New Year on the island of sun – more than celebration

What is your ideal scenario for New Years? Looking simply for a good party or have something more original in mind?
The abundance of offers can really be overwhelming and it's really not so easy to decide where to go or what to choose. Everyone is offering excitement, music, dance, simply - plenty of fun, and the New Year is indeed the time to finally relax in a good mood and in festive spirit.
However, New Year in the city can be hectic and noisy, and don't we all need some time just for ourselves, away from the everyday rush and commercial pressure that we are so intensively exposed to, especially at this time of year.
Do we really need to spend a lot of time and money to have a ‘sparkling’, stressful New Years that will perhaps be fun, but in the end will only leave us with a hangover to remember it by?
What about a relaxing New Years break for a change? What about a picturesque island setting, a small boutique hotel where everybody will know your name, where you will be pampered and feel at home? What about nice, relaxing wellness and spa treatments scented with aromatic oil produced from locally grown herbs, authentic, high quality wines and delicious Mediterranean food served by hospitable locals?
These are only fragments of the scenario of unique Hvar New Years experience that we have designed for those who simply want something different and original. Something that will make us remembers all the scents and flavours, all the precious moments, all the feelings, pictures and colours.
We design it for those who want to enjoy the magical qualities of our island in December, who is keen to have moments of pleasure and authentic experience, for those looking for a romantic getaway to enter a new chapter of their lives refreshed, relaxed and enriched with a new memorable experience.

We wish you all a happy New Year and see you in Hvar!
Your Suncani Hvar team

Be sure to join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the latest updates!

So Hvar so good

If Croatia is recognized as ‘a small country for a great vacation’ then Hvar is ‘a small island for the greatest vacation in Croatia’. Sounds pretentious and arrogant? If you ever been to Hvar then you for sure know what I am talking about.
The popularity of Hvar seems to be growing year after year as the word is spreading around the globe very fast. At the beginning compared to Ibiza or Saint Tropez, Hvar is slowly but surely becoming an international brand for itself.
What’s the catch? There is no doubt that the island’s nature is amazing, tradition and cultural heritage fascinating, that wine and food are great and people are friendly, but all these attributes can be easily used (and often are) to describe any of the Croatian islands. What makes Hvar so irresistible then? No one can really tell. Hvar’s simply a lovable place, offering a winning combination of fun, leisure, luxury, authenticity, local simplicity and international open minded spirit…it’s so colourful, so inspiring and so, well, unique - and whenever you mention Hvar to someone who has ever been there, you can bet that you are going to get the same reaction – a big smile followed by a sentimental sigh….from Bosnia to Brazil, the reaction is pretty much the same.
Summer stories from Hvar are told as legends. Sitting next to Kevin Spacey while having a morning cappuccino at the BB-club, or seeing John Malkovich eating his ice-cream with locals, this is part of Hvar’s everyday scenery. Apart from a few local paparazzi lined up in front of Riva hotel celebrities have nothing else to worry about. As one of Croatian TV stars said: I love Hvar since I can be glamorous and in the centre of attention if I want to, but also if I choose to swim naked and have bad hair day, I can always find a spot to be invisible.
TV characters, politicians, models, football players, mysterious multi- millionaire on gigantic, surreal yachts, but also back packers and students on their budget-limited summer tours. All of them share the same passion for a good time. Hvar’s for hedonists, not elitist at all, not exclusive but wide open for everyone and all. And this being so for over 140 years, how long the tradition of organized tourism is in Hvar and it will be so for as long as there will be people looking for the greatest vacation Croatia has to offer!

Be sure to join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the latest updates!

Easter holidays on Hvar

Tourists searching for Easter tradition may wish to consider a Croatian holiday on the island of Hvar, where celebrations have not changed for more than 500 years.

Highlights of the religious ritual include a number of processions which start simultaneously and may take in the island's immaculate beaches. The Procession “Following the Cross” is a very pious ceremony and an expression of the religious and cultural identity of the population of the central part of Hvar Island. It has been taking place for nearly five centuries uninterrupted. On the night from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, the Procession passes through 6 villages on the island: Jelsa, Pitve, Vrisnik, Svirče, Vrbanj and Vrboska. At the same time, processions start from six parish churches with a cross-bearer ahead, wearing a heavy cross as a symbol of prayer or gratitude, as his own or family pledge. He is followed by a chosen suite in brotherhood tunics and numerous worshippers and pilgrims. They stop in front of churches and chapels in other villages where greeted by priests and return to their parish church before dawn. The people in the Procession pass 25 kilometres in 8 hours. It is prepared and conducted by brotherhoods, i.e. communities of Hvar believers whose history has been profoundly marked by the cross. The central part of the Procession is the Lamentations of the Virgin Mary, an octosyllabic Passion-related text dating from the 15th century, sang in a dialogue form by chosen singers - kantaduri.(www.min-kulture.hr)

This religious custom provides everyone around it with a unique spiritual experience. The Procession “Following the Cross” has been recently included on UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage.

