If this is your first trip to Hvar and you only have a few days, I would stay in Hvar Town. That is where I based myself on my last visit, and I still think it is the easiest choice for a first trip. You can arrive directly by passenger catamaran from Split, walk to restaurants and the main sights, and take boats to the Pakleni Islands without worrying about a car. Direct Split–Hvar passenger services still arrive in Hvar Town in 2026.
It is also the most expensive and busiest place to stay on the island. If nightlife does not matter to you, Stari Grad gives you more breathing room and makes particular sense if you are bringing a car from Split. Jelsa is the option I would look at for families and a longer, better-value stay, while Vrboska is quieter again.
Then there are the south-coast villages. Milna is close enough to Hvar Town to combine beach time with evenings in town. Zavala and Sveta Nedjelja make more sense when the coast, swimming and a slower routine are the main reasons for your trip.
That distinction matters because Hvar is a long island. Booking a peaceful apartment in the east and assuming you can casually pop into Hvar Town every night is an easy way to spend more time driving than you expected.
If you are combining Hvar with a few days on the mainland, I also have a guide to where to stay in Split.
Where to stay in Hvar at a glance
| Area | Best for | Main advantage | Main drawback | Relative price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hvar Town | First visits, short stays, nightlife, couples | Walkable sights, restaurants, ferries and boat trips | Busiest and most expensive | €€€ |
| Stari Grad | Couples, history, car travellers, longer stays | Quieter, more space, car-ferry convenience | Less nightlife and farther from Hvar Town | €€ |
| Jelsa | Families, value, longer holidays | Beaches, useful town facilities, more affordable stays | A car is useful for exploring | €–€€ |
| Vrboska | Families, couples, quiet stays | Small-scale atmosphere and nearby beaches | Limited nightlife and fewer hotels | €–€ |
| Milna | Beach holidays close to Hvar Town | Four kilometres from town with beaches on the doorstep | Very small; transport needed for nights out | €€ |
| Zavala | Beach lovers, couples, slow trips | South-coast beaches and a 2 km seafront promenade | Less convenient for island-wide sightseeing | €–€€ |
| Sveta Nedjelja | Wine, climbing, quiet coastal stays | South-facing coast, vineyards and swimming | Car strongly recommended | €–€ |
| Sućuraj | Eastern Hvar, Drvenik arrivals, quiet trips | Short ferry crossing from the mainland | Far from Hvar Town and western Hvar | € |
The price symbols are relative rather than nightly rates. Summer prices move too much for fixed numbers to be useful.
1. Hvar Town – best overall, especially for a first trip
If a friend asked me where to stay in Hvar for three or four nights, Hvar Town would be my answer.
I stayed here on my last trip, and the biggest advantage is simple: very little planning is required once you arrive. Hvar Town has direct passenger catamarans from Split, the old centre is walkable, and boats to the Pakleni Islands leave from the waterfront. You can spend a day sightseeing, go swimming, have dinner and go out afterwards without organising a car each time.
This is also where Hvar’s nightlife is concentrated. If going out is an important part of the trip, I wouldn’t stay in Jelsa or Stari Grad and repeatedly travel across the island at night. Stay here and accept that accommodation will usually cost more.
Hvar Town is also the strongest choice for a short stay. You don’t lose the first and last day dealing with transfers between your accommodation and the passenger port.
The centre is built around St Stephen’s Square, or Pjaca. It is the largest town square in Dalmatia, with the cathedral at its eastern end and the harbour immediately below it. The Arsenal and Hvar Theatre are nearby, while Fortica sits above the old town.
For a longer list of places worth seeing once you have chosen your base, I have a separate guide to the best things to do in Hvar, Croatia.
Where in Hvar Town should you stay?
This is something the old version of this guide did not make clear enough: choosing Hvar Town is only half the decision.
Staying directly around Pjaca, the old lanes and the Riva gives you maximum convenience. You can walk off the catamaran and reach many properties without needing another vehicle. Restaurants and bars are outside your door. The price is more noise, more foot traffic and, depending on the address, plenty of stairs.
If I wanted the atmosphere of Hvar Town without sleeping directly above it, I would look a street or two back from the waterfront rather than treating a Riva address as automatically better.
Križna Luka, east of the old centre, is worth considering if practicality matters more than being in the prettiest lane. It feels more residential and puts you away from some of the late-night activity while keeping the centre within walking distance.
