An hour from Split by ferry and the weather changed from stinking hot to cool, overcast and drizzley just as we left the very ordinary beach at Split for the far better aquatic destination of Hvar. The Venetian-era buildings at the port in Hvar town shone in the wet and restored our faith in Croatia's charm after some disappointment with Split.
The town is overlooked by Venetian fortifications built in the 1700s to protect Venice's trade interests. Stari Grad, Vrboska and other towns on the other side of the island are reachable over an old, windy mountain road featuring funky, old stone villages and fields of lavendar, or through a new tunnel if speed is more important than scenery. A hired maxi-taxi with George the cabbie proved to be a cost-effective way to see the island - split (no pun intended) the cost 6 ways and it was pretty cheap and George, as a native , knew his way around.