Jelsa - Hvar

This little and quiet place is located in the middle of the island has a large protected harbor and is of great importance for the inhabitants of the direct catamaran line with Brač and Split. After Hvar, the most important place on the island. Traveler Magazine proclaimed the Hvar Island to be one of the ten most beautiful islands in the world.

Beautiful Jelsa is surrounded by pine forest, vineyards, olive groves and lavender. It is abundant with historical sights which are worth exploring, as well as churches, squares, parks and caverns. What you must visit while in Jelsa is Trg sv. Ivana, one of the most beautiful squares of the Renaissance-Baroque period, with a small octagonal church dates from the end of the 17th century. 

The entire area of the Hvar Island is considered as one of the richest areas in Croatia if judged by the number of culture and historical monuments. The oldest such monument are the remnants of the tower Tor in Jelsa. It is the tower dating back into the fourth century B.C. which was once Greek observatory. There is also Grapčeva Cave, important archaeological site which dates back to Neolith and is protected monument of culture and history. It is located near the village Humac. Humac is the old pastoral village formed in the seventeenth century. It is located at on the altitude of 350 m above sea level. From the old town Jelsa, only the remnants of fortification walls and houses of Roman legionnaires remained. From the Augustinian Monastery from the seventeenth century, only the church with original bell tower was kept preserved.

Jelsa also has an application that takes you on the path of Nordic walking, Jelsa - Pitve - Jelsa, through which you will meet the local proctor through a short and concise story.

Not far from Jelsa in the village of Gdinj is the Fjori fôra garden, an educational interactive garden of wild plants on the island of Hvar. This plant oasis spreads over a plot of 2500 m2 and offers many interesting facts about the wild flora of the island of Hvar. Over 80 different plant species are sorted through 6 pools on the principle of asymmetric symmetry into high square wooden beds or planted directly on the plot. Each field and each plant tells its own story.

Every August, Jelsa hosts one of the longest-running festivities on the Adriatic, the Wine Festival. Over the years, the Jelsa Festival has been branded into one of the larger traditional Dalmatian festivals.

Jelsa is not  interesting only in summer. If you find yourself in Jelsa during Easter, then you must attend the event Following the Cross, which is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Many fans of the whole island, as well as guests visiting the island, participate in the procession, carrying candles and crowns.

The area of Jelsa (as well as entire Hvar) has well distributed coast with islets and many capes and coves. As such, with scents of salt, pine forest and lavender, it is ideal for sunbathing and swimming. The Hvar Island has signed the Declaration of the Central Dalmatian Islands – Eco Clear Zone. The sea is completely clean on almost every beach and is characterized by crystal clear water. The beaches here are a special story, and the most popular is the sandy beach Mina with a long shoal and surrounded by pine trees. 

They often call it the sunniest Croatian island, celebrities adore it, and everyone who visits it claims to be one of the most beautiful places in the world.