""Devils from our sea..."" a Hvar Travel Page by BlueLlama

The title refers to the reaction of a bemused restaurant owner in Stari Grad when I pointed out that the fish he'd served me were in fact called monkfish in English and not 'sea devils'. 'But... they are devils... from our sea!' I don't think he's going to be changing his translation any time soon...

I went to Hvar as a daytrip from Split and was so taken with it that I hope to stay on the island itself next time I visit. And after discovering how wrong the guide was about Stari Grad, I hope to return to see the islands other small towns.

We started the day in Stari Grad, a short walk or drive away from where the ferry docked. The guidebooks give it less space than Hvar Town, one even saying that there's nothing to do there. Well, I disagree. I thought it was absolutely lovely, the highlight of the island, and I'm now dreaming of an opportunity to return to the island so I can stay in Stari Grad.

It was so quiet when we visited and yet all the locals we met when walking said 'Dobre dan' which made the place feel very welcoming.

Stari Grad boasts a great walk along the waterfront on the southern side, past stone houses and squares on under shady trees where we stopped the watch the ferry returning to Split. Walking back, we went to see the home on Petar Hektorovich (the Trvdalj) before walking down the backstreets to the Franciscan Monastery.

The Monastery is one of my favourite memories of Croatia - approaching it through overgrown grass, it felt as though it was being discovered for the first time. It was completely still and quiet, and we ended up walking into the small garden attached where oranges and lemons were being cultivated.

Onto Hvar Town after lunch. You can see why it gets the most attention of all the towns on Hvar; there are some very impressive buildings and squares leading down to a waterfront area with beautiful marina.

Hvar Town was full of the smell of mimosa from the blossoms that were everywhere. Full of good tastes too: we enjoyed the best ice cream we tried in Croatia from a stall where they had grapefruit flavour. The perfect accompaniment to a walk this rather swish town!