March 6, 2020 - Meet Veli Kamik, a small rock in a divine spot with quite a history on Hvar's southern shore - and an increasingly popular wedding destination. 

When I first bought a house on Hvar back in 2002, I had only heard of the island for the first time three days before. I moved to Jelsa and slowly started to discover that I really had found Paradise on Earth. 

There was very little information available at that time about destinations, and so each new trip was a genuine discovery. I was particularly fascinated by going to the south side of the island. There was the most insane tunnel near Pitve that was literally carved out of rock, single lane with two passing places, and no lights. One of the great undiscovered film locations of the world. On the other side of the tunnel lay the southern slopes of Hvar, whose south-facing vineyards into the Adriatic I was to learn had some of the best Plavac Mali vineyards in the world. My initial trips through the tunnel took me to Zavala, Gromic Dolac and Ivan Dolac, until one day I decided to follow the road right to the end, and then I saw it. 

Sveta Nedjelja. 

A small village which really was like no other Surrounded by sheer cliffs above (where one could find a monastery built in a cave high above the village), with the majestic vineyards of Zlatan Otok, one of Croatia's top wineries, the things I remember the most from that first trip were the extraordinary sunset and a photogenic tree on a tiny rock which had been connected to the rest of the island by a tiny bridge. I learned later that it was called Veli Kamik. 

It was one of the most romantic places I have ever seen. 

It turns out that it was quite a famous tree as well, one of the most famous in all Croatia, as Zlatan Otok adopted it for their iconic logo to celebrate their Sveta Nedjelja roots. 

I was surprised to learn that Sveta Nedjelja was only connected by road in 1975. Before then, everything came by boat only. I have been meaning for years to find out more about the village's history, especially that of this magical Veli Kamik tree and rock, and I am grateful to Vilma Plenkovic Plazonja from Villa Perka in Sveta Nedjelja, for not only providing me with information on the history, but also introducing me to a romantic part of Veli Kamik I was unaware of - a hidden gem of a wedding destination. 

(The view from Villa Perka)

Vilma's family first got into tourism back in early 1960. Access to the village was either by boat or on foot over the top of the island's peak of Sveti Nikola. Guests would arrive in Hvar Town, and Vilma's family would bring them by boat to Sveta Nedjelja, quite an additional journey for those who had travelled from Germany, Austria and Italy. Guests would come year on year, typically for three weeks. There were no restaurants back then, and her mother would prepare three meals a day. A different era. 

But it was when we got talking about Veli Kamik and its history that things got really interesting. I really had no idea of the history of its pier of connection to the main island. 

The pier on Veli Kamik was built in 1924. It was used for boarding of the loads onto the larger boats, that were unable to dock in Sv. Nedjelja, at the location where the marina is today, because of the insufficient depth. At the time, Veli Kamik was connected by a wooden bridge, and only in 1938 was a concrete bridge built on the wooden base.

You can still see the sign today, it says ‘The Bridge of the Peasant Unity / Faith in God and Peasant Unity / August 20, 1938’ (Most seljačke sloge / Vjera u Boga i seljačka sloga/ 20.VIII 1938). At that time the organisation Peasant Unity was active, organising and managing project which were of public importance. 

On August 20, 1988 a big party was organised to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the bridge. A local chronicler Ćiro Milatić described the event:

“For the 50th anniversary of the bridge being built, a big party was organized. Three lambs were roasted on a spit, and almost a hundred litres of red wine were drunk. 500 plastic cups were acquired for the occasion. There was as much of bread, salted sardine and sweets as anyone might’ve wanted. Jumping from the bridge was organized, as was a donkey race, running in lavender sacks, singing, tug of war and many other types of entertainment. The prettiest girl was also chosen, and in the finale of the pageant there were two foreign girls and a local girl. The concrete bridge was completed on August 20, 1938 and the wine was mostly boarded onto ships which docked there. Each household paid 5 dinars back in the day to have 100 litres boarded on ships. At the time, a litre of wine cost 2 dinars. 

