Hvar Island – Croatia’s sunniest island

At just under 70 kilometers long, Hvar is the longest of the Croatian Island chain situated in the Adriatic sea just off the coastline of Croatia.

It is also considered the sunniest island in Croatia due to the direct amount of sunlight that reaches Hvar as compared to other neighboring islands. Hvar enjoys direct sunlight in the neighborhood of well over 2700 hours of sunshine every year.

In 2011 Hvar Island was ceremoniously named one of the top 10 island destinations to travel to for leisure and recreation by Conde Nast. Obviously Hvar Island has a lot to offer to travelers and tourists.

Blessed with moderate winters and comfortable, warm summers, Hvar Island has large areas of fertile plains along the Adriatic coastline of Croatia. Vineyards, olive groves, fruit farms and orchards producing citrus, figs, and carobs are just a sampling of what the agriculture industry of Hvar has to offer the world.

From any elevation, you can appreciate the beauty of the country. The farming industry of the island is overlooked by pine forest covered hills and hillsides.

You will also become intoxicatingly enamored with the fragrant smell of the fields of lavender flowers and plants that Hvar Island is famous for cultivating. Hvar Island is a major supplier of the regional European as well as global perfume industry. Its lavender flower and plant fields provide lavender oil, a major ingredient and component of many
perfume products.

A wide variety of flowers are also cultivated on the island to produce the world famous Hvar honey.

Hvar is populated by well over 11,000 inhabitants. There are high, picturesque coastline ridges made of limestone and dolomite deposits that are always clearly visible. Waiting-to be discovered pebble coves and beautiful beaches also line the Hvar coastline.

But before going any further into why you should visit this special and unique Croatian island, let take a step back and consider the history of Hvar Island.

Hvar Island History

The earliest evidence of civilization or founding of Hvar Island roughly dates all the way back to 3500 B.C.E. You can visit the artifacts that establish this time estimate in the official Hvar Town Heritage Museum.

Hvar Island has a complex and lengthy history of would-be invaders and occupiers, who one after another tried to claim the isle for their own. A sampling of former occupiers includes Napoleon, the Romans, the Venetians, the Greeks the Austrians and the Italians, to name a few.

Each successive ruler and invader left their mark culture-wise on the island, but were ultimately unable to claim the spirit of the island.

The high walls and fortifications that can be seen all over Hvar island are remnants of past invader attempts to fortify and protect the island from other enemies.

At the turn of the 20th century, after emerging from periods of occupation, invasion, strife and uncertainty, the inhabitants and industries of Hvar Island had to adjust to changing times and the transition from one era into another.

The fishing and shipping industries of Hvar Island took a hit, as the notion of strictly using wooden ships only in the new era of steel ships became antiquated.

Sources:

http://www.croatiatraveller.com/southern_dalmatia/Hvar/Hvar.htm

http://www.island-hvar.info/
Photo courtesy of http://www.tzhvar.hr/

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