For those looking for a spring sunshine break a holiday in Hvar will be an excellent option. Temperatures in Hvar during April will stay around 15-20C, giving more than enough sunshine to pick up a golden tan. Easter holidays in Hvar are very popular with holiday makers who soak up the sun on the beaches or explore the neighbouring islands.

Enjoy Easter holidays at one of Sunčani Hvar hotels and experience a unique celebration of Easter on the sunny Island of Hvar.

Spring at last! Pick your favorite April special!

Hello sunshine! Hvar welcomes you!

After a long island winter, spring is finally here with all its colours, scents and beauty. Don't we all feel happier, more optimistic, more beautiful, as we wake up with the rays of morning sunshine coming in through our room windows? Life seems to be more beautiful and more easy when flowers are blossoming and birds singing, announcing a new season – a season of joy.
When people think about Hvar, first association linked to it is sun, sunshine. Sunny Hvar (or Sunčani Hvar in Croatian) is not just the name of our company, its an adjective inseparably attached to our beautiful island. Yes, there are places where nature is great and days are sunny, but don’t you wonder why everyone who ever comes on Hvar becomes addicted to it? Even out of pure curiosity. Hvar is not easy to describe even to the most articulate ones.
Why would you wait for the hot summer days to visit us. April on the island is absolutely amazing. Sunčani Hvar have April specials ready for two different but equally fascinating jewels within our group: hotel Amfora and hotel Palace. As the oldest hotel in Hvar, The Palace is a grand dame framed by gothic and renaissance architecture. History lovers will particularly enjoy its central location, which provides romantic views of the ancient piazza and neighbouring buildings such as St. Stephen’s Cathedral, as well as glorious sunsets over the bay.
On the other hand, Amfora is an amazing beach resort, ideal for a family vacation or romantic getaway with a loved one.
Check out our April specials right away and choose your favourite spring nest. We shall be here, waiting for you and ready to share enthusiasm and positive energy!

New affordable solution for your Hvar summer vacation

In the upcoming season of 2011 Sunčani Hvar Hotels will have additional accommodation capacity available for rent. Dalmacija annex is a cute B&B perfectly located as an extension of hotel Dalmacija, the annex is an ideal solution for younger travellers looking for charming, comfortable yet simple and affordable accommodation while on their Croatian summer adventure.
Hotel Dalmacija annex is located on the waterfront promenade in a small bay just around the corner from the main harbour, opposite from Hvar’s famous landmark – The Franciscan monastery. The hotel annex has 37 rooms, all of which feature sea views of Paklinski islands archipelago. All rooms have open air loggias, external phone lines and simple furnishing.
The centre of the town is only a 2-minutes walk by the sea, where you can find all necessities for a perfect Hvar vacation: taxi boats to Paklinski islands beaches, sights, restaurants, bars and shops. If you are looking for an affordable place, perfectly located at the beach and 5-10 minutes away from all Hvar's premiere bars and restaurants, Dalmacija annex is just the right choice.

Find out more information on our web site www.suncanihvar.com
Book your perfect Hvar vacation now!
Join us on Facebook & Twitter and get latest updates about our special offers and interesting news.

Hvar's culture and heritage under UNESCO's protection

Need more reasons to visit Hvar? Want more that cristal clear sea, picturesque nature and busy night life? You will be pleasantly surprised to learn that UNESCO has protected 3 wonders of Hvar's rich culture and tradition.


Benedictine nuns aloe lace

Lacemaking in Hvar
Aloe lace is made in Croatia only by Benedictine nuns in the town of Hvar. Thin, white threads are obtained from the core of fresh aloe leaves and woven into a net or other pattern on a cardboard background. The resulting pieces are a symbol of Hvar. View video


Procession in Hvar

Procession Za križen
After mass on Maundy Thursday before the Christian holiday of Easter, each of six villages on the island of Hvar sends out a group that will proceed through the other villages in a circle, covering twenty-five kilometers in eight hours before returning home. Each party in this community-organized Za Krizen (‘following the cross’) procession is led by a cross-bearer. A long-established and inalienable part of Hvar religious and cultural identity, the procession connects the communities of the island to each other and to the world Catholic community.

Lacemaking in Hvar and Procession Za križen have been inscribed on UNESCO Representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. For more information, please visit: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011&RL=00245 and http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011&RL=00242.


