Hvar September Rhapsody

There is no better time than September and October to enjoy Hvar and Vis! Why? Because it’s a rhapsodic time of the year - a time when the forces and energy of Mother Nature somehow get balanced to create an ideal state of mind to enjoy all the best Hvar and Vis have to offer.
After being holed up in their hotel here for two days of intense marathon meetings earlier this month, I knew Vis would be just what our group of 20 execs needed to unwind as well as recharge.
For those of you who have never been to this splendid piece of paradise just 60 miles off the Italian coast, a Vis Adventure is simply a must. We started ours at 10AM, departing from Hvar with 3 rib speedboats. On our 45 minute run, we attracted a few dolphins - it's strange but every time I go to Vis I always meet a pod or two, like they want to say “hi - where have you been?”.

As we zipped through the northeast side of Vis Island the group got its first ooh and aah - the majestic view of Stoncica lighthouse, and Vis’ wonderful island hills. (If you look closer, you can still see WW2 military bunkers tucked away, a testament of former Yugoslavian Army that occupied the island for almost 50 years). A closed military zone until 1989, Vis was spared over-commercialization and has remained one of the most pristine islands in the Adriatic.
We put in at Green Cave so the group could enjoy a much-needed private swim. The cave is famous because small cracks in its dome allow beams of light to come through, creating a green hue throughout the cave.
Quite spacious, its depth varies from three to five meters.

Cool and refreshed we headed south to Stiniva Bay. Reached through a very narrow entrance, the cove quickly opens to a beautiful, thirty-meter wide pebble beach flanked by perpendicular rocks 35 meters high. Only accessible from the sea, this magical place has preserved its natural beauty for eons!

After 30 minutes we pushed off and continued to Biševo and the famous Blue Cave. On the way we decided to explore some smaller caves and the craggy rocks close to the shore.

Feeling brave,some of the group asked to stop at one big cliff that rises magnificently out of the sea so they could climb up and jump into the delicious clear crystal blue sea below.
What a kick to see 30 and 40 year olds acting like little kids having a blast. That's exactly how it looked as one after another they jumped for joy into their own private sea pool!

We reached Biševo and Blue Cave around 12:30. The besttime to experience its magical blue light is between noon - 2 pm. This is when sunlight reflects through the water and bounces off the white floor of the cave to bathe the entire grotto in ethereal aquamarine light - turning objects in the water mysterious silver.
Because the entrance to the cave is so small we had to disembark from our rib speedboats into dinghies to visit the interior.

After that we have went for a tasty lobster lunch at Jastožera (transl.lobster cage) Restaurant in Komiža where each group member got to chose their own choose their own that was later prepared en brodetto (red wine stew) and served with spaghetti. Fabulous!

After lunch we returned to Hvar stopping for a spell at Mline Bay in the Paklinski Islands, which is just 30 minutes from Hvar Town. A small bay with the most crystal clear sea in the world, the group enjoyed a final sunset swim.

We returned toHvar somewhere around 7:30PM, an hour and a half “late” but no one card because they were so relaxed and happy. In a word, the day beautifully typified the wonderful Hvar expression for this time of year: laganini. Simply translated it means ''take it easy'', ''do not hurry'', ''cool''.
To get the true meaning of this word, this glorious September-October state of mind, you simply need to come to Hvar and experience it for yourself!

Ante