Condé Nast Traveler: Hvar is One of the Best Islands in Europe this Year!
October 7, 2020 - On October 6, 2020, Condé Nast Traveler published the results of the 2020 Readers' Choice Awards survey, ranking the 35 best islands in the world outside the U.S. Thus, Hvar is one of the best islands in Europe this year!
HRTurizam reports that the island of Hvar received another international award, namely the recognition of the readers of the renowned Condé Nast Traveler, whose votes this year ranked the five-best islands in Europe.
This year, Condé Nast Traveler organized the selection of the world's best islands for the 33rd time, and more than 715,000 voters participated in the Reader's Choice Award.
The announcement of the awards took place on Monday, October 5, 2020, when the laureates were announced by continent. It was the island of Hvar that shone in fourth place in the European list of the best islands.
Along with Hvar, the three best islands are the Greek islands of Folegandros, Zakynthos, and Crete, while the Greek islands of Mykonos and Skiathos, the island of Jersey in the United Kingdom, the Italian island of Ischia, the Spanish island of Mallorca, and the Turkish island of Bozcaada are behind Hvar.
"This award is proof of the right direction in which the tourism of the town of Hvar is developing as a world-famous and luxurious tourist destination. With 50,000 arrivals and 280,000 overnight stays this year, the award is a kind of crown, and from the view of the COVID-19 pandemic, of our successfully organized season in which we achieved our goals. We are honored to be in the company of the world's best islands - this is an award to all tourist stakeholders of our city and our island. Thanks to all faithful lovers of the island of Hvar who gave us their vote," said Petar Razovic, director of the Hvar Tourist Board.
Condé Nast Traveler points out that Hvar is an excellent destination to visit all year round, especially due to warm summers and mild winters, and points out the well-known Hvar statistics - that it is the sunniest island in Croatia, with more than 2800 sunshine hours per year. This world-renowned magazine also emphasizes the rich historical and cultural heritage of the town of Hvar - emphasizing Fortress Fortica, Arsenal, and the Hvar Theater as must-see cultural monuments. The editors also wrote about the famous Hvar lavender harvest and the Lavender Festival, which is becoming one of the main attractions in the summer months and which, despite the COVID 19 pandemic, was organized this year as well.
The Hvar Town Tourist Board continues with preparations for the 2021 tourist year, which, according to Razovic, will be very challenging.
"I hope that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian National Tourist Board will take over the guarantee of credit debt of local tourist boards with new amendments to the Law on Tourist Boards and promotion of Croatian Tourism and that HBOR will provide financial resources with commercial banks to work as successfully and readily as possible on the global promotion of Hvar, but also of the whole of Croatia in the tourist markets," concluded Razovic.
You can see the full list on Condé Nast Traveler HERE.
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Maslina Resort Introduces Health and Safety Leader for Life After Corona
April 23, 2020 - Maslina Resort is a five-star boutique hotel, slated to open this year in Maslinica Bay on the island of Hvar, just minutes away from the UNESCO-protected Stari Grad.
While health and safety should always be at the forefront of the hospitality industry, in the corona era, this has never been more true.
Thus, a new luxury resort on Hvar Island is getting ahead of the game by introducing a Health & Safety Leader to their team just in time for its opening this year.
TCN caught up with the Communication Specialist of Maslina Resort, Matko Kovacevic, to learn more.
It all started with defining our concept of Mindful Luxury, which concentrates on wellbeing in the broadest sense possible. This includes acting mindfully towards our guests, our employees, the local community, and our beautiful planet. Health and safety are naturally one of the first prerequisites for wellbeing. The widespread corona crisis that is permanently changing the world as we know it further validated our approach and reaffirmed our commitment towards wellbeing, health, and safety. The trend of wellness and health-related luxury travel had been growing steadily for years, and, in the post-corona world, there will be even greater demand and emphasis on health, safety, and security aspects of travel. Undeniably, there are emerging health-related challenges and opportunities for the hospitality sector and the ones who manage it correctly will be the winners of the new era of travel. The world and the hospitality industry is changing, and we cannot take the risk to stand still or wait for another crisis to happen. We want to lead the way.
What experience will you look for when hiring the Health & Safety Leader?
This is a very good question that doesn't have a simple answer. That is, in a way, because we are basically inventing this position, at least in this context. There are no best practices to look for. The world is in a novel situation, which gives us a chance to create some new benchmarks in the hospitality industry. This is why we are approaching it with a blank drawing board, the desired outcome, and some basic common sense. We always like to say that when recruiting, we're looking for authenticity, common sense, and high openness towards new experiences. Obviously, some kind of a health and safety-related background and basic knowledge of the hospitality industry would be some experiences that we are looking for for this position. However, equally important is the alignment with our hospitality philosophy.
What is the role description of the Health & Safety Leader?
