© Goran Šafarek
Hvar Town is overflowing with life in summer. By day, families wander by the waterside or between restaurants in the old town. By night, bars and discos are vibrant and full. In Stari Grad, a constant stream of excited new visitors arriving by boat. Such scenes tell of the popularity of summertime on Hvar. Arguably, this is Croatia’s most well-known island for holidaymakers.
© Goran Šafarek
But, away from the throngs of people in Hvar Town and Stari Grad, there’s a distinctly different side to this island. Famously, Stari Grad Plain (Starogradsko polje) on the interior looks much the same now as it did over 2000 years ago. That’s how long grapes and olives have been cultivated here. Pretty rows of vines and fields of olive trees or lavender colour the landscape all over Hvar. Passing by these agricultural endeavours gives a better reminder of just how much room there is for everyone on Hvar.
As shown above, the long, ancient harbour at Vrboska © Goran Šafarek
With 250 kilometres of its own coastline, Hvar is not short of beaches. People love swimming in the island’s crystal clear waters. Sailors love them too. In the ancient harbour of Vrboska, there’s an altogether different feeling to arrivals by boat. Here, elegant yachts gracefully cruise into the long, thin harbour. They find temporary homes near small, traditional fishing boats. Inside, summertime sailors may have chosen this beautiful part of the island because of its famous restaurants. After the gastronomic joy of lunch, maybe they’ll wander the historic promenade or visit one of the famous winemakers near here.
In the background, sailors into Vrboska © Goran Šafarek
All these different aspects of summertime on Hvar and more have been captured in an all-new video made by Goran Šafarek. Goran, who is an independent biologist, publicist, photographer and filmmaker, was on the Adriatic working in summer 2021. His assignments included film work commissioned by Croatian National Parks. But, he took advantage of being on the coast and made time between assignments for a family sailing holiday. He visited Korčula island and Hvar island, using the opportunity to make new videos of each.
© Goran Šafarek
Total Croatia News has already published Goran’s new video of Korčula, which you can watch here. This new one of Hvar has us pining for summer and making plans for next.
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