One of the first things I learned when I bought a house on an island I had never heard of until 2 days previously was that it was named as one of the 10 most beautiful islands in the world.
And it truly is.
That label has stayed with Hvar over the years, and it has its origins in the prestigious Conde Nast Readers Choice Awards, an annual poll of the elite travel magazine’s readership. Hvar has been a regular feature in the Conde Nast top 10s each year, and 2022 is no exception.
The awards, announced last week, placed Hvar once more in the top 10 islands in Europe, at number 9. The full list is below, and you can see all the Conde Nast Readers Choice Awards here.
- Ibiza, Spain 88.54
- Crete, Greece 86.48
- Sardinia, Italy 86.04
- Jersey & Guernsey, United Kingdom 85.83
- Mykonos, Greece 85.26
- Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom 83.96
- Sicily, Italy 83.48
- Santorini, Greece 83.22
- Hvar, Croatia 83.17
- The Azores, Portugal 82.76
So much has changed in the 20 years since I first came to this beautiful island (read more about that experience in 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years: 16. Living 13 Years Full-Time on Hvar Island). And so much more is now internationally known about Hvar than 20 years ago.
Did you know, for example, that Hvar has more UNESCO than any island in the world? Or that the oldest public theatre in Europe lies on its main square? Or that across the square is the birthplace of organised tourism in Europe with the founding of the Hvar Health Society in 1868? Or that on that very spot is one of Croatia’s most luxurious hotels, Palace Elisabeth, hvar heritage hotel?
And so much more. A timeless island with a rich heritage dating back thousands of years, and Croatia’s premier island with very good reason. One thing is for sure – it will be in Europe’s top 10 islands again next year, and the year after.
To learn more about Hvar, check out the Total Croatia Hvar in a Page guide.
