Private holiday villas and vacation rentals in Hvar The city of Hvar is a unique mix of luxurious Mediterranean nature, rich cultural and historical heritage and an exquisite tourist presence. Its name - PHAROS - derives from the Greek name for a light house given to the island and the town, which stood on the place where Starigrad today stands (Hvar became the island's centre in the 13th century). Hvar city gained glory and power during the Middle Ages as an important port of the Venetian navy. Today, it is the main tourist centre of the island and one of the favourite destinations on the Dalmatian Riviera - a town of courteous people which are mostly dedicated to tourism. From town of Hvar, you can access a lot of wonderful islands, villages, resorts and bays either on foot, with car, with a rented boat or with the regular taxi boats leaving from the port of Hvar (100 m from your flat) or with individual hired taxi boats (expensive). A complete description of the treasures of Hvar city and the island can be found in the City guide or on the websites of Hvar. WEATHER & CLIMATE The island of Hvar is famous for its pleasant Mediterranean climate and the large number of sun hours - insulation is higher than 2700 hours a year. A very mild Mediterranean climate allows bathing from May to November. Summers in Hvar are very dry and warm. The summer winds Maestral (from the West) and Tramontana (Northwest) refresh you during those sunny days. Winters are mild and short, temperatures under 0°C are a rarity. In winter, there can be windy days with Jugo (Southeast), Bura (North) and there are rainy days too, but snow is rare and will only very seldom remain on the soil for few hours.