| Period: | Room (2 beds) | Guest House Apartment (2 beds) | Penthouse Apartment (4 beds) |
| May 1 to June 30 | 35 (€) | 55 (€) | 85 (€) |
| July 1 to August 31 | 40 (€) | 65 (€) | 100 (€) |
| September 1 to October 31 | 35 (€) | 55 (€) | 85 (€) |
ZAGREB, CROATIA – If you want to take a luxury holiday this summer and spend a high sum of money on your vacation, then read about and take a look at what it is like to rest in the most expensive beach in the Adriatic.
A white stone colonnade from the 1930s, just like most bathing resorts of this kind, is provided of stone cabanas which offer a private place for relax and resting.
The treatment the guests of this beach receive responds to the prices. Where else can you find a beach where you get a refreshing drink on the bar’s terrace on the second floor next to the sea? Bonj is also provided with two private pavilions for professional massage and showers, deck-chairs, pontoons and other equipment for sports activities in the sea.
Cabin/canopy packets
There are several service packets available for guests: the Bonj Packet costs 300 kuna, and includes a sun-bed, a table and an umbrella.
The Bonj Packet Duo offers two sun-beds, a table and an umbrella for 500 kuna.
If you rent an extra sun-bed it will cost you 200 more kuna a day, an umbrella is 120 kuna a day, and a baldachin 500 kuna.
On the city beach, only about 300 meters away on the shore, a sun-bed can be rented for 15 kuna, and 30 kuna to rend an umbrella.
However, on that beach someone will placed their towels next to yours, which you will have to bring on your own, not to mention you will have nowhere to buy a cold juice. The only thing both beaches have in common is the wonderful Adriatic sea.
Take a look at the most expensive beach on the Adriatic in PHOTO GALLERY.
HVAR, CROATIA – In a visibly drunken state, Kevin Spacey has made a spectacle in a on the Adriatic island of Hvar. As the guest were sitting down, he started a real show, attacked them and got in their faces.
Before he started performing for the Teraca cafe guests, Spacey went to the toilet several times, as 
Seeing how it was closing time, the police did a routine check, just to make sure everything was alright, but once they got there, there was a sight to be seen – rampant Spacey raving on at the café. He tried explaining to a police officer that he was an influential American actor, but the officer could not understand what he was saying and forwarded him to his colleague.
Seeing how the guest wanted to record this hilarious moment, Spacey ordered his friends to take away their cameras. Among them was the Cropix agency photographer Damjan Tadic, who had his memory card taken by Spacey`s friends.
The locals prevented Spacey`s friends from bullying the guests and media representatives, while the actor went on about privacy rights.
taken from:
javno.com
Strolling into Hvar Town in the late afternoon sunshine, for a moment I feel as though I have arrived in the middle of a tourist board photo shoot. It looks too brochure-perfect; the polished cobbles of the piazza gleam in the rich sunlight, chisel-jawed yachting types and blondes in skimpy frocks curl up on rattan sofas beneath pristine white parasols, sipping cold beers and caipirinhas that come with neat heaps of roasted almonds and a Café del Mar soundtrack. A cluster of terracotta-roofed houses clambers up the hillside behind the harbour, opposite a glittering sea stretching out to some hazily blue islands.
Blessed with a picturesque natural harbour, elegant 17th-century piazza and a striking Renaissance cathedral and arsenal where ships once docked for repairs (now a modern art gallery), the island of Hvar has always been one of Croatia's biggest draws.
Beyond Hvar Town, the rest of the island is relatively untouched by tourism - a few sleepy villages dotted among the lavender-clad fields that colour the island mauve in summer and infuse the air with the shrub's sweet scent.
Yet until recently Hvar Town suffered, as does much of Croatia, from accommodation that was average at best. Hotels, though affordable, tended to be either the standard 1970s horrors so beloved of Croatian architects, or a clutch of properties around the harbour in Hvar Town that had seen better days.
Nine of the island's hotels were owned by one company, Suncani Hvar, but when that company was bought by a group of investors a few years ago, with an eye to Hvar Town's massive potential, things began to change. One by one, Suncani Hvar's hotels have been closing, then reopening as sleek boutique properties - with prices to match - that are luring the kind of crowd who normally holiday on the French Riviera. The first three refurbished properties, the Riva, Adriana and the Amfora - a more family-friendly resort with a state-of-the-art spa - have recently reopened. Next year will see the relaunch of the Pharos and the Palace, which looks out over the main piazza and was the first hotel on the island.
I check into the Riva, open my shutters, and lean out to look across the glistening yachts to where the sun is just beginning to droop. My room is cool and sleek, in grey and muted reds with an open-plan, smoked-glass bathroom. It's the kind of room I'd expect to find in a design hotel in Barcelona or Berlin; a familiar format, pulled off with some panache. It's just a little unexpected to find it in Croatia.