Heading west from the harbour towards Bonj, Majerovica and the hotel area around Amfora works well if you want easier access to swimming and a quieter evening but still want to walk into town for dinner. Pharos is in this part of town, on the hill above the centre.
Then there are the properties higher above Hvar. Some have excellent views, but do not book them from a map alone. The straight-line distance to the harbour can look short while the walk involves a considerable climb. That matters with luggage and matters even more after dinner in August.
Hvar Town is also where I would look for a luxury trip. At the opposite end of the budget, there are guesthouses and apartments, but a cheap room here in July or August can still cost more than a noticeably better property in Jelsa or Vrboska.
Hotels I would consider in Hvar Town
- (€€€) Palace Elisabeth, Hvar Heritage Hotel is the splurge. It sits directly on St Stephen’s Square and is Hvar’s first five-star hotel. This is the one I would choose if the point of the trip is a central luxury stay rather than getting maximum space for the money.
- (€€) Pharos Hvar Hotel makes more sense if you want a full-service hotel and pool without being directly on the Riva. It has now been upgraded to four stars and sits above the town among the pines, within walking distance of the centre.
- (€) Guest House Karević is the more straightforward option from my original list. It is not trying to compete with Hvar’s resort hotels, which is exactly why it can make sense for someone who wants an apartment or guesthouse rather than paying for facilities they will barely use.
The downside: Hvar Town can be crowded, expensive and noisy in summer. If you imagine Hvar as quiet breakfasts, long beach afternoons and an early evening by the harbour, you may actually prefer Stari Grad or Jelsa.
2. Stari Grad – best for history, couples and travellers with a car
Stari Grad would be my second choice for most people, and for some trips I would choose it over Hvar Town.
The first reason is practical. If you are bringing a car from Split, the main car ferry arrives at Stari Grad. Jadrolinija’s 2026 timetable puts the crossing at about 110 minutes. Staying nearby means you can drive off the ferry and settle in rather than immediately crossing the island.
The second reason is the town itself.
Stari Grad is one of those places where having less to do in the evening is part of the appeal. The harbour has restaurants and bars, but it does not turn into Hvar Town after dark. I would choose it for a couple who wants dinner, a walk by the water and a quieter night rather than clubs.
It is also a better base for a longer stay if you have a car. You are well placed for the central part of the island, Jelsa and Vrboska, while Hvar Town remains reachable when you want a busier evening.
Stari Grad’s history is more interesting than the usual “beautiful old town” description suggests. Greek settlers from Paros colonised the area in the 4th century BC. The agricultural landscape behind town, now the Stari Grad Plain, still follows the ancient Greek system of land division and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008. Grapes and olives have been cultivated there since antiquity.
Inside town, Tvrdalj, the fortified home of Renaissance poet Petar Hektorović, is one of the main sights. But I would not choose Stari Grad just because of its historical attractions. I would choose it because the old lanes and harbour are places you can live around for several days without feeling that you need to keep sightseeing.
Accommodation generally stretches further for the money than in Hvar Town. Apartments are particularly useful for longer stays, and there are also some serious resort options outside the tight old centre.
Best Hotels in Stari Grad
- (€€€) Valamar Amicor Green Resort is ideal for families who want considerably more facilities than an apartment in town. Its accommodation is based around eco-villas in a coastal resort setting near Stari Grad.
- (€€) Hotel Antica-Seafront hotel is a smaller, more polished option near the Stari Grad ferry side. I would look at it for a couple wanting something quieter and more intimate than a large resort.
The downside: if your priority is nightlife or you plan to take boat trips from Hvar Town on several consecutive days, Stari Grad adds unnecessary transport. For a two-night first visit without a car, I would still choose Hvar Town.
3. Jelsa – best for families and better value
Jelsa is where I would start looking if Hvar Town prices make you hesitate or you are travelling as a family and want more room.
It is a proper small town rather than a collection of holiday apartments. You have supermarkets, restaurants, cafés and a waterfront where you can walk in the evening without needing to drive somewhere else every time you leave your accommodation.
Jelsa also has a passenger connection with Split via Bol, which makes it possible to stay here without a car.
For a longer trip, though, I would still consider renting one. It gives you much more freedom to reach beaches, wineries and other parts of Hvar.
Families also have good beach options nearby. Mina Beach is close to town, while Grebišće is a little farther out. Both have sandy sections and shallow water.
The evenings are much quieter than Hvar Town. There are restaurants and bars around the harbour, but I would not choose Jelsa and then plan to travel west for nightlife every evening.
For a week on Hvar, especially with children or a rental car, that trade-off starts to look pretty good. For a two-night weekend, less so.
Best Hotels in Jelsa
- (€) Villa Riva: A waterfront option with kitchen facilities and parking. That combination is particularly useful if you are driving and do not want to eat every meal out.
- (€) Apartmani Mladina: A practical apartment choice if self-catering matters more than hotel facilities. Its location also works well for reaching Mina Beach.
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4. Vrboska – best for a genuinely quiet stay
Vrboska sits between Stari Grad and Jelsa and is smaller than both.
The village grew around a narrow inlet crossed by stone bridges. The harbour is still at the centre of village life, and Vrboska also has an ACI marina.
Fishing played a major role here for generations. The old sardine factory opened in the late 19th century, while the Fisherman’s Museum preserves equipment and objects from the village’s fishing past.
For choosing accommodation, though, the most important thing is scale.
Vrboska is for somebody who actually wants a small village.
You can walk around the harbour, eat locally and spend days near the water, but there is nothing resembling the restaurant or nightlife choice of Hvar Town.
That is one reason I like it for families.
Soline Beach is nearby and has shallow water, food and facilities that make it easier with younger children.
Vrboska also works well if you prefer apartments to hotels. For a week-long stay, cooking occasionally and using a car to explore, I would take the extra space here over paying more for a small room in central Hvar Town.
Best Hotels in Vrboska
- (€€) Labranda Senses Resort: The obvious option if you want a resort rather than an apartment, with a coastal setting close to Soline.
- (€) Rooms Roza: A much simpler choice for travellers who mainly need somewhere affordable to sleep between days out.
The downside is that Vrboska can be too quiet. If you want to step outside after dinner and choose from a long list of bars, I would stay somewhere else.
5. Milna – best for beaches close to Hvar Town
Milna can offer better value than central Hvar Town, but price is not the main reason I would stay here.
Its real advantage is that you get a small beach village only about 4 km from Hvar Town.
There are two pebble beaches in Milna itself, with Malo Borče and Veliko Borče nearby. Several restaurants sit around the bay, so you do not have to return to Hvar Town every time you want dinner.
That makes Milna a useful compromise.
You can spend the day by the sea without commuting to a beach, eat locally in the evening and still head into Hvar Town when you want more choice or nightlife.
Malo Grablje, an old abandoned village just inland, also gives you somewhere interesting to walk when you want a break from the beach.
I would not book Milna expecting frequent public transport, though. If you plan on going into Hvar Town most nights, include taxi costs or your own vehicle in the decision.
Best Hotels in Milna
- (€€) Hotel Fortuna: Probably the strongest hotel option in the village. It is a family-run property right by the beach, with a restaurant and pool. It is a good fit if you want a conventional hotel rather than an apartment.
- (€) Duje Apartments Milna: A better choice for self-catering. The apartments are by the sea and include kitchen facilities, so they make sense for a longer stay or anyone who likes preparing breakfast at home.
Milna is very small, and that is both the attraction and the drawback. For a beach-first holiday it works well. For a sightseeing-heavy first trip, Hvar Town is easier.
6. Zavala – best for a south-coast beach holiday
Zavala is where I would stay if the beach is the holiday rather than something you squeeze in between sightseeing.
It lies on Hvar’s south coast below the older village, with accommodation and beaches spread along the waterfront. A promenade runs for roughly 2 km beside the sea, so you have several places to swim rather than relying on one beach.
Getting there is part of the experience.
From Jelsa, the road passes through Pitve before entering the Pitve–Zavala tunnel. The tunnel is about 1.4 km long, narrow and mostly single lane, with traffic controlled by lights.
Once you emerge on the other side, the road drops towards Hvar’s south coast with views across the Adriatic towards Šćedro and Korčula.
That geography is also Zavala’s main disadvantage.
It feels removed from the north side of the island because it is. If I stayed here, I would accept that some days were simply going to be beach days instead of trying to drive back across the island every morning.
The village has restaurants and bars, but evenings are low-key. It suits couples, families and anyone happy to rent an apartment for several days.
Groups can also do well here because holiday homes often give you more space than similarly priced rooms in Hvar Town.
Best Hotels in Zavala
- (€€) Pansion Braco: A family-run option close to the beach, with breakfast and dinner available. I would choose it if you prefer a small pension over complete self-catering.
- (€) House Zaca: Its main selling point is location. It sits beside a pebble beach and works well for travellers who want to wake up and go straight into the sea rather than get in the car.
Zavala is less convenient if you plan to visit Hvar Town, Stari Grad and different parts of the island every day. Choose it because you want to spend time in Zavala, not just because you found a cheaper room there.
7. Sveta Nedjelja – best for wine, climbing and getting away from town
Sveta Nedjelja is another south-coast option, but it feels different from Zavala.
The village sits below Hvar’s highest ridge on steep, sunny slopes where Plavac Mali grapes grow. Vineyards run down towards the sea, and this part of the island is closely tied to wine production.
It is also one of Hvar’s best-known areas for rock climbing.
Above the village is an old cave monastery reached by a steep uphill path. I would not choose Sveta Nedjelja simply for sightseeing, though.
You stay here because you want the south coast.
Down by the water are pebble beaches, a harbour, apartments and places to eat. Days can be as simple as swimming, lunch, another swim and dinner.
That routine makes much more sense for a five- or six-day stay than for a weekend where you are trying to cover the whole island.
Although Sveta Nedjelja is geographically not that far from Hvar Town, the road network means I would still treat it as a separate base rather than an outer part of town.
A car makes life much easier.
Best Hotels in Sveta Nedjelja
- (€€) Apartments Toro: A self-catering option for travellers who want the independence of an apartment rather than services from a hotel.
- (€) Pension Tamaris: A better fit if you want breakfast and a restaurant on site. It also has larger accommodation options that can work for families.
There is very little reason to stay here if shopping, restaurant choice and nightlife are central to your trip. If peace is what you want, that becomes an advantage.
8. Sućuraj – best if you arrive from Drvenik or want eastern Hvar
Sućuraj is a place I would recommend for a very specific type of Hvar trip.
It sits at the eastern end of the island, opposite the mainland, with a car ferry connecting it to Drvenik.
If you are driving along the Makarska Riviera or approaching Hvar from the south, that crossing can make much more sense than continuing to Split and taking a ferry to Stari Grad.
The mistake would be choosing Sućuraj and treating it as interchangeable with the villages around central and western Hvar.
It isn’t.
Hvar is long, and Sućuraj is far from Hvar Town. If most of your plans involve Hvar Town, Stari Grad and the Pakleni Islands, staying here means a lot of driving.
If eastern Hvar is the point, however, Sućuraj works well.
It is a small port and fishing village with beaches on both sides of the narrow eastern tip. Accommodation is mostly in privately owned apartments rather than large hotels, which can also make it useful when budget and self-catering matter more than nightlife.
Best Hotels in Sucuraj
- (€€) Apartments Piacun
- (€) Pansion Ivan
- (€) Apartments Bartul
I would recommend Sućuraj confidently to someone arriving from Drvenik who wants a quiet eastern-Hvar holiday.
I would not recommend it to someone whose trip revolves around Hvar Town.
What about Gdinj and Zastražišće?
Gdinj and Zastražišće can be good places to stay, but only for a fairly specific kind of trip.
Both are in the quieter eastern half of the island, with small inland settlements and roads dropping towards isolated bays and coves.
The attraction here is not really the village centre. It is the chance to stay in a house or apartment near a quiet stretch of coast, often with very little around you.
That can be exactly what you want if you have a car, are happy to stock up on groceries and do not mind being far from Hvar’s main towns.
For a first visit, though, I would choose Jelsa, Vrboska or one of the south-coast villages before Gdinj or Zastražišće unless isolation is specifically what you are looking for.
Best Hotels in Zastrazisce
- (€) Hotel Timun
- (€) Apartmani Ružica
- (€) Apartmani Marko
Best Hotels in Gdinj
So, where should you stay in Hvar?
For most first-time visitors, Hvar Town is my pick.
It was my choice when I visited, and I would make the same decision again for a short trip. You can arrive by catamaran, walk almost everywhere you need to go and decide on a boat trip or night out without reorganising the whole day.
For a quieter trip, I would choose Stari Grad, particularly if you have a car.
For families or a week-long holiday where value matters, Jelsa is probably the best balance. Vrboska is quieter again.
If swimming and slow days by the sea are the main purpose of your trip, look at Milna when you still want Hvar Town within reach, or Zavala and Sveta Nedjelja when you are happy to make the south coast your base for a few days.
I would choose Sućuraj, Gdinj or Zastražišće only when eastern or remote Hvar is deliberately part of the plan. They can be excellent places to stay, but they are not the options I would recommend to most people visiting Hvar for the first time.
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