In 1948 a permanent boat line was established. Twice a week, in the early morning hours, a steamboat which sailed between Vela Luka – Zavala – Sveta Nedjelja – Hvar – Split docked here, and in the evenings, it was returning to Vela Luka. During the rough weather, when the boat couldn’t dock there, two locals transported the passengers on their boat “Pčela” and were paid for their services by Jadrolinija. They were obligated to take the passengers to Hvar any time it was necessary, especially so that they could visit the doctor. The boat line was discontinued in 1961, and after that only the local people maintained the line to and from Hvar.

(The pier at Sveta Nedjelja in 1972, where today is the marina and Bilo Idro restaurant)

Fabulous stuff.

And the attractions of Veli Kamik continue.

Among the Villa Perka guests last June were Czech model Denisa Dvorzakova and her crew who did a photo shoot for the cover of Elle Magazine. And you don't have to be a model to take your selfie there - it has become a very popular spot for holiday snaps. 

This charismatic rock is also attracting more daredevil tourists, and it has become one of the prime spots on Hvar for adrenaline jumping into the sea. Check out someone who is braver than me in the video above. 

And I was very pleased when Vilma told me about another aspect of tourism which is growing at Villa Perka as I remembered those first romantic memories of Villa Perka all those years ago - it is now an emerging wedding destination. 

Thanks to Vilma for sharing these GREAT photos (with permission from the happy couple) of a Swedish wedding, which took place last year. The guests stayed at Villa Perka, and the ceremony was conducted under the famous tree on Veli Kamik. 

This is what I love about the private sector in Croatian tourism - taking the initiative to create new products. 

As part of her offer, Vilma offers the services almost akin to a wedding planner. Her local knowledge on the island connects the couple to photographers, florists, hairdressers, translators, the registrar, the consulates in Split, as well as local suppliers such as Hvar Chef in Stari Grad. 

Having the main wedding party housed in one place such as Villa Perka obviously has its advantages for the wedding party, as well as allowing her to concentrate on looking after one booking of 14 guests, rather than different families. Additional guests are housed in nearby accommodation belonging to Vilma's contacts. 

I can think of worse places to spend a wedding and honeymoon...

The wedding industry is becoming increasingly personalised, with people choosing to do their own thing, and with many more locations now available. 

And Veli Kamik certainly ticks all the boxes for couples looking for an extraordinary location totally off the beaten path.

A little rock with a very big heart and almost 100 years of giving to the people of Sveta Nedjelja and the many tourists who visit. 

Many thanks to Vilma for taking the time and effort to research Veli Kamik and this little gem of Hvar history. If you are thinking of getting married and looking for a great location - or even if you aren't, she has many more stories, just one of the great additional services on offer at Villa Perka.  And check out more photos at the Swedish wedding party at the Villa Perka reception, below.

February 17, 2020 - The newly united Hvar tourism boards present their cycling credentials at the Cosmo Bike Show in Verona. 

Even though I no longer live on Hvar, I follow island life closely and still very much enjoy my three mandatory visits - Easter, summer and the family olive harvest in November. 

And it is nice to see how things are slowly changing for the better in many ways, and how some initiatives are starting to pay off. 

The main reason that the Total Project started way back in 2011 as Total Hvar was because the tourist infromation was terrible and the five island tourist boards acted independently and very rarely worked together. It has been a process to get there, but it is great to see that not only was Hvar one of the first clusters of tourist boards to unite as one Destination Management Organisation but that that partnership is really working. Joint promotion of the island of one umbrella may seem logical to the outsider, but it rarely happens in practice in Croatia. 

The cooperation is already working well and was on show last week in Verona, as the island presented its joint cycling credentials at the Cosmo Bike Show, where some 15,000 people visited the Croatian stand. 

"On the Italian market Hvar is an absolute hit this year, which is shown by more than 15000 visitors of the Croatian stand at the Cosmo bike show in Verona. And we are proud to promote Hvar bike tourism product with all Hvar tourist boards as one," said Petar Razovic, director of the Hvar Town Tourist Board. 

The development of cycling tourism on Hvar has been part of a coordinated attempt to prolong the island's season and to diversify its product beyond the stereotypical sun, sea and nightlife summer season. 

It is a strategy that has taken a few years to develop, but one which is beginning to pay dividends, thanks to the efforts of various island stakeholders. 

By far the biggest coup in this strategy has been the arrival for the last three years of Bahrain Merida (now renamed Bahrain McLaren), one of the biggest names in the sport, who have chosen Hvar for their winter training for the past three years. 

