24 June, 2018 – Famed for its sun, beaches, lavender and nightlife, the island of Hvar is quietly developing its tourism in another important direction for the shoulder seasons – sport.
The 8th Hvar Half Marathon took place yesterday on the island of Hvar, a gruelling but beautiful 21km race from Stari Grad along the old road to Hvar Town, through the lavender fields near Velo Grable, before descending onto the main square in Hvar Town.
Now in its 8th year, the marathon has become a firm fixture on the Hvar tourism calendar, and it is just one example of a gentle shift of emphasis in tourism strategy on the island in recent years, as Hvar looks to extend its season beyond the summer beach worship and nightlife.
It is a strategy which appears to be working, and the island now boasts an impressive array of sporting events which are attracting the world’s best. The island’s most traditional race, the Faros Marathon, has taken place for 40 years now, and it is known as one of the world’s most challenging swimming races, a 16km swim from the centre of Stari Grad to the tip of the Kabal Peninsula and back. A race which has attracted no less than Olympic gold medal winners in the past.
The real emergence of Hvar as an adventure destination dates back to 2005, however, when a group of local enthusiasts decided to offer all the adrenaline sports they could think of. All locals who knew every inch of the island, their initial offer of rock climbing, sailing, sea kayaking, hiking and cycling offered something completely new to Hvar. Working with leading hotel group Suncani Hvar, they were able to organise a number of events and packages, which started to attract a new type of tourist to the island. The growth of sea kayaking in particular has blossomed, and many tourists now come to Hvar without any plans to try kayaking and discover hidden bays, the perfect Pakleni sunset and several hidden bays. Unlike beach life, most of these activities are not season-dependent, allowing a new type of tourism to take hold.
One sector which has really taken off in recent years is cycling tourism. The highlight of Hvar’s recent cycling story was back in December with the biggest promotion for cycling ever on the island of Hvar, as Suncani Hvar hosted one of the top cycling teams in the world for winter training, Bahrain Merida, including world champion, Vincenzo Nibali. The team from Bahrain were delighted with what they saw, and they vowed to be back.
Hvar is rightfully known as a sailing paradise, and the Pakleni Islands in particular are famed for their sailing attractiveness, and while there is plenty to do for incoming leisure tourists, there is plenty of competitive action as well. The New Year Laser Europa Cup regatta is now in its 41st year, and it has been joined recently by an Easter regatta, while the Festa Forske Pulene, the traditional sailboat regatta, is now in its eighth year.
Another major international coup for Hvar Town was the hosting of the opening leg of the Otillo Swim and Run event, a challenging swim and run race through some of the island’s most picturesque land (and sea), images which were beamed around the world. With the event taking place for the second time in April, it would appear that it is becoming one more great event on the shoulder season sporting calendar.
Running is also increasing in popularity, and while the Hvar Half Marathon was the first recognised event on the island, it has been joined by two others this year, both of which were huge successes and look destined for a repeat – the first Hvar Wine Run, and the For Trail Run in May. Add to all that that there are now Ironman training programmes in Hvar’s repertoire, and one could be forgiven for wondering if adrenaline tourism was not the number one source of tourism on the sunshine island.
Huge progress has been made in the last ten years, and it appears that the various parties are committed to working together to further develop Hvar as a sporting destination. It is impressive to watch from the sidelines.