In one sentence, the Health & Safety Leader will be responsible for implementing health, safety, and risk management processes to ensure that guests receive the highest standard of service and hospitality in a safe and secure environment. We are open to discuss and consider different procedures and measures that would contribute to achieving that ultimate goal.
What are the tasks of the Health & Safety Leader?
The main responsibility of the Health & Safety Leader is to establish and implement health and safety-related procedures in the hotel. Staff training is another area that is under the responsibility of this position, as well as initiating various design and operations recommendations in line with the health and safety procedures. Moreover, this person needs to establish communication channels with governmental bodies, healthcare officials, and the local community to stay on top of all the related requirements, measures, and expectations. Crisis response planning is yet another important area of responsibility.
How does this new position fit into the Maslina Resort philosophy of Mindful Luxury?
It fits perfectly! Mindful Luxury draws inspiration on the rich cultural, natural, as well as the therapeutic heritage of Hvar Island. I'm not sure how many people are aware that the first organized tourism in Europe came into being right here on Hvar Island with the founding of the Hvar Health Society on May 15, 1868. Back then, Hvar was recognized as a health sanitarium, basing its tourism on health and recuperation, rather than historical sites or hip parties. This is something that we want to put back in the limelight with our commitment to wellbeing and mindful luxury. This concept has many layers, from a natural, low-impact architecture and design, to using organic linens, offering produce from our organic garden, producing locally inspired and organic in-room guest amenities and spa cosmetics, and minimizing the use of single-use plastic. We believe that our guests should experience high-end hospitality that is authentic, sincere, respectful, and adventurous. Mindful Luxury is the alchemy between intimate yet professional and wholehearted service, engaged leadership, and authentic and transformative experiences. Not just for guests, but for everyone involved, from employees to the local community.
Hvar Island - an Example of Luxury on American Vandal
American Vandal is a Netflix original mockumentary web television series. Right after it was premiered in September 2017, it got a lot of attention with its original writing style, and the poignant parody of the true-crime genre and its most popular products, such as the documentary Making a Murderer, or the podcast Serial (which was the first podcast to bring the true-crime genre into the centre of attention of a larger crowd, as it became an instant hit and is still considered to be a golden standard in podcasting).
In addition to becoming a hit with the viewers on the streaming platform, American Vandal has won numerous awards, including Peabody Award for 2017. The show manages to be a parody of the overly ambitious genre, a stark critique of the criminal justice system in the US while maintaining a level of humour that's hard to explain. The first season dealt with finding the vandal who drew parts of male anatomy on cars, while the second season investigates the case of a Turd Burglar - and the jokes are witty and creative, not at all what you'd expect.
In the second season, while looking for the infamous Turd Burglar, the mockumentarians conduct a series of interviews with the students of the prestigious private high-school, located in an affluent neighbourhood in the Pacific Northwest. [It's not going to be easy setting the scene, while at the same time not spoiling the resolution of the mystery for you] While interviewing a student from a very wealthy family, she confides in them that she's often made other students jealous by posting on her social media scenes that prove the luxury and glamour of her life. As she was telling that, in the background, her posts appeared, and one of them caught my eye - see screenshot above: it was about a surprise private helicopter ride to an exclusive party on Hvar Island, Croatia!
So, now you understand why a story about American Vandal is on a website about Croatia. Croatians have been trying for years (while some say have not really been trying at all) to brand Croatia as an exclusive vacation spot, not competing with low quality, high numbers destinations. And it seems that it has worked, at least to some extent, if the producers/writers of a top streaming service show decided to mention Hvar as a place from where you post to make your rich friends jealous!
Top 5 Hvar: Best Beaches on the Pakleni Islands
March 25, 2018 - TCN continues looking at the best beaches in Croatia. This time here is Top 5 Hvar, the best beaches on the Pakleni Islands.
© Romulic & Stojcic
Today we're exploring the beaches of the Pakleni Islands, a place many of you who have visited Hvar know well. The Pakleni Islands are located just off the southeast coast of Hvar island, and if you’ve ever stood on Hvar’s famous Riva promenade or climbed to the top of the fortress in Hvar Town, then you’ve undoubtedly made eyes with this chain of isles.
Though popularly translated to “Hell’s Islands”, the Pakleni Islands actually get their name from the word ‘paklina’, referring to the pine resin once used for shipbuilding. The largest island in the Pakleni group is Sveti Klement, while Marinkovac (famous for Stipanska Bay) and Jerolim see the footprints of Hvar tourists steadily throughout the peak season.
At approximately 10 kilometers in length, the Pakleni Islands are a jewel of Dalmatia that attracts many sailors, sun-seekers, swimmers, nudists, and nature lovers throughout the busy summer. While they are anything but undiscovered today, Pakleni does boast some of the best swimming spots in the region - and with the scorching days quickly approaching, we’re confident you’ll be adding these sunny sanctuaries to your Hvar to-do list.
