Best Hidden Beaches in Hvar

Hidden Beaches in Hvar: Abandoned Villages and Uninhabited Islands

Hvar's hidden beaches reward the curious traveller with discoveries that sit entirely outside the heavily promoted tourist circuit, from abandoned village coves accessible only on foot through the wild island interior to the uninhabited island of Šćedro to the south where only sailboats occasionally anchor. The extreme eastern end of the island, reachable by bus from Jelsa or by long drive from Hvar Town, conceals a coastline that sees only local visitors, while the path down to Malo Grablje from the hill above is one of the most unexpectedly dramatic coastal approaches in Dalmatia. These places exist for those who want the Hvar experience stripped of its glamour and returned to the pure Adriatic coastal beauty that underlies it.

Top Hidden Beaches in Hvar

Malo Grablje Abandoned Village Cove

The abandoned village of Malo Grablje, perched on the hill above the south coast of Hvar, is accessible by a marked but little-walked hiking path from Milna below. The village was abandoned in the twentieth century as its agricultural economy collapsed, and the stone houses now stand empty and silent in the scrubland. A path continues down from the village to a rocky coastal cove below that receives almost no visitors, combining the atmosphere of complete historical abandonment with the natural beauty of a wild Dalmatian shore. The descent is steep but manageable, and the cove at the bottom offers swimming in completely private clear Adriatic water with the abandoned village visible above on the hillside. One of the most atmospheric and unusual hidden beach experiences on the Croatian coast.

Šćedro Island

The uninhabited island of Šćedro, directly south of Hvar and accessible by sailboat or chartered motorboat from Hvar Town, contains two well-sheltered bays with clean pebble beaches and crystal water that receive only the occasional passing yacht and virtually no organised tourist traffic. The island has a small Dominican monastery that is the only sign of permanent human occupation, and the surrounding pine forest and Mediterranean scrub are completely undeveloped. Anchoring in one of the island's bays for a night or two provides one of the purest sailing holiday experiences available in the Adriatic: an entire island effectively to yourself, swimming in completely clean water with no other people visible in any direction. Day-trippers from Hvar by private speedboat can access the bays for a picnic without an overnight stay.

Jagodna Village Beach

At the far eastern end of Hvar island near the village of Jagodna, accessible by bus from Jelsa or by car along the narrow road that runs the length of the island, a small local beach sits below the village completely unknown to the vast majority of Hvar's visitors. The bus from Jelsa drops you at the road above and the walk down takes ten minutes through olive groves and dry stone walls. The beach has no facilities and receives only local village swimmers throughout the season. The water is clear and the swimming excellent, and the surrounding landscape of the far eastern island, undeveloped and traditionally agricultural, provides a context for a beach day that has nothing in common with the glamorous Hvar Town tourist experience. This is the other Hvar: the one that existed before the yachts arrived.

Discover Hidden Hvar

Find accommodation across Hvar island for independent exploration at /en/hotels, and browse the complete Hvar beach guide at /en/beaches/croatia.