Stari Grad plain

Stari Grad Plain
One of the remains of Hvar history is Stari Grad Plain, one of UNESCO World Heritage sites. This is a cultural landscape that has remained practically intact since it was first colonized by Ionian Greeks from Paros in the 4th century BC. The original agricultural activity of this fertile plain, mainly centering on grapes and olives, has been maintained since Greek times to the present. The site is also a natural reserve. The landscape features ancient stone walls and trims, or small stone shelters, and bears testimony to the ancient geometrical system of land division used by the ancient Greeks, the chora which has remained virtually intact over 24 centuries. For more information on this site, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1240.

Be sure to join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the latest updates!

It's never too early to book an amazing Mediterranean vacation!

It's never too early to book an amazing Mediterranean vacation on one of the most beautiful islands in the world! Book your stay at any of Sunčani Hvar hotels until April 30th and save 15%!
Apart from saving 15%, the great thing is that you can choose from a variety of hotels, from budget to the upscale properties within the group. The choice is all yours.

Here are some brief guidelines that might help you in choosing the right hotel:
You are hip, trendy, energetic, open-minded! You are looking for an excitement, party, night-life… The hotel you are looking for is in the very centre of the town, has an original design,and is a bit provocative! Want to stay at Kevin Spacey’s suite? Riva hvar yacht harbour hotel is the answer. Interested? Find out more and book now!

Travelling with your family? Have kids who would love to enjoy a great pool? Or you simply enjoy resorts where you can have it all in one place and still be within 10 minutes walking distance from the town centre. Think no more. Amfora hvar grand beach resort – nothing compares! Find out more and book your stay.

Looking for a hot spot to spend an amazing vacation with a partner or a friend and simply want to be thoroughly pampered. A general fantasy is a massage to start the day and a martini at the Top to finish it. The details can be worked out. Grand holiday it is. Welcome to the scented spa oasis. Adriana, hvar spa hotel. Simply irresistible.

Grand dame Palace with its premiere location, amazing terrace and charm of old times. From the Adriatic ambiance to the ancient architecture on down to the live bands everything at The Palace is classic . Sounds romantic? Check it out here.

Budget options are numerous. Pharos, Delfin, or perhaps Sirena? Well, let’s cut it short.
Sunčani Hvar has it all. To help you make the right choice contact us at +385 750 750 and visit our web site www.suncanihvar.com.

The islander of today

What is your idea of a typical islander? Are people who live on an island in any way different?
There is a stereotype of an islander that is most often connected to images of a fisherman, or a peculiar peasant with a beard and singing folk songs somewhere in the field surrounded by goats or seagulls, tired of hard life and solitude… Perhaps you will be disappointed to learn that this is hardly the description of a typical inhabitant of the island of Hvar.
Of course you will still be able to find a lot of fishermen on the island and most people living here are still very much connected to the sea in one way or another. But the image of an islander is not the one of a contemporary Robinson Crusoe, isolated from modern technology, and 'normal' social activities.
However, islands in Croatia are still in a way exotic oasis of untouched nature, peaceful and safe, magnificent and charming pieces of paradise, with hospitable locals welcoming guest from all over the world. This is in summer time, of course, when Croatian islands become hideaways for so many tourists from all parts of the globe.
However, many people wonder is there any life on the island when summer is over? How does the winter look like on the island and is there any life there after all?
A true island spirit awakes in winter time. Without much influence of the outside world, the island becomes a world for itself, distant and mysterious, quite yet romantic. Locals who live there all year round have mastered an art of living in harmony with nature and in peace with themselves and each other.
Winter on the island is a challenge for anyone not being used to it. Without stress, traffic, crowds and noise, there is a whole new dimension of life opening up in front of us and it is not always easy to confront it. Islanders have their winter rituals. Blessed with lots of sunny days, locals spend o a lot of time outside: working in the fields, fishing, or simply drinking coffee which is almost a sacred social ritual. The expression ‘pomalo’ which could be interpreted as ‘take it easy’, reflects the whole philosophy of living on the island.
Islanders cherish the benefits of the island life. They speak local dialect (slightly different in every single village and small town) and have great respect towards the rich cultural heritage and tradition. The way of living on the island today is a perfect mixture of traditional values and benefits of modern civilization.
Face to face human interaction, family, friendship and intimacy are values which may become old-fashioned these days, but not on this island. This is why so many people from all over the world in their quest for inner peace and happiness fell in love with Hvar, and some of them even decided to build a whole new life here.
Although ‘no man is an island’, there is an island in every one of us….the sole peace of ‘paradise’, reminding us of where home is and where we really belong to.

Be sure to join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the latest updates!