Without further ado, here’s a look at the best beaches to visit on your Hvar Town holiday.
Vlaka
We’ll start with a beach on Sveti Klement I have frequented for years and easily consider my favorite in the area - Vlaka. Located on Sveti Klement’s northern shore, Vlaka is the go-to for those looking to escape the busy crowds and blistering heat of Hvar town to instead relax in the quiet of a glistening bay. Home to vineyards, the remains of a Roman spa, and magical mud used by locals to heal their skin, Vlaka boasts very few amenities. In fact, the nearest restaurant, Dionis, is a good hike up the hill - but surrounded by olive trees, citrus, lavender, the smells of freshly caught fish on the grill, and a limited menu including only what the family-run establishment could find that day makes the trip well worth the effort. Their aubergine pie, local wine, and zucchini fritters have tourists returning to this rustic restaurant on each visit back to the island - and this, I promise, is something I can confirm. If you’re hoping to see Vlaka with a bit more life, an excellent time to visit is on the last Sunday in July where the inhabitants of the island celebrate their patron saint, Sv. Klement. Flagging down a taxi boat from Hvar's Riva makes Vlaka accessible in no time, and remember, it's smart to prepare your beach mats, snacks, drinking water, and anything else you might need for a day at the beach - you won't find anything to buy on these rocky shores.
© Visit Hvar
Perna
Located in the bay next to Palmižana, beachgoers looking to steer clear of the typically rocky and pebbled beaches will find their safe haven at Perna, one of the only sandy beaches the Pakleni Islands' offer. Perna is a sandy-bottomed beach which welcomes those looking to break away from the loud music, beach bars, in-your-face-advertising and busy crowds - and yes, this is another beach where visitors should prepare their beach-day essentials, from snacks and water to mats and activities for the kids. Perna beach brings in tourists by taxi boat and even kayakers row their way to this bay for a visit. Perna bay is also one of the most interesting in the Pakleni chain as it has been home to tourism since 1906. To give you an idea, this is five years before the first hotel opened in Jelsa.
© Romulic & Stojcic
Ždrilca
While the island of Marinkovac in the Pakleni chain is most famous for Stipanska, one of my favorite bays here is Ždrilca. Located on the opposite side of Marinkovac island, Ždrilca is easily connected from Hvar Town by water taxi and accessible in minutes (and a round-trip ride here will cost you just 40 kuna). A good place to visit if you’re looking for a beach day with all the bells and whistles, Ždrilca not only offers wonderful dining options (Tre Grede being exceptionally good), but it also supplies all of the amenities including lounge chair rentals, umbrellas, bean bags, massages, and even mats covering the pebbled-beach for easy access to the water. A shallow beach that is inviting for both young children and grandparents, the more adventurous swimmers at Ždrilca can hop over the hill for a clothesless dip on the rocky coastline opposite the main part of the beach.
Though the video below shows Ždrilca and konoba Tre Grede in 1991, you'll be pleased to know that it doesn't look so different today.
© Romulic & Stojcic
Stipanska
A beach most of you may know well is Stipanska, also located on the island of Marinkovac. Home to Carpe Diem beach, Stipanska is not only a paradise for those looking to enjoy a top-class beach club by day, but at night, Carpe Diem beach hosts a full moon party which sees Hvar nightlife at its peak. If you’re not looking to party at this beach until the early morning hours, Carpe Diem is a stunning island oasis for 20-somethings where all of the amenities can be found for the perfect beach day, from lounge chair rentals, cabanas, and umbrellas to chill music, a swanky restaurant, and hip cocktail bar. Perhaps best of all, for those looking to strip their swimsuits, Carpe Diem also claims to be nudist friendly. Carpe Diem beach at Stipanska is one of the closest beaches to Hvar town, and easily accessible by water taxi during the day and night.
Jerolim
Last but not least, we bring you CNN’s top FKK beach in the world in 2011, Kordovon on Jerolim island. Though most people know Jerolim for ‘Amo Beach’, precisely where the taxi boat arrives, if you walk just 40 meters through the woods, quirky artwork, and nap hammocks, you’ll find a utopia that not only brings out the best in nude beach culture, but is one of the most relaxing ways to spend your day. Though lounge chairs and umbrellas are available for rent (and at one of the more reasonable prices in the area), Kordovon doesn’t offer much else for beachgoers. Mare’s Place, however, does offer cold drinks and some light snacks, and if beachgoers need to escape the scorching sun, they can chill under the pines and admire the driftwood-crafted art made by local artists. Jerolim's Kordovon beach is the perfect pebbled paradise and is located less than 10 minutes away from Hvar Town.
Learn more about Hvar on our TC page.
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