The hotels certainly bring a much-needed injection of style; the Riva's bar and restaurant, both on the waterfront terrace in front of the hotel, are very Ibiza-chic; cubist sofas in varying shades of brown, sunglasses de rigueur - particularly after dark. Next day I drop into the Adriana, with its sleek cocktail bar on the ground floor and a roof terrace - cabanas flowing with white drapes, sumptuous day beds and an inviting pool - the kind of place that wouldn't look out of place in a sleek interiors magazine. The flipside of this boutique hotel development is that it is bound to change Hvar. It has always been the playground for the Croatian elite; Wimbledon winner and national darling Goran Ivanisevic likes nothing more than to sail into the harbour in time for sundowners at the super-cool Carpe Diem bar, while Roman Abramovich has been known to drop by on his yacht.
But Hvar Town is an egalitarian place; that evening, eating supper on the main piazza, I hear German families bickering, Euro-aristos braying, American backpackers and Brit yachties debating which bar to visit for late-night drinks.
Until now, simple pensions and affordable hotels meant it was accessible to everyone, but as the chic hotels start to dominate, smaller properties are struggling to compete. A few independents, such as the charming Hotel Podstine, a short walk from Hvar Town, remain, but their numbers are dwindling.
For now, at least, the town retains an appealing mix of its simpler past and more glamorous future. Days are spent on boat taxis, drifting off to the unspoilt beaches on the nearby Pakleni Islands or the tiny coves that dot Hvar's coastline. And as the sun goes down and Hvar Town really comes alive, there's still a choice of how to spend your evening; reassuringly touristy restaurants on the main piazza or sophisticated eateries such as Luna, tucked away in the cobbled alleys, where sea bass comes roasted to perfection in olive oil and capers.
One evening, I sat among the beautiful people at the Riva hotel, sipping a cocktail, then slipped into the backstreets for supper at a konoba (a traditional restaurant serving simple, local food) where a plate of mussels, salad and a cold beer cost almost the same as my earlier Cosmopolitan.
But the change is unstoppable; talk is of Hvar becoming the new Cannes and as more hotels get a stylish makeover, this looks increasingly likely. This summer the crowd stepping on and off the boats to the Pakleni Islands will be a little glitzier. Go now, before it becomes the exclusive preserve of the Euro-elite.
THE EXPERTS' VIEW
Michael at URBAN JUNKIES writes: Sunsets - they say that Hvar has the prettiest sunsets. Once you see the intense blue sky give way to hues of red, yellow and purple in the evening, it's hard to disagree. Lovers and honeymooners have long flocked to the island to watch the sun go down.
For our own courtship, we'd pass on the views from Cafe del Mar-esque Carpe Diem, despite its excellent cocktails and cool scene. We'd even forego the the intimate wooden shacks that make up the atmospheric Hula-Hula bar. Instead, we'd grab a container of bevanda (red wine with water), walk south along the beach to the 15th Century Franciscan Monastery and soak up the last rays of daylight in front of the cloisters.
Eating out: Make the trek to the Mekicevica beach (10 minutes by boat or 30 minutes walking on the road towards the village of Milna), a small white pebble paradise better known as Robinson Crusoe, the name of the small improvised restaurant on site. With no electricity, you're served what's available on the day, usually a feast of fresh fish and a variety of appetisers. Pure bliss.
Christina at iTRAVELiSHOP suggests: Beach - to top up your tan in style, head to Hvar’s luxury beach club, the Bonj Les Bains. The beach club is carved out from a restored 1930’s stone building and is nestled under a pine grove. Book a private cabana here for total privacy, and massages are also available.
Hotels: Hvar is steadily becoming one of the hottest European party destinations - and for good reason, with its mix of sun, beaches and clubs. But choose your hotel carefully as most are functional rather than stylish. The big exception - and the best place to stay - is the Riva Hotel, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. This boutique is on the waterfront and the rooms are playful and sexy; above your bed you’ll find B&W photos of classic Hollywood icons, like James Dean. Sharon Stone, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Steven Spielberg have all stayed here. Rates start at £117.
Restaurants: You’ll have to hunt to find Macondo, located on a tiny alley just off the main square, but its well worth it to sample the fresh seafood. The restaurant is named after the town in "One Hundred Years of Solitude,” and the décor is understated, with stone walls, a few pieces of modern art and simple white tablecloths. Order the catch of the day or the gregada, a thick seafood soup. (2 blocks north of trg Sv Stjepna, Hvar Town. 021/742-850.
If you’re looking for something more casual, try Menego. Some of the best dishes are marinated anchovies, octopus and chickpea salad, figs stuffed with almonds, and Dalmation ham, which is smooth and buttery. The chic set heads to Luna (1 Petar Hektorovića, Hvar town, Phone 385 21 741 400). The food is classics with a twist, like shrimp gazpacho and smoked salmon.
