CYCLE DAY 3 HVAR

Distance: 31km / Total Ascent/Descent: 550m

TOUR NOTES
The island of Hvar, apart from being the longest in the Adriatic, is famous for its multi-coloured fields of rosemary and lavender. Hvar also receives more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in the Adriatic (2,718 hours each year!). This morning we sail into Jelsa and begin our cycle through Vrboska and onto Stari Grad, one of Croatia’s oldest towns (dating back to 385BC), where we will stop for a break. We then continue on towards Hvar Town, passing through the villages of Grablje (known for its wine and olive oil) and Brusje.
The day ends at the historical town of Hvar, where you’ll have an opportunity to visit its cathedral and Gothic palaces. You can also climb the Spanjol Fortress, the site of a medieval castle that overlooks the harbour.
Note: Bikes may be offloaded/loaded in nearby Port Vira due to port logistics, which may affect the day’s ride.

Lots of info above on the sights but other than the ride specs no details on the immense hills. It was up, up, up most of the ride. The only thing keeping us going was the knowledge it was straight down at the end!

HVAR is the Ibiza of Croatia. The place kids and celebrities party. We walked by the Hula Hula club that Beyoncé frequents, but no sightings.

The town itself is full of ancient buildings and fortresses juxtaposed against super elite yachts. Lots of waterfront cafes and more people than other towns.

Because docking spaces are limited in town, they often stack up the boats one beside the other. As a result you have to walk across each one to get to yours. Previously it was mainly old, basic boats like ours, but tonight we were the sixth boat among some super yachts. Each has a hallway side to side which you have to use, to get to the other side. Great to see how some people travel. Their boats had chandeliers in the bar and beautiful dining rooms.

Got in another swim today and had a lovely group cocktail hour with our group at a bar right on the waterfront.