A key part of the strategy has been the opening of the first dedicated bike hotel on the island, which was properly road-tested by the team from Bahrain, as 75 members of the team stayed at Pharos, hvar bayhill hotel during their first stay - here is an overview of the international cyclists putting the bike hotel through its paces. 

The tourist board has developed a series of bike maps over the last few years, as well as marked trails, both for regular and MTB biking, and if you want to see true beauty and tranquiliity, I recommend you try the road right on top of the island - stunning. In addition to the official bike routes, plenty of enthusiasts are adding their own suggested routes. 

The international promotion of Hvar cycling has taken on several other aspects, including last year's successful Paros II Pharos cycle, which connected Hvar with the island of Paros in Greece, some 2,400 years after the Ancient Greeks from Paros first colonised Hvar.  

And with more than 4,4 million views on YouTube of the official Central Dalmatia promotional video of Brac and Hvar cycling, the message continues to spread. 

To learn more about the island, check out the Total Croatia Hvar in a Page guide. 

February 10, 2020 - More great promotion to the growing Chinese market, as Metan Development Group's Explore Croatia films on Hvar.

One of my favourite Croatian tourism promotion stories took place a few years ago at a tourism fair in Seoul. Either the national or Zagreb tourist board had a stand there to put their toes in the water of a potential new market for Croatia. Expectations were apparently, but it was another step in the Croatian tourism expansion into Asian markets.

The Croatian stans was one of the most popular of the whole show, according to the reports I was given, especially popular with young single Korean women. 

While the tourist board was understandably delighted with the surge of interest, it was also a little confused about the sudden popularity of Croatia. And then the reason was revealed. 

Just a few weeks earlier, a new Korean reality show, The Romantic, aired on national television. It followed 5 attractive single Korean women and 5 attractive single men on a journey through a romantic European country called Croatia. The narrator was one of Korea's top pop heartthrobs, the footage from Croatia was spectacular. And the rest is history. 

Korean tourism arrivals jumped from 16,000 in 2011 to over 400,000, with the majority coming in the shoulder months. Indeed, South Koreans comprise the largest number of visitors to Central Dalmatian in January and February. 

And while the potential of the Korean market is significant, it is minuscule compared to that of the Chinese market. With many Asians preferring to travel in the off- and shoulder seasons, the potential tp develop Croatia's 12-month tourism is huge. 

Especially when January is as gorgeous as this... 

Last month saw a major filming project of Croatia's tourism potential for the Chinese market. As previously reported on TCN,  Larry Namer, founding partner of E! Entertainment and Metan Development Group, was brought to Croatia by his associate producer Ana Muhar Blanquart Zagreb, and the reason for his arrival was the documentary series Explore the World.

It is a series consisting of twelve episodes, done in documentary style, that should be presented to the viewers of the Chinese television stations Youku and Mango TV, which have more than 700 million subscribers, among other carefully selected world destinations. 

The Metan crew were on Hvar filming for two days on January 16 and 17, where they stayed at Suncani Hvar's Hotel Riva overlooking Hvar's elite waterfront. 

And what a promotion for the sunshine island. Hvar is famous for its 2,718 hours of sunshine every year on average, making it the sunniest island in Europe. And with glorious days like these in mid-January, and little danger of off-season overtourism, the images relayed to the huge potential market in China will no doubt be glorious. 

One more promotion of the island voted the very best in Europe last year by readers of Conde Nast. 

To learn more about the island, check out the Total Croatia Hvar in a Page guide. 

January 27, 2020 - While Hvar Town attracts most of the media attention on Croatia's premier island, the former capital town of Stari Grad is quietly building up a quality tourism product of its own. 

Having lived in Croatia for 17 years, 13 of them on Hvar, I have been able to watch the process of change in certain destinations. And while many coastal destinations on the Adriatic have traded in a little of their charm in exchange for those all-important (at least to the ministry) numbers of arrivals and overnight stays, there are thankfully some exceptions. 

