Getting from Dubrovnik to Hvar
· Updated · BootsnAll
Hvar is the most fashionable of the Croatian islands and has been for twenty years: a Venetian town around a harbour, lavender fields and vineyards inland, and a nightlife reputation that arrived with the yachts. Dubrovnik is the walled city 150 km down the coast.
Between them lies water and a set of islands, which makes this a more interesting journey than a road transfer.
The catamaran
In season, fast passenger catamarans run between Dubrovnik and Hvar town, typically taking around three to three and a half hours and often calling at Korcula, Mljet or Brac along the way. Jadrolinija and private operators such as Kapetan Luka run these.
This is the way to do it. You get the island scenery, you arrive in the middle of Hvar town rather than at a port miles away, and the boats are comfortable.
The catch is the season. These services run roughly from late spring to early autumn, with the fullest timetable in July and August and very little outside it. In winter, getting between Dubrovnik and Hvar is a genuine expedition involving the mainland.
Book ahead in high summer. Foot passenger catamarans sell out, and they do not take cars.
Out of season: the long way round
If the catamaran is not running, the route is bus from Dubrovnik to Split, which takes four to four and a half hours, then a ferry or catamaran from Split to Hvar, which takes one to two hours depending on the boat.
That is most of a day, and it needs the connection to work, so check both timetables before you commit.
One thing that has improved: the Dubrovnik to Split bus no longer crosses into Bosnia. The Pelješac Bridge opened in July 2022 and removed the two border crossings at the Neum corridor that used to add unpredictable time to this leg.
Which port on Hvar
This matters and catches people out. Hvar town is at the western end of the island. Stari Grad, where the car ferries from Split arrive, is about 20 km away across the island, with a bus connection that is timed to the boats. Sucuraj is at the far eastern tip and is three hours from Hvar town.
Passenger catamarans generally serve Hvar town directly. Car ferries generally do not. Check which port your ticket names.
What to do with Hvar
The town is the draw and is also where the crowds and the prices are. Get out of it: the Pakleni islands are a short taxi-boat ride and have the best swimming, and the interior, with the lavender and the abandoned village of Malo Grablje, is empty even in August.
Stari Grad Plain, the agricultural landscape the Greeks laid out in the 4th century BC and which is still farmed on the same field boundaries, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and almost nobody visits it.
Croatia uses the euro since January 2023, so ignore any prices quoted in kuna.