A little more peace in the resorts of Croatia on June 15, 2016, as the annual summer building ban – designed to give tourists the rest and relaxation they deserve – comes into force. But nowhere did it better than Jelsa on the island of Hvar.
It is the new trend in world tourism – sink an object into the sea and turn it into a premium diving attraction. Turkey did it best recently, by sinking an entire Airbus A-300, and as we reported recently from Istria, a former Yugoslav warship was also sunk for the same region.
(Photo credit Dobri Duh Jelse)
Some tourist budgets are bigger than others, and if you can’t find an Airbus or a warship, try a digger.
Extraordinary scenes in Jelsa on Hvar today, as one of the diggers which has been involved in the complete overhaul of the Jelsa waterfront took a leaf from visiting tourists in the scorching heat, and decided to go for a swim of its own.
The impromptu swim, which was obviously not planned, ironically occurred on the first day of the annual building ban in tourist areas. The ban, which runs from June 15 – September 15 (although in some prime resorts, it starts on May 15) is one of the quality features which sets Croatian tourism apart other competition. Although the ban is sometimes flouted, it is intended to ensure peace and quiet in the peak summer months, so that tourists can truly relax.
I would be lying if I said the last few years have been pleasant for local residents, who have been forced to deal with some of the biggest infrastructure changes in the country, including the carving out of a new national road through the rock close to the town, a new waterfront and several other initiatives. Progress was somewhat complicated by the collapse of the main waterfront last year, and it has been a race against time to get it fixed for the season. The work is not quite finished, as you can see from the pictures above, but as the last of the heavy machinery left yesterday, it looks an awful lot better than it did a week ago.
As for the digger…
Work is also approaching completion on a new town beach, to the left of the rowing club.
And for unique adrenaline challenges this summer, have you ever sat in the front seat of a digger underwater?
