Hvar Town - Diving Holiday Destination

Hvar Town (Croatia)

Croatian islands are small parallel worlds; each island has a life of its own, its own spirit and its own message. Among the Croatian islands, the Kornati islands, a masterpiece of nature, truly stand out, while the small Sibenik islands such as Krapanj are the best places for a secluded vacation. Near Split, is Hvar, the sunniest of all the islands and an island with the oldest theatre in Europe.

The island of Hvar will attract you with lavender scent, pleasant Mediterranean climate and more of sunny days in year than any other place in Croatia. In the town of Hvar you can experience exceptional cultural-historical heritage together with health programs and beautiful nature. 700 hundred-year-old town walls surround the town. It's center, the largest in Dalmatia, is surrounded with Renaissance and Baroque palaces. Hvar is a trendy destination where you can have a good time in the evening and night, while party starts already in the afternoon in some of the bars with après-beach programme. You can dance in your bikinis! Guided by the love of history head to the town of Stari Grad. Smaller places such as Vrboska or Jelsa are beautiful peaceful and quiet places with narrow streets and romantic town squares.

Pakleni islands are a group of islands located just off Hvar town. The name of this tiny archipelago (about twenty islets right opposite the town of Hvar) which extends undulating along the south side of Hvar comes from the word "paklina" (melted pine resin for 'rasping' boat plating). This archipelago is the most beautiful part of the Hvar riviera and beside the most popular beaches it is a place of some very interesting diving spots.

Climate

The best period to visit the Croatian coast is from April to October. Peak temperatures in high season summer months (July, August) can reach 38°C (100°F), and the water surface at that point reaches a comfortable 26°C (79°F).

Spring starting in March can bring some rain showers, but the autumn months, September and October, are ideal for travel if you want to relax. In the off season the beaches are less crowded and the prices drop, weather, however, remains stable and the water is still agreeably warm. Generally, you can travel along the Croatian coast at any time of the year. During winter season, however, you should pack some warm clothing in spite of the mild Mediterranean climate. The temperatures seldom drop below the freezing point but some winds might be unpleasant in the winter.

Dive Facts

Sea temperature fluctuations throughout the year: in winter months temperature ranges from 7 to 10 °C, in summer months average surface temperature is from 21 to 26 °C, while the temperature at a depth of from 20 to 30 m (average diving depth) remains constant throughout the year, ranging from 16 to 17 °C.

The difference between high and low tide varies from 40 cm (Southern Adriatic and Dalmatia) to 1m at Istria. The Adriatic is a relatively calm sea, with no high waves or strong currents. Wave height ranges from 40 to 150 cm, to 4 to 5 m at the most in extremely adverse weather conditions on the open sea. Speed of sea currents is about 0.5 knots, although in certain places and in special weather conditions it can reach up to 4 knots

Dive Attractions

See our Dive Site Directory for Scuba Diving Sites in Hvar in more detail, and our Dive Club Directory for Croatian Scuba Diving Clubs

Pakleni Otoci are part of the Hvar archipelago; a series of 21 islands and islets. There are bountiful bays to anchor in and many reefs and walls to explore in the area. You will find colored walls, caves, wrecks,as well as rich flora and fauna in the clear Adriatic sea.

Stambedor Islet, part of the Paklenjaci archipelago just off Hvar, is of particular interest to divers due to its spectacular underwater cliff. More details in our Dive site Directory.

On the west end of this archipelago, there is a small island of Vodnjak, surrounded by several dive points. The top one is known as "Campanile" . More details in our Dive Site Directory.

At VELA GARSKA, a location suitable even for beginners, is an interesting 70m long wall. More details in our Dive Site Directory.

Other

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Croatian, written in Latin alphabet; German, Italian and English are the most common foreign languages spoken in the tourist resorts.

CURRENCY: 1 Kuna (HRK) = 100 Lipa. Notes are in denominations of 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 HRK. Coins are in denominations of 5, 2 and 1 HRK, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 lipa.

TIME ZONE: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Saturday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

ELECTRICITY: 220 volts, 50Hz
Plugs have two round pins or three round pins for appliances that need to be earthed.

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