I am always struck, for example, by the old town of Korcula, which has not only managed to retain its authenticity, but also to promote the local artisans and gourmet experts as part of the experience. It is impossible to wander around that delightful old town without quickly understanding that this is an island of fine local wines (Posip and Grk), olive oil, great traditional food, and quality and original arts and crafts. If you are looking for an example of how to grow an historic town to excellent tourism based on quality not quantity. 

Stari Grad on Hvar is another great example, and one which is quietly adding considerable class to its already-impressive 2,400-year charm. 

Already home to UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Stari Grad Plain, Stari Grad's timeless pedestrian cobbled streets store the secrets of two millennia of civilisation, and the old town is arguably one of the most attractive on the Adriatic to explore. Similar to Korcula, there is an emphasis on art and local crafts in the old town shops, where others peddle cheap plastic Chinese souvenirs. Stari Grad has the best year-round dining options on the island, and there has been an explosion in new restaurant openings in recent years which has helped widen the culinary choice considerably. And it was a restaurant in Stari Grad, Apolon, which was the first on Hvar to get a mention in the Michelin Guide. 

There has been significant investment in infrastructure in recent years, most notably in a sewage system, as well as the lengthening of the riva. This, coupled with the protected harbour the very deep bay offers has helped enhance the town's nautical tourism, which has seen an impressive rise in both numbers and quality in recent years. 

But it is in the accommodation sector where the biggest progress has been made, an area which has held Stari Grad back attracting more discerning guests in the past. The troubled Helios hotel group, whose 2-star hotels suffered from underinvestment and financial problems for many years. These have now been taken over by leading Croatian company, Valamar, which will transform them into 4-star hotels over the next few years. 

Across the bay around the corner from the main island ferry terminal, construction of the Olive Bay Resort continues apace, and its 5-star hotel is set to open this May, the second 5-star hotel opening on the island in 8 months, after Palace Elisabeth, hvar heritage hotel in Hvar Town last September. There are currently only two other non-boutique 5-star hotels on all of Croatia's islands. 

And the big unknown - the Four Seasons resort at Brizenica Bay, just north of the town. Heralded at one of the most important tourism investments on the coast, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli endorsed the project in June 2017, saying that the 140-million-euro investment would be opening its doors to its first guests in 2019. As 2019 turns to 2020, the project is still awaiting a building permit. Should the project ever happen, it will only add to the top-end tourism offer of the town. But if it does not, it would seem that Stari Grad is already on a very good path. 

At the other end of the accommodation level, there is also good news for those who want to keep the party away from this very relaxed destination - in October 2018, Stari Grad mayor Antonio Skarpa announced that no more hostels would be built in the town. 

A new tourist board director, Jaksa Damjanic, with an impressive commercial background in hospitality, has injected new energy and ideas into the tourism calendar, focusing on the traditions and heritage of the town, while working on new ideas and festivals. 

And, even in the peak of the season, the old town of Stari Grad retains its relaxed pace, never too busy, and offering refreshing coolness and shade from the midday heat. 

A delightful destination moving in the right direction. Dalmatian tourism as it should be. 

To learn more about Stari Grad, here are 25 things to know.

January 14, 2020 - After a three-day voyage from Greece, and under the command of Captain Sandro Rundic, the 'Faros' ferry arrived in Croatia on Monday. The newest ferry in Jadrolinija's fleet should primarily connect Split and Stari Grad on Hvar before Easter this year.

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that the ‘Faros’ boasts a capacity of 600 passengers and 160 vehicles, was built ten years ago in Greece under the name "Stelios Filiagkos", and the state-owned shipping company purchased it from Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) from Salamina for just over HRK 63 million or EUR 8.5 million.

The Faros thus became the 52nd member of Jadrolinia's fleet. It is 104.9 meters long and 17.5 meters wide, and two Caterpillar machines with a total of 2000 horsepower provide a speed of 14 knots. The ferry is named after the ancient name of Stari Grad, the first Greek colony on the Adriatic.

The deal on the ferry, which was offered to the market five years ago, was concluded this fall, but the handover to the Croatian crew was made only ten days ago at the port of Kavala on the eastern Aegean coast, some 100 kilometers from Thessaloniki. The ship was then inspected by inspectors of the Croatian Register of Ships, who found no deficiencies and issued provisional certificates for navigation to the Adriatic.

