February 8, 2018 – Whisper it quietly, but the sunshine elite island of Hvar is quietly introducing a new aspect to its tourism offer – active tourism.
One of the things I have been watching over the years in Dalmatia is how destinations are reinventing themselves and expanding their offers. Perhaps the best example of this is Bol on Brac, which 15 years ago was known as probably the biggest party destination on the Adriatic. The tourism chiefs decided that this was not the kind of tourism they wanted, and they diverted Bol’s tourism message towards family and adventure tourism. Helped by strong investment in the town’s hotels, the results have been spectacular.
But spare a thought for what is happening a little further south of Brac on the island of Hvar. Famous for its sun, beaches and nightlife, in recent years Hvar has succeeded in adding another exciting section to its tourism offer – active tourism.
With the strong support of leading island hotel group Suncani Hvar Hotels, Hvar is managing to bring more and more events and bigger sporting names to the island.
Not that many people know that Hvar has been the home of one of the most demanding swimming races since the early 1970s? The Faros Marathon is a 16km open sea swim from the harbour in Stari Grad to the mouth of the Stari Grad Channel 8 km away, and back. It is a truly international event, attracting talent including Olympic Gold Medal winners in the past.
And while the Faros Marathon has been on the island calendar for more than 40 years, there have been many new initiatives in recent years which are starting to exploit Hvar’s true adventure tourism paradise. A group of young enthusiasts started offering tours for sailing, kayaking, hiking, cycling and climbing. Adventure tourism on Hvar was born.
(Photo Miro Stec – Are you brave enough for the new Ferrata Via Avalon?)
And from those humble beginnings, the active Hvar offer has mushroomed, so that today, it can truly call itself an activitiy island. The Hvar Half Marathon, surely one of the most beautiful races in Europe along the old road from Stari Grad to Hvar Town, has been an established fixture for more than a decade. New initiatives with Run Croatia have meant that Hvar is rapidly increasing its profile as a running destination.
Perhaps the most progress has been made in cycling, and the island’s roads are becoming increasingly busy in the shoulder and off-season months with cyclists from all over the world. From popular races such as Cycling Through Heritage (through Hvar’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Stari Grad Plain) to a winter training camp for one of the world’s best cycling teams, the island’s roads (and off-road) are being discovered by cyclists of all levels of ability. Bahrain Merida returned to Hvar in December to once more bring their 75-strong team together for winter training. There seemed to be delighted with the facilities on offer on Hvar, staying as they did in the island’s first bike-friendly hotel, Pharos, bayhill hvar.
The annual New Year sailing regatta has been taking place for more than 40 years, and it has recently been joined by an Easter regatta. Competitive sailors will note a rice race list throughout the year, with several regattas taking in the island. For less competitive sailors, or for those who just want to enjoy a romantic picnic around the Pakleni Islands, the sailing offers on Hvar have increased considerably in recent years.
Perhaps the most high profile addition to the Hvar activity calendar in recent years has been the OTILLO Swim Run, a gruelling swim and run through the island’s beautiful fields and enticing waters. The global event returns for the third time in April.
How to best sum up all of this healthy activity? Perhaps with the new Suncani Hvar Hotels promo video for Active Hvar – check it out below.
