jelsa Tourist Board, an area which includes southern resorts such as Ivan Dolac and Zavala, and as far away as Gdinj to the east. And we start with one thing that all coastal parts of the Jelsa region has – great beaches!
Jelsa town itself has some great choices in the near vicinity. Mina beach (the lead photo above) is a very popular family beach, with its sandy base, as are Grebisce and Zencisce a little further out from the town, while there is a new town beach being constructed at the moment at the end of the old town waterfront.
Many prefer the rock and people beaches of the other side in Vitarnja, above, on the road to Vrboska. Whatever your preference, there is a beach for you.
For many, though, it is through the tunnel where the beach action is best. Is the water really a little warmer? Perhaps, but south-facing sun and beach is guaranteed. Some prefer Zavala…
While others travel a little further to Ivan Dolac – both are excellent family destinations, with plenty of accommodation close to the beach.
Or head a little more off the beaten track, turning left at Zavala along a little road, and after a while, the delightful and almost abandoned village of Gromin Dolac comes into view. More divine beaches, much less people.
Or go for the ultimate in tranquillity and take a boat out from Zavala to the magical island of Scedro, where time literally stands still.
For some, the wilder and less populated east holds a special appeal. Less than 20 minutes from Jelsa town are two gems on the northern shore. The first is Velika Stiniva.
Velika Stiniva is close to its smaller sibling (Velika means big), Mala Stiniva (Mala means small).
Head futher east and take your pick of bays – there are lots of them totally off the beaten track, such as Dubac, near Zastrazisce.
For many however, the real treasures of the beaches of the Jelsa region lie close to its most easterly point – the south-facing Gdinj bays, a fabulous collection of coves which are increasingly popular for people who want to be away from the main action, but close to the pristine Adriatic.
And these are only a few of the beaches on offer. Our friends from Visit Hvar – for whom many thanks for the photos – have an excellent selection of beaches, more than 70, for you to feast your eyes on, as well with possibly the most comprehensive accommodation selection on Hvar. Check it all out here on their official website, or take a tour of Hvar beaches in the Visit Hvar video below.
And remember, beaches are just one reason to visit Jelsa this summer. To be continued…