Until recently, Stelios Filiagkos sailed from Kavala on a regular line to the island of Thassos, about 13 nautical miles away. The distance is twice as long to the main ferry port on the island of Hvar, which will be a real test for yet another Jadrolinia acquisition from Greece.

“I am extremely proud that we are connecting the Jadrolinija fleet with a ship which, by its capacity and speed, will significantly contribute to improving the quality of passenger transport service, especially in the summer months. The ferry will be at the Kraljevica Shipyard for the necessary equipment and preparation for the season, and we expect it to run from the spring. We believe that this offering in the fleet will satisfy the growing demands for passenger and vehicle transportation services in the Split area,” said David Sopta, President of Jadrolinija's Management Board.

"This is another step in modernizing our fleet, all to successfully fulfill the concession contract obligations with the state. In addition, this investment also achieves optimization of technical maintenance costs and long-term business stability. The ferry ‘Faros’ is primarily intended for navigation on the line Split - Stari Grad, but if necessary, it can be used for other lines concessioned by our company. With its large garage and passenger lounge capacity, it will make a significant contribution to improving the quality of service, especially during the summer months,” said the management of the Croatian company.

At the end of November, contracts were signed between Jadrolinia and a Russian company to buy two second-hand ferries, worth almost HRK 38.5 million, which also have Greek roots. However, since negotiations are still underway on conditions, handovers are expected in late January or early February.

These ships have long sailed on lines across the Kerch Strait, at the "junction" of the Black and Azov Seas. Still, since Russia has linked its territory with the occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea by bridge, maritime connections are slowly losing their significance.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

January 8, 2020 - ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series announces it is returning to the adrenaline island of Hvar for the fourth year in a row. 

No sooner does one high-level international sporting body check out of Suncani Hvar Hotels these days than another one checks in... 

One of the biggest changes in the tourism scene on Hvar in the last ten years has been its gradual transformation from a sun, beach and nightlife destination to additionally offering some of the best adrenaline sporting options on the Adriatic coast. 

A host of events have been quietly added to the sporting calendar over the last few years, which have now become accepted parts of the Hvar tourism scene. Events such as the Hvar Half Maraton, for example, which has now been taking place for more than a decade along surely the most beautiful half-marathon route in Europe, along the old road from Stari Grad to Hvar Town. The event takes place in August, the same month as Hvar's most famous and most demanding race, the 16km Faros Marathon swim from Stari Grad to the top of the Stari Grad Channel in open seas, and back. It is a race which regularly attracts Olympic medal winners and World Champions. 

In recent years, other international teams and organisations have seen the potential of Hvar as a sporting destination. Having welcomed the mighty McLaren name into the sport of cycling last month, the Bahrain McLaren team headed to Hvar Town for the third year of winter training, finding its challenging roads and terrain the perfect test for its cyclists ahead of yet another gruelling season. 

And having said goodbye to the Bahrain McLaren team just before Christmas, the successful partnership of Hvar Tourist Board and Suncani Hvar Hotels is now preparing for a new world-class sporting arrival, as the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series has announced it will be returning to Croatia's premier island for the fourth year, with the Hvar leg taking place from April 17-19. 

What exactly is ÖTILLÖ Swimrun

ÖTILLÖ is the origin of Swimrun, a new endurance sport driven by respect and dedication. Swimrun is about experiencing nature in the purest possible way, with Respect for yourself, for your team partner, for others and for the environment.

The ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series is the premium brand in Swimrun providing sustainable events of the highest quality which challenge your mental and physical endurance. We are dedicated to recreate the ÖTILLÖ experience in unique places around the world and to inspire the growth of a community that shares our values.

About ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Hvar

This race is beautiful but tough. The hills, the long swims and the salt-water will challenge all the teams to put in stellar performances. You will not only have to be strong running in the hills, you will need to be strong in the water to excel in this race.

The course is magnificent and a real challenge. We start and finish in the Main Square of Hvar. We will also pass through the same place once in the race, the course looks like a figure of eight or the symbol of infinity.

A total of 40,4 km with 9 swims of which the longest is 2 950 metres. A total of almost 9 000 metres of swimming. The first part of the course will be a lot of swimming, the second part will be more running.

