Introduction to Hvar

St. Tropez, Majorca, Aspen, and other glamour destinations don't have anything on Hvar, the glitzy Croatian playground patronized by celebrities, the idle rich, and the average Joe tourist who wants to be part of the Hvar hoopla.

Hvar is indeed a lush, sunny Shangri-La with more hours of sunshine (2,724) than any other place in Croatia, according to the literature. But when you're talking just 24 more hours of rays than Brac (2,700) and only 124 hours (4 days) more than most of Croatia's other islands, you're splitting hairs. Ultraviolet rays aside, Hvar is a hilly piece of real estate with vineyards, lavender fields, a few interesting sites, a lot of good restaurants, and some überexpensive places to stay.

Hvar's principal towns are Hvar Town, Stari Grad, Vrboska, Jelsa, and Sucuraj, though Hvar Town seems to be the center of current interest in the island.