Nightlife: Some of the city’s best clubs feel like they have been imported directly from Ibiza. Carpe Diem is the biggest and best known, and has white slip-covered day beds and internationally known DJs. Expect a Euro-glam crowd, so pack your white jeans and D&G shades. If you’d rather hang out in a more casual bar, try Kiva off the main square which is favoured by the locals (and where bartenders are known to throw tequila at you). If it’s after hours (say 3am) and you want to keep on partying, try Veneranda, a nightclub that’s housed in a former monastery. The club is located in the midst of pine groves on a hillside overlooking the harbour.
Michael at iESCAPE writes: Hotels - our favourite is Hotel Podstine, a romantic seafront hotel and restaurant in a secluded bay, with tables right next to the water, and a swimming pier with steps. It's 20 minutes' walk (or a short taxi-boat ride) along the coast from Hvar.
Beaches: We particularly like “Robinson beach” which is halfway to Milna along the coastal path (about an hour's walk). It has a café and sandy seabed, though the beach itself is pebbly. On the way to Robinson (40 mins' walk) you pass Pokojnyi Dol beach, popular and good for children. If you continue walking to Milna (or take a taxiboat), about 750 metres before Milna, a path leads to a spectacular beach below a cliff, one of the most secluded on the island. On Palmizana, one of the offshore islands served by taxiboat, there is a small sandy beach (the only sandy one in the area, hence it can get crowded) and a wonderful fish restaurant, Zori, which serves the best scampi buzara. They also have cabins for staying overnight.
Restaurants: Our favourite is Leporini, on a lovely Venetian street in the Groda. They serve fantastic fish, grilled or gregada, and seafood dishes, including octopus salad, black risotto made with calamari in its ink and wine, and seafood spaghetti. If you go out of season you get trad peasant food e.g. bean dishes or roast lamb, which is best ordered in advance. Another speciality is octopus "peka" (or "hobotnitsa") which is cooked "under the bell" and needs 24 hours advance notice. The best place for this is Panorama restaurant, reached by taxi. Make sure you get there before sunset to enjoy the spectacular views from the terrace. If your hotel cannot order the peka for you, go to the town tourist office and ask them to ring on your behalf.
The best out-of-the-way place is the restaurant in the almost abandoned village of Malo Grablje, run by the Tudors. It’s only been open a couple of years; everything is home made and the husband and wife team running it are extremely hospitable. You can get wild boar in season. Electricity is from a generator. It's closed in winter, and taxi drivers are not very keen on driving there on account of the gravel road from Milna; it is essential to pre-arrange pick-up after dinner.
St. Tropez, Majorca, Aspen, and other glamour destinations don't have anything on Hvar, the glitzy Croatian playground patronized by celebrities, the idle rich, and the average Joe tourist who wants to find out what the Hvar hoopla is about.
Hvar is indeed a lush, sunny Shangri-la with more hours of sunshine (2,724) than any other place in Croatia, according to the literature. But when you're talking just 24 more hours of rays than Brac (2,700) and only 124 hours (4 days) more than most of Croatia's other islands, you're splitting hairs. Nonetheless, some Hvar hotels will discount the price of your room if it rains for 4 hours on any given day and give you a free night if it snows (fat chance).
Ultraviolet rays aside, Hvar is a lovely piece of real estate with vineyards, fields of lavender and other aromatic herbs, a few interesting sites, a lot of good restaurants, and some rather expensive -- but historic -- places to stay.
Hvar's principal towns are Hvar Town, Stari Grad, Vrboska, Jelsa, and Sucuraj, though Hvar Town seems to be the center of current interest in the island.
Lavender Blues
Hvar is sometimes known as "Lavender Island" because the graceful plant with silver-green foliage and a hypnotic fragrance grows in profusion all over the place. Lavendula, as the plant is known in botanical circles, is a native of the dry Mediterranean climate and is the subject of many legends and superstitions. It is also thought to have medicinal properties.
One legend claims that lavender acquired its soothing fragrance when Mary hung baby Jesus's swaddling clothes on a bush and transformed it. A popular superstition says that lavender flowers scattered between the mattress and sheet of the conjugal bed will prevent spousal arguments. Today dried lavender flowers are used as sachets to add a pleasant scent to closets and drawers, and lavender oil is used to promote relaxation.
On Hvar, lavender is an industry and you'll pick up the lavender scent as soon as you disembark from the boat that brought you there, because it is sold in kiosks up and down the dock at Hvar Town. It is said that the whole island is enveloped in a cloud of lavender scent in the spring, and that may be so. But in the summer of 2005 in Hvar Town, the only lavender we saw or smelled originated at the kiosks on the dock.