(Photo credit Hvar Tours)

From the start you will run and swim to the Western-most point of the main island. Where the first cut-off will be. From there every team will get a safety buoy from the organisation to be used for the long swim across to the Paklini Islands. We strongly recommend that you tether up (be attached by rope) for this long swim. Make sure that you know how to swim in open-water and potentially with side-wind, waves and currents. When on the Paklini islands you leave your HEAD safety buoy and continue running and swimming back towards Hvar town.

You go back through the Main Square, here will also be the second cut-off. Then a climb to the two fortresses Spanjola and Napoleon. From Napoleon it is a nice run in the mountains through olive groves, an abandoned village and finally down to the sea again, to the nice village Milna where the third Cut off will be. From Milna you run and swim back to the finish line, which is on the Main Square in Hvar.

This course has everything; fantastic water to swim in. Some rough, some protected. Single track trails and 4×4 tracks through olive groves, lavender and rosemary fields, tough hills up and down. Historical buildings and cultural heritage all around. All with incredible views at all times!

To get more of a flavour of the event, check out the 2019 official video below. 

Think you have the strength and the partner to take part, while enjoying at one of its most beautiful times of the year? Register now.

Learn more about the island in the Total Croatia Hvar in a Page guide.

December 20, 2019 - It has been a tremendous year for Hvar Town, from the reopening of Europe's oldest public theatre to being voted the best island in Europe. An overview of some of the highlights. 

In 2018, Hvar celebrated 150 years of organised tourism in Europe, the first place to offer such tourism with the founding of the Hvar Health Society on May 15, 1868. It was the latest milestone in Hvar's illustrious tourism journey over the last one and a half centuries. Could year 151 being anything special too?

Oh yes!

After years of flirting with party tourism, 2019 was the year when the direction of Croatia's premier island was reset. A number of important heritage openings and awards set the tone for what has once again been an exceptional year for the island which boasts the most UNESCO heritage of any island in the world. 

Reopening of Hvar Public Theatre.

May 1 was an historic day for Hvar culture. For finally, after a renovation process of some 20 years, the oldest public theatre in Europe was once again opened. Built in 1612, the theatre celebrated its 400th year in 2012, and it is a symbol of the high level of culture that existed on Hvar in years gone by. 

Take a tour of the theatre in this excellent drone footage released at the time of the opening, and learn more about the theatre in an interview with the author of its history, Mirjana Kolumbic. 

Reopening of Arsenal.

The theatre is located on the first floor of the imposing Arsenal building, which guards the entrance to the main square in Hvar Town. The Arsenal has undergone plenty of renovation of its own in recent years, a journey which included the discovery of Roman ruins underneath its structure. Renovations were finally completed, and it reopened as a premium event and exhibition centre for the town. 

Opening of Palace Elisabeth, hvar heritage hotel, the first 5-star hotel on the island. 

Renovation was also taking place across Dalmatia's largest square (some 4,500), as the location of the origins of the oldest organised tourism in Europe was enjoying a 100-million-kuna facelift of its own. Palace Elisabeth, hvar heritage hotel, opened its doors on September 1, the first-ever 5-star hotel on the island. It was a gorgeous fusion of modern luxury and exquisite heritage details. The opening party in October was quite a night, and now Hvar Town finally has a world-class hotel to complement the destination. 

IQM - measuring the improvement in quality.

Measuring quality and improvement in tourist destination in Croatia has always been problematic and anecdotal, simply because there has been no mechanism of quality control. That changed recently with the introduction of the IQM (Integrated Quality Management) destination standard, and Hvar Town was one of the first in the country to adopt it. And the first concrete results were impressive:

The project was implemented on a total of 122 tourism facilities in Hvar, 94 were accommodation facilities (hotels, hostels, private accommodation, camps...) and 28 hospitality facilities (restaurants and cafes) and the results for the first eight months of the year indicate that Hvar achieved a higher and better score than for the same period last year.

In the Guest Rating Score (GRS), Hvar achieved a score of 89.5 of the possible 100 points which is 1.7% better year-on-year. The city aims to achieve a score of 90. Of a total of 10,655 evaluations of services (560 more than last year), the quality of hospitality services were assessed with a score of 96. The score for price compared to quality was 94, location scored 92 and cleanliness 93 points. Hospitality facilities were given a score of 89.4 or 1.6% higher than last year while the quality of food scored 88.7. The food quality received 88.7 points and services 91, while the ratio of price and quality in the reviews restaurants and cafes was 85.

