{"id":27986,"date":"2022-06-07T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-07T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=27986"},"modified":"2022-06-06T17:04:36","modified_gmt":"2022-06-06T21:04:36","slug":"islands-in-the-sea-day-six-in-croatia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=27986","title":{"rendered":"Islands in the Sea, Day Six in Croatia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u00a92022 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C.<\/em> All rights reserved<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the constant travel we had experienced on our vacation so far, we decided that we needed a relaxing beach day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wanting to explore the nearby Pakleni islands, we decided that renting a boat for the day would be the best option since we own a boat at home and have experience on the water.  We awakened early, headed to the small harbor and sought out a vendor.  After a lot of questions with a lot of people, we were informed that since the onset of Covid we would not be able to rent the boat ourselves but rather with the assistance of a captain. I don\u2019t know what Covid had to do with any of this, however, the addition of a captain made it quite expensive and much less private than we desired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, we analyzed the signs along the Riva advertising the water taxis and their destinations.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palmizana Beach on Sveti Klement Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Mlini and Zdrilica beaches on Marinkovac Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kordovon beach on Jerolim Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right away, we knew that Jerolim was out of contention as it\u2019s home to a nudist beach\u2026not that we have a problem with that\u2026it\u2019s just that my body isn\u2019t in as great a shape as it once was!  Kordovon beach is one of the oldest Adriatic nudist beaches (established in the 1950s) and has been voted by CNN as the most beautiful naturist beach in Europe\u2026sorry we had to miss it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we had solicited the opinions the day before at the Visitor\u2019s bureau, from our waiters and our host, some had suggested Milini for its beauty, others had suggested Palmizana for its sheer size and facilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we decided to just throw caution to the wind and flipped a coin\u2026Palmizana won!\u00a0\u00a0We hopped on board the next water taxi, with a handful of other travelers, and held on as our boat made its way across open water towards the islands.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Water taxi ride to Palmizana.<\/em>
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View of Hvar Town and its mighty fortress.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Boats along the way.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A short time later, we approached a dock and were allowed to disembark.\u00a0\u00a0Following a path and the other passengers, we made our way to the other side of the island where Palmizana beach spread out before us, sparkling and pristine.\u00a0\u00a0
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Building on Palmizana island.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Sites on Palmizana island.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Renting an umbrella and two chairs, we proceeded to relax and enjoy the sun for the majority of the day with a break to enjoy a couple of beers from one of the restaurants that remained open, since it was the last day of the tourist season.\u00a0\u00a0
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Palmizana Beach<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The beach was a bit pebbly and waters crystal clear, albeit a bit cold for our liking, but all in all the adventure was worth it!  It was nice to relax after all of our adventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Water taxi back to Hvar Town.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During the late afternoon, we headed back to the dock to make the boat crossing back to Hvar Town.  My husband was a bit sunburned and anxious to take a break in the apartment, but I spotted the Cathedral of St. Stephen\u2019s doors open, so I opted to take a quick peek!  <\/p>\n\n\n

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Cathedral of St. Stephen\u2019s<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The cathedral, located on the eastern side of the city square (Pjaca) was built on the site of an early 6th century Christian church and later the Benedictine convent of St. Mary. While the church was decorated much less lavishly than I had expected, since it was decorated by Venetian artists, it did have some redeeming qualities. The side chapels were similar in style and much more ornate than the rest of the d\u00e9cor with heavy marble columns. The stone pulpit dates back to the 15th century and the crucifix, over the altar, is in the Gothic style, while the rest of the church is a blend of Renaissance, Manneristic and Baroque styles.
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Cathedral of St. Stephen\u2019s<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Cathedral of St. Stephen\u2019s<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Cathedral of St. Stephen\u2019s<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As I stepped outside to photograph the exterior of one of the most important historical buildings in Hvar and inspect its 17th century bell tower, the priest and another gentleman were hard at work raising a very large canvas portrait of what I assumed was St. Stephen above doorway. Stepping away into the Pjaca, I admired the uniquely styled cathedral in the dwindling afternoon light.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Cathedral of St. Stephen\u2019s<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Meeting up with my husband, we proceeded to continue our afternoon sunset observations from the Riva before the dinner hour. The golden light was stunning as it set beyond the islands that we had visited on this day and once again, the yachts began to sail into the harbor, taking their places, sometimes five deep along the dock. With as many boats on this night, surely dinner was going to be a lively affair!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Watching the sunset.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Yachts \u201cstacked\u201d along the dock<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Dinnertime in Hvar.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Hvar, while the smaller of the three cities that we visited, was filled with charm and natural beauty. We were only there for two nights, however, it definitely left a mark on us, making me wonder how many other secret spots Croatia had up it sleeve! Tomorrow, however, we were heading back, the final leg of our journey to Dubrovnik, and we were looking forward to see all of the sites we had not had time for during our first few days! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more pictures check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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St. Stephen’s Cathedral<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n