ESCAPE- OLOGY Magazine Issue 3 | Page 34

Zavala Beach via Pitve: Our next stop was Zavala beach which can only be reached by driving through a long, damp, dark, and cold tunnel! There’s a sign before you enter advising no scooters allowed, but a local said that scooter’s go through it all the time and the rule isn’t really enforced.. so away we went! Before you reach the tunnel you drive through the gorgeous little village of Pitve - again set up high on a hill, you have the most gorgeous views from up here! Once you are through the tunnel, you don’t have far to go until you reach Zavala beach, however there are a number of steep decline switchbacks that you need to get down first, just take it easy and you’ll be fine. Zavala beach was super secluded, quiet, and we were certainly the only travellers who were there! It was beautiful, clear, and clean.

Dubovica Beach: to reach Dubovica, you will need to drive back through the tunnel and village of Pitve, and then take the main highway back towards Hvar. You will know once you’ve reached Dubovica because you will see hundreds of scooters and cars parked along the main road in carparks, Dubovica is a beach that you can only reach directly by walking down a trail, making it a little quieter than others you will come across in Hvar. Once we parked our scooter, the walk down to the beach was only around 10 minutes, and a scenic one the entire time. Dubovica was probably one of the larger beaches that we came across, with lots of space for people to lie their towels, and there were also two cafe’s down here as well! We loved this little spot, and there were also a few cliff’s either side of the bay perfect for some cliff jumping!

Zaraće & Milna Beach: Zaraće and Milna beaches aren’’t too far past Dubovica, we didn’t make a stop here as we were running out of daylight hours and had a special sunset spot planned, but we’re including them in our blog because we were told by many locals that these are both very beautiful spots! Again, they are little bays only accessibly by a short walking trail, with space to park up on the main road. If you make it here, you will need to let us know how you liked it!

Tvrdava Napoleon fortress for sunset: This spot was a recommended to us by a local, and boy was it a hidden gem in Hvar! We rode our scooter up to this gorgeous spot just before sunset, as high as high could be looking over the village and sea of Hvar. Not only was there only another one or two people here, but the views below were just endless.

Watching the sun set near Podstine or Bonj beach:

These spots are perfect for sunset as you can watch as it sets over the ocean. You can access these sunset spots via a path from the main town of Hvar that loops all around the coast towards Podstine beach. The best place for watching is just before the beach called Podstine, and there are lots of rocks that you can sit upon and enjoy a drink and snack, a perfect end to the day.

Food and drinks: Be prepared to pay ALOT of money for eating and dining out. It’s generally overpriced all over the whole island, but you can always still find your fresh fruit markets and bakeries! For a great atmosphere, make sure you head to Hula Hula for a drink or meal, it’s the only place that we saw in Hvar that is set RIGHT on the beach, best views, good tunes, and a big selection of food and drinks!

@MishAndKirk