Conde Nast votes Hvar the number one island in Europe, maybe Travel + Leisure too.

Back in 1997, readers of influential travel publication Conde Nast Traveler voted as one of the ten most beautiful islands in the world, a tag which has stuck with the sunshine island ever since. 

This year, a record 600,000 readers cast their votes once more for Hvar, and Hvar was voted the number one island in all Europe. And who are we to disagree?

And it is not just Conde Nast. Hvar has also been nominated for the best island in Europe in the 2020 Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards. Voting will take place until March, 2020. 

Five island tourist boards join into one Destination Management Organisation.

After years of promoting the island's towns separately, the five tourist boards of Hvar officially signed a contract of cooperation which will see them transformed into a destination management company, working together to promote the island as one. With more money allocated to joint advertising, the benefits for the islands' tourism promotion should be significant.  

The return of Bahrain McLaren, a global brand launch on Croatia's premier island. 

There were many visitors to Hvar this year, tourists and otherwise, but one world-class fixture each December in recent years has been the cycling team of Bahrain Merida, one of the very top teams in the sport, who have discovered that Hvar is an ideal place for winter training. The whole Bahrain Merida team of 80 descended on Hvar for the third winter this month, immediately after the exciting announcement of their new partner, McLaren. Bahrain McLaren will become the official name on January 1, but it was on Hvar that this new partnership first took to the roads.  

Suncani Hvar Hotels among the awards and nominations.

The hotel story of the year on Hvar was, of course, Palace Elisabeth, which has already aroused plenty of media and industry attention. Already one of the Leading Hotels of the World (one of only 6 in Croatia), Palace Elisabeth featured heavily in international media, including USA Today, The Daily Telegraph, Elite Traveler, and Robb Report, as well as being named by Architectural Digest as one of the world's best-designed new hotels for 2020. 

But the media love and recognition was not confined to Palace Elisabeth, and Hotel Amfora was included in TripAdvisor's top 30 family resorts in Europe, while Hotel Adriana has been nominated by Travel + Leisure in the Best Croatian Hotels category. 

And, in more good news for the luxury traveller, the second 5-star hotel on the island is due to open in April in Maslinica, close to the ferry in Stari Grad. 

The season in numbers, a platform to build on. 

By November 15, the 2019 season had already become the busiest in the town's post-independence history, with 210,942 arrivals and 763,629 overnights. Key target markets, the UK and USA, were among the top five growth markets: 

UK 31,139 arrivals + 4.64% 115,782 nights + 5.13%

US 30,907 arrivals + 7.51% 75,323 nights + 5.73%

France 10,096 arrivals + 8.80% 30,237 nights + 4.99%

Brazil 8,059 arrivals + 14.3% 22,110 nights + 13.41%

Ireland 6,408 arrivals + 43.26% 21,925 nights + 39.46%

A great year, and all bodes well for a successful 2020. More reflections on 2019 and what to look out for in 2020 from Hvar Tourist Board director Petar Razovic in a recent TCN interview. 

December 20, 2019 - Architectural Digest highlights some of the world's top hotels at the cutting edge of architectural design, including one from Hvar in their 2020 list. 

Leading architecture publication, Architectural Digest, has published its annual list of the best-designed new hotels for 2020, including Palace Elisabeth, hvar heritage hotel, on Croatia's sunshine island. 

Palace Elisabeth, part of the Suncani Hvar Hotels group and the first 5-star hotel on Hvar, opened its doors in September and has already become a member of the illustrious Leading Hotels of the World. Here is what Architectural Digest had to say:

A slice of royalty comes to Hvar Island in Croatia in the summer, when the former duke’s palace (dating to the 13th century), formally reopens its doors. Forty-five rooms and suites with Venetian and Austrian elements offer views of the Adriatic Sea; each room has murals hand-painted by the designer Oto Blaha—a rare touch. In 1899, the edifice was rebuilt for Empress Elisabeth, “Sisi.”

You can see the full Architectural Digest list here. 

The level of detail in the design is very impressive, and designer Oto Blaha explained the project in much greater detail in an interview with TCN earlier this year. 

