Travel · Croatia
Where to Stay in Hvar
the quiet towns, not the loud one
Where to stay on Hvar — Stari Grad or Jelsa for the calm, characterful island, or Hvar town if you want to be in the middle of the glamour. A few rooms across the island.
On Hvar, where you stay decides which island you get. Hvar town is the glamorous, lively hub — central, beautiful, and loud in summer. Stari Grad and Jelsa, across the island, are the calm, traditional towns locals love, with easy day trips into Hvar town and out to the Pakleni islands.
For a slow trip, base in Stari Grad or Jelsa and visit Hvar town by day. Below are places across the island, from a design wellness resort to the grand dame on the square.
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Where to Stay
Hand-picked Hotels
Maslina Resort
$$$$Stari Grad
A serene, design-forward wellness resort outside Stari Grad — the quiet luxury base.
Check Availability →Palace Elisabeth, Hvar Heritage Hotel
$$$$Hvar town
The grand dame on Hvar town's marble square — central, historic, and in the thick of it.
Check Availability →Hotel Adriana
$$$Hvar town
A spa hotel on the Hvar town harbour with a rooftop pool facing the Pakleni islands.
Check Availability →Hotel Hvar
$$Jelsa
A simple seafront base in the quiet port of Jelsa — the calm, affordable choice.
Check Availability →Book an Experience
Live on GetYourGuide
What to See & Do
Hvar town fortress
A Spanish hilltop fortress above the Venetian square, with views to the Pakleni islands.
Stari Grad Plain
A UNESCO site where Greek field divisions laid out 2,400 years ago are still farmed.
The lavender hills
The sunny interior turns purple and fragrant in June — drive the inland lavender road.
The Pakleni islands
Car-free islets just off Hvar town with pine, white-pebble coves, and astonishingly clear water.
Questions, Answered
Where should I stay on Hvar?
For a quiet trip, stay in Stari Grad (an ancient, calm town around a deep bay) or Jelsa (a small working port locals love), and day-trip into Hvar town. If you want to be in the middle of the nightlife and the main square, stay in Hvar town itself — but expect summer noise.
Is Hvar town or Stari Grad better?
Hvar town is livelier, more glamorous, and busier — great if you want the scene and the main square at your doorstep. Stari Grad is older, calmer, and more traditional, with the UNESCO plain behind it. For a slow trip, Stari Grad (or Jelsa) wins; for nightlife, Hvar town.
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