May 30, 2021
Today we’re heading to Hvar by ferry (100 Kuna, no student discounts). Caitlin’s wallet was stolen so I’m going to help her for the next few days until she can go to Portugal. We’re running late but luckily our friend Mike is giving us updates about whether the ferry is leaving and we make it just in time.
We booked Youth Hostel Villa Marija in advance for 90 Kuna/night. There’s a 100 Kuna security deposit and it’s cash only. The hostel is pretty quiet and has a lovely terrace with a small pool. More notably, the walk to it from the port in Hvar Town is quite difficult with luggage but still doable and a fun challenge. Mike offered to help me with my suitcase (a backpack would probably have been useful here given the cobbled streets and staircases) but I declined given that I’ll be lugging this thing around all summer so I need to get used to it. Additionally, what’s cool about this hostel is that each of the rooms are separate with their own bathroom. We got a room for 4 people to ourselves.
After settling in Caitlin and I head to Beach Pokonji Dol, which is extremely beautiful. The sand is rocky so I suggest bringing swimming shoes. There’s a bar called Mustaco where I bought fries for 30 Kuna. There’s some comfortable lounges, and one with shade which I grab. When Mike gets back from his workout we decide to go on a hike that we heard about to a town named Milna.
The hike is along the red trail to Milna, which you can find information about on most tourist maps. The hike is along the beach, and each time we pass a restaurant or nice view we stop to rest.
First stop is Pacha Mama. We get wine and some appetizers, which were pretty good but the service was not so. They gave us limoncello shots by accident and gave us a bottle of wine when we meant a glass (which could have been our fault to be fair).
We arrive in Milna which has a nice campsite, and find a place to watch the sunset over dinner. The restaurant we choose is Moli Onte. It’s a family run seafood and Italian restaurant with a patio on the water. I got some very delicious pasta for 60 Kuna and house wine for 80 Kuna. We spend awhile here and then have the restaurant call us a taxi back to Hvar Town which costs 100 Kuna (a set price for the island).
Our bar/beach crawl hasn’t ended yet though. We ask the taxi driver to recommend us a bar to end the night at. We end up at Lola Bar where I pay 42 Kuna for a beer. Lola Bar is on a street with several other bars and restaurants that are lively at this hour. We meet some South Africans that we chat with for quite some time. At some point I hear American music and go in search of it to find the terrace of one of the rooftops had been rented out for a private wedding. Before I know it, I am walking in and no one stops me so I join their dance party for a minute before the mother of the bride pushes me out. I take the hint and leave. Then I meet a Ukrainian girl who gives me all her recommendations for Kyiv. We stumble back to the hostel and cool off in the pool before passing out.
Edit: This night was another one of those perfect moments. Nothing spectacular happened but several small things came together to make a great day. We combined relaxing on the beach with a light hike, a delicious meal, drinking, and good conversation. These are the moments we travel for.
May 31, 2021
I get a late start because I am hungover and tired. Today is my chance to explore Hvar Town. I walk down to the center from the hostel and grab ice cream for 12 Kuna. There’s some really nice boutiques that I stop into on the streets off of the main square. All in all there’s not so much to do here, so one day was enough.
When I get back, I order food at the hostel from the restaurant downstairs named Gustico. The kebab was pretty good with some fresh veggies for a change. We stay in tonight because we have to work tomorrow and last night was a lot.
June 1, 2021
It’s June 1st so my class starts today. I have some admin to do so I just stay at the hostel and get food from Gustico.
Mike left this morning so Caitlin decides it’s girls’ night. She makes me put on makeup and dress up, which I’m hesitant to do at first because I didn’t pack the right wardrobe for this occasion. I end up borrowing some of her clothes and we go into Hvar Town.
We pass Carpe Diem which was open this morning for a yacht party, but now is dead. We’ve heard about the other most famous club called Hula Hula which is a bit of a walk away so we start in that direction. We know it’s probably closed but the walk is along the water so we do it anyway, and take in the expensive resorts we pass. It’s closed of course so we turn right back around and look for a busy bar.
We settle on Kiva Bar which was playing American music for a yacht party. Beers were 30 Kuna. We run into some people we met on the pier in Split who are stopping here for yacht week and drink at the bar for awhile before calling it a night. Thanks to Caitlin for making me get out of my comfort zone because it ended up being a great time.
Yacht Week
Yacht Week is an organized event that starts in Split in late May (there could also be other yacht weeks in other countries though, but I think Split might be the most famous). You and a group of friends can charter a yacht which will make stops around the Croatian Islands over the course of the week. They have events planned for the fleet of yachts so you can drink and party with your friends while also meeting other yacht weekers. I am sure there are also slots for solo travelers to share a yacht with other solo travelers too. I didn’t do this because it’s not exactly my style, but many people come to Croatia just for this event.
Check Out My Guide to Hvar ⧉
My Google Maps Guides have all the important locations I mention in my blogs, and you can open them right in Google Maps to make it easy to plan your own trip!