The luxury hotel has made an impressive start since its 100-million kuna upgrade from the previous Hotel Palace and delightful opening party in October, and the international media are beginning to notice, with The Daily Telegraph the latest international media to endorse the historic hotel. 

That media interest is set to intensify across the Atlantic in January, as Suncani Hvar takes its message of luxury acccommodation on Croatia's premier island to the important North American market at the New York Times Travel Show in January. 

To learn more about Palace Elisabeth, visit the official website. 

To learn more about the island of Hvar, check out the Total Croatia Hvar in a Page guide. 

December 14, 2019 - Palace Elisabeth, hvar heritage hotel opened its doors in September, the first 5-star hotel on the island. A photo tour of a luxurious step back in time. 

It is a very strange experience being a tourist in the place you live. After ten years living on Hvar, I had that first experience a few years ago when the foodie media experts from Gastronaut came to visit. Accommodation in Hotel Riva, dinner at Garful, a speedboat transfer to taste Zlatan Otok wines before another speedboat transfer to Palmizana and lunch at Meneghello - top Hvar experiences form the viewpoint of the tourist. 

It was a life I could get used to... 

Such occasions are rare for a blogger of course, but I was delighted to accept an invitation to the opening of one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year on the island - the opening of Palace Elisabeth, the first 5-star heritage hotel on Hvar, and only the third 5-star hotel on a Croatian island. It was quite a night, and having covered tourism on Hvar for 8 years via Total Hvar, a particular honour to witness the start of the latest initiative to move the Hvar tourism story in a more elite direction. You can read a report of the opening party here.  

So how does Palace Elisabeth look close up? Well, as you can see from the photo above, there are worse places to be sitting to take in another breathtaking Hvar sunset over the Pakleni Islands than on the balcony of the Penthouse Suite.

The hotel is a gorgeous mixture of modern luxury with intricate heritage detail. And it has quite a history, located on the place where organised tourism began in Europe back in 1868 and opposite the oldest public theatre in Europe, just across the main square, a theatre which also reopened this year after a 20-year renovation. 

Take a tour of Palace Elisabeth below, and learn more about it from the official Suncani Hvar website. 

December 10, 2019 - Bahrain Merida, one of the biggest names in global cycling, return to Hvar for winter training for the third successive year. 

One of the most interesting developments on the island of Hvar in recent years has been the concerted efforts to diversify its tourism away from the sun and sea stereotype to an island of culture, gastronomy and adventure. Home to the most UNESCO heritage of any island in the world, including its healthy Mediterranean diet, Croatia's premier island has also enjoyed considerable success in establishing itself as a great adventure destination. 

Local adventure tourism agencies have developed activities such as sailing, sea kayaking, rock climbing, and hiking, while annual events such as the Otillo Swimrun, Hvar Half Marathon, Faros Marathon, the Easter and Ney Year regattas have all added a competitive edge and helped to develop the brand of Hvar as an adventure tourism destination. 

And there is one other activity where there has been great progress in recent years - cycling. 

Bike routes have been introduced and a dedicated Hvar cycling map produced, but in terms of symbolism for Hvar as a cycling destination, nothing quite beats the arrival of the illustrious visitors each December. 

Now in its third year, the world-class cycling team of Bahrain Merida, including Mark Cavendish, arrive on beautiful Hvar for their winter training programme. Their 10-day stay this year will include 80 members of the team, a significant injection of life into Hvar's December calendar. The team's new name from January 1 will be Bahrain McLaren, after the motorsport giants entered the cycling world with Bahrain Merida, it was announced at a press conference last week in London. And how fitting that the location of their first outing is with one of the tourism giants of Europe, with Hvar recently having been named the best island in Europe by Conde Nast. 

As always, Bahrain Merida will be accommodated by Suncani Hvar Hotels, this year at Hotel Amfora.

As in previous years, the team will be available to both journalists and guests in a press conference, and this year's stay will also include a fun race called Fun Bike Ride. 

I was there for the arrival of Bahrain Merida a couple of years ago - it was great to see Hvar so alive in December, even more so to see Bahrain Merida back again. Welcome back! 

To learn more about the island of Hvar, check out the Total Croatia Hvar in a Page guide.