What to do in Jelsa, Hvar in Croatia

About Jelsa and Hvar

Island Hvar in Croatia has become immensely popular, especially in the last few years, but don't let this fact turn you off from visiting. The popular part is mostly Hvar town where tourists come to party, the other towns are much less crowded. Stari Grad is a very good choice if you don't like crowded places but Jelsa is a perfect one. If you want to experience Hvar but without partying, Jelsa is the place to book a stay. 

How to get there

You can get to Hvar Island by ferry (with car or on foot) or by catamaran. Just make sure to book a few days prior if you are traveling with a car because it can happen that you don't get a spot on a desired day. We took a ferry from Split and it takes about 2 hours to get to Stari Grad. I think there is also one directly to Jelsa but check the schedule for that. From Stari Grad, it is about 15-20 minutes by car to Jelsa town.

What to do and What to See?

Explore the city

The number one thing on the list is to explore the city. Jelsa is a very small but beautiful city. It has its charm with all the stone buildings and colorful windows. I loved taking a walk to the store every morning because the town was almost empty before 7 a.m. Even at night, it's not very touristy. There are people and you have music everywhere but it isn't overcrowded.

Explore local restaurants

We always change restaurants but this time we mostly ate at one because it amazed us on the very first day - Obala bistro. We didn't eat anything fancy (we don't eat seafood) but pizzas and "čevapčiči" were to die for. The staff is also very friendly. I do recommend reserving a table if you go in the evening. You also have to try the ice cream at Jelsa Slastičarnica. There is usually a line, but it's worth waiting and trying their ice cream.

Spend a day at the beach

Jelsa has a lot of stone beaches but just about 10 minute walk from the city center, there is a sand beach - Mina Beach. On the outside, there is mostly grass, which I actually prefer, and there is plenty of shade. No matter what time of the day you arrive, you will find a good place in the shade - maybe just consider getting some beach mats. In the water, you have sand and a good part of the water you see in the photos is actually quite shallow, so it's perfect for families or just lounging around. There are no beach bars directly by the beach but there is one (Malon Café Lounge Bar) a few minutes down the street where you can get burgers, tortillas, fries, etc., the prices are normal. On the other side of the beach, you also have a pancake stand (4€ or 5€ one).

Mina Beach Jelsa

Malon Café Lounge Bar

Take a walk by the coastline

I loved taking walks by the coastline, whether it was in the morning, during the day or at night. As I said, there are not many people around and you can find little places for yourself to read or just enjoy the view with many boats and yachts coming to and leaving Jelsa.

 

Get yourself a souvenir

There are lots of small shops around Jelsa, where you can go exploring and find yourself a souvenir - from postcards, magnets, shot glasses, mugs, towels, etc. I always get myself something to remember my trip by.

Rent a scooter or a quad and explore the whole island

I will make a whole post about our scooter road trip but I will say that I really recommend exploring the whole island - one day is enough to see the basic things (Vrboska, Stari Grad, Hvar town, and some beaches). Scooters cost around 25-45€ but you can also get a quad (we didn't know but most beaches are only reachable by a quad).

More things that we didn't get to do but are also popular:

- Take a one-day trip to the surrounding islands (Korčula, Vis, Šolta, Brač). There are some catamarans (they are mostly from Hvar town) that will take you there, just check the schedule. 

- You also have some excursions that you can book that will take you to popular places (like Bol on Brač) and I think there is also a Mamma Mia tour where you visit filming locations on Vis (I do recommend going there alone and exploring Vis because it will be much cheaper).

- Visit Blue Cave (I think this is the most popular tour on Hvar. Blue Grotto is located on the island of Biševo and it's popular because the sea gets a glowing blue shade at certain parts of the day).

- Visit Pakleni Islands (A group of islands near Hvar. You can rent a boat or join a group tour. You will find great diving and swimming spots, restaurants, and bars).

It seems like it's the same story with every Dalmatian island that I visit - I fall in love and want to stay there. Last year I visited Brač, and this year Hvar and I really hope to visit Korčula/Vis/Šolta next year.

Thank you for reading!