Most people who come to Hvar only ever see the north and the Pakleni Islands. The south side of the island is the part they miss entirely, and it's the more dramatic half by some distance — taller cliffs, deeper water, emptier coves, and scenery that genuinely makes people go quiet the first time they round the headland and see it. You can't reach most of it on foot. You need a boat. And that, honestly, is exactly why it stays as magic as it does.
What's Actually Down There
The south coast runs wild and steep, the way a coastline looks before anyone builds anything on it. Think sheer grey-white rock dropping straight into water so clear it looks fake, little pebble coves tucked under the cliffs where the only sound is the sea, and sea caves you can nose a boat into and feel the temperature drop. There are a handful of swim spots down here that regulars are quietly protective of, and a couple of konobas you can only reach by sea — where lunch tastes better purely because of how you arrived. It's the side of Hvar that still feels like a discovery.
Which Boat For The South Side
This is a range question, so think speedboat or cruiser. A small boat can manage the nearer bits on a flat, calm day, but the south rewards a boat with a bit of poke. A speedboat at €550 gets you down and along the coast comfortably and leaves you hours to actually stop and swim. A cruiser turns the whole thing into an unhurried lounging day with a skipper who knows precisely which cove to hit and in what order. The south can pick up more swell than the sheltered north, so the bigger, more comfortable boats genuinely earn their keep here — and the day is all the better for it.
Why it stays empty: no road reaches most of the south coast. If you're on the water you'll often have an entire cove to yourself, even in the middle of a busy August — which around here is close to a miracle.
How To Plan The Day
A full south-side day works best with a skipper, simply because the local knowledge is the difference between a good day and a perfect one — which cove is sheltered from today's particular wind, where the snorkelling is worth getting the mask out for, where to be sitting when the afternoon light hits the cliffs. The day runs 10 AM to 6 PM from Hvar Harbour like all our trips. String together a swim circuit, a sea cave or two and a long waterside lunch and you've got the version of Hvar that most visitors fly home never knowing existed.
A Note On Conditions
The south is more exposed than the north, and that's part of its beauty rather than a catch. On a calm day it's pure heaven — glassy water, empty coves, the lot. If the wind's up, we adjust the plan, and that's a good thing, not a letdown. A skipper who knows this coast will always find you the sheltered side of something. The sea sets the terms down here; the trick is having someone aboard who knows how to read them.
What To Bring
A mask for the snorkelling, water shoes for the pebble coves, plenty of sun cover, and more water than you think you'll need — the south side is bigger and emptier than the north, and there's no shop to nip to when you run dry. Pack a light layer too if there's any wind in the forecast. Beyond that, bring an appetite and a sense of adventure, and let the skipper handle the rest.
The Short Version
The south side is Hvar with the volume turned down and the drama turned up — fewer boats, bigger cliffs, clearer water, and the quiet thrill of being somewhere you had to earn. Take a speedboat or a cruiser, bring a mask and an appetite, and let someone who knows the coast show you the good stuff. It's the day people remember.
Want To See The South Side?
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