The Pakleni Islands are a group of islands off Hvar island in Croatia. They are only a 30 minute boat ride away, making them a perfect option for a day trip from Hvar. This Pakleni Islands guide aims to give you all the details you need for how to get to Pakleni islands from Hvar.
I also want to share the best Pakleni Islands beaches with you, plus the best Pakleni Islands tour options if you’d prefer a more organised experience.
I