Hvar Warnings and Dangers

It seems really as if they do not have any traffic regulations on Hvar when sitting on the taxi. But one thing is that the price varies from a driver to driver, so a good tip is to agree on price before you travel with it. And another is put on security-belt!

The people at Atlas Travel in Hvar are thieves. They stole money from us and blamed it on a language barrier despite my Croatian friends translating for us. Use any other travel agency to find apartments!

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Sea Urchins live on the seabed of the Adriatic coastline in great abundance. In many places, especially isolated beaches, you will find them, which is a good reason to have some sort of foot wear. But be glad when you see sea-urchins, it means the water is absolutely clean because they live only in especially clean waters.
Wear old sneakers or plastic swim shoes, when you get there. Maybe it does not look the best, but it will help, to avoid pain if you step on them.

Another danger may be caused by the jellyfish, which may be found on the Dalmatian coasts in big swarms. Once you've been stung, little red welts will arise and they will itch three or four hours later. There are some "jellyfish sting" suntan lotions but bottom line is, they do not work. The best way to treat a jellyfish pinch is to put vinegar on there. If you don't have vinegar, urine will work in a pinch … But I haven't tried it.

The sharks are considered as the highest danger by the bathers, however in the Adriatic the little dog-fish lives mostly, which is max. 70 cm long, one of the world's most abundant species of shark. It lies in the big part of the day on the seabed, takes little cancers and fish. It is sold on the Dalmatian fish-markets, commonly used as the fish in "fish and chips". It is totally unharmful to the people.
Larger sharks very seldom stray into the Adriatic following ships; but they do not like the saltish water of the Adriatic.

When planning a holiday in Hvar, I highly suggest visiting off season, say end of September or early October. The island has some 50,000 visitors at a time during each month from May thru the end of August. The locals will tell you, its a horrible time of the year to visit and really enjoy what Hvar has to offer. In September through mid October the town has quited down, the water is still warm and the sun is still shining.

Make sure you take precations. Wear a hat!! The sun is so strong and with the breeze on the ferry it's easy to get too much sun. It is also quite humid .On the blistering hot day we were there we had to drink lots of water and try to take lots of breaks in the shade. Even with that we got too much sun and had to cool down when we got back to our room.

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On the very western tip of the island, quite a large area of 600 hectares of seafront, plans are afoot (2007) to turn the natural scrub intothe Floriana Wildlife Reserve and Leisure Resort. It promises to be Croatia’s first environmentally-integrated resort development. However, there is quite a lot of protest (see, for example http://cnn.blog.hr/arhiva-2007-01.html).

The following text is what the resort promises to be:

Resort Philosophy

The Floriana Wild Life Reserve and Leisure Resort will be an exclusive and private idyll in a romantic and beautiful island setting.

Guests and residents will have private access to the resort’s picturesque harbours and the opportunity to view and be amongst the island’s natural reserves of plant and animal life.

This exclusive and integrated resort destination is likely to appeal to a discerning and affluent clientele.

The development will consist of six hotels, villas and residences, all of four or five-star standard.

As well as accommodation, the resort will include a commercial marina, an 18-hole golf course and clubhouse, tennis club, health and wellness spa, natural game reserve and a private village chapel.

The resort will offer facilities for activities such as hiking and jogging, with footpaths and hiking trails, as well as dedicated areas for water sports such as swimming, sailing, diving, water skiing and parasailing.

This is an exciting opportunity, where everything combines harmoniously to create an exclusive and integrated resort appealing to the world-class traveller.

Decide for yourselves!

We rented a boat to visit the Pakleni. The price was 400 kuna for a day. (in august)

When we left, it was very sunny. However, when we were in St Clements, the weather changed suddenly and we had to come back with heavy rain and some wind.

My wife thought we were going to drown. We came back to the port completely wet and very cold. It was a very bad experience.

Be warned that hiring a small boat is very risky, in case the weather changes. The boat owners don't check the weather, so be careful.

Have plenty of cash in your account, this world does not run on plastic. Expect to pay at least 20% more if you charge anything here, that is, if they even accept your plastic. ATM is easily reached, no problem there, but be warned Croatia is a cash economy!