☰Jelsa

The eating in Jelsa is unpretentious and excellent. The local konobas serve the same repertoire that has made Dalmatian cooking one of the best reasons to visit Croatia: grilled fish pulled from the Adriatic that morning, lamb slow-cooked under a peka (a domed iron lid buried in embers), fresh octopus salad, and local wine pressed from Plavac Mali grapes grown on the steep south-facing slopes above town. Prices are noticeably lower than in Hvar Town, and the food is at least as good.

Jelsa is on the north coast of Hvar island, reached by ferry from Split. The main Jadrolinija car ferry runs between Split and Stari Grad, about 18 km west of Jelsa; the crossing takes roughly two hours and runs several times daily, more in summer. A local bus connects Stari Grad ferry port to Jelsa. Alternatively, a faster passenger-only catamaran runs directly from Split to Jelsa in about an hour — handy if you're travelling without a car, but book ahead in July and August.

From the Split ferry port, you can also connect to ferries from Ancona and other Italian ports via Split. Once on Hvar, a scooter or bicycle is the most enjoyable way to move around; both can be rented in Jelsa and in Hvar Town. The road over the central plateau to Hvar Town is a spectacular 30-minute drive through lavender fields and karst hills.

Jelsa rewards slow travel. The most satisfying things to do here are the simplest: swimming off a rocky cove, eating grilled fish at a waterfront konoba, renting a scooter and riding through lavender fields to a neighbouring village. There are no major museums or monuments demanding your attention, which is precisely the point.