Calling Croatia experts

[MuffinMadge]

First time visiting, thinking of Hvar island. I'm at a total loss, any recommendations, hotels, beaches? Any good holiday websites? This holiday is a child free one! [claps hands excitedly]. Ideally we are after relaxing, hotel, beach holiday, going in August. Trying not to break the bank....but everywhere is sooooo expensive.

Hvar is wonderful, with its hammock bars and homemade spirits, and very very clear seas...and little nudist islands to which you can kayak...but sand beaches are limited. Most of the coastline is rocky and people put their towels down on them but it isn't hugely comfy.

Thanks Chillbox it sounds amazing, i can't wait. Just sick of going round in circles with regards to hotel choices, just want to get it booked!

Korcula is beautiful too. But second the sandy beaches comment - they aren't common at all, and any you find in August will be busy and hot!

If you can push your holiday towards the end of August it will be a bit quieter. The Italians invade en masse during the end of July and the first couple of weeks of August, but start to leave towards the end, it should also be a bit cheaper. Can't help with hotels unfortunately as I've always sailed (did 3 seasons working on boats round the islands), but most other queries I can probably help with.

I'm going to follow this. I am planning to go to Zadar or Split in September this year, just for a few days really.

We've stayed in Lapad near Dubrovnik old town - great but I don't like pebble beaches so much. We took a trip to Lopud island, where there is a lovely sandy beach. Nice looking hotel there too.

We stayed in Lapad a couple of years ago. Which hotel were you in Avon?

Not in a hotel - we stayed in Vila Curic, 250 steps up the hill Near to Atlantic Kitchen. How about you, Bunbaker?

We stayed at the Hotel Lapad

Vair nice, Bunbaker - was that on the main drag in Lapad? I would like to return one day.

It overlooked the harbour where all the cruise ships come in.

Do you think going with kids in October for long weekend would be viable? Flying to split, where would we go from there?

Makarska on the Dalmatian coast was beautiful. Think we stayed at the hotel biokovo which was very reasonable about 5 years ago

Can I hijack this for advice too pleaese?

I am planning a week with a friend at the end of May. Dubrovnik area?

Any tips on hotels, places to visit most welcome.

;)

Love, love, love Hvar! I went in 2009 (I think) and then back again the next year as we loved it so much. We stayed at the Hotel Podstine which was affordable for us then but the prices seem to have sky rocketed. It has a private beach but no sand - the sunbeds are on a sort of concrete platform (I'm no good at marketing this - clearly - but it is lovely). Really recommend if you can afford it! Other guests were saying the water was clearer there than the Caribbean.
heels99 a long weekend might not be viable - by the time you get to Split you then need to devote another day travelling by ferry to an island as both the flights to Split and the ferrys aren't that regular and therefore we found they didn't tie up timing wise. We found we had to do one overnight in Split on our second trip over - we'd seen it so we just wanted to get to an island but timings wouldn't allow us to get straight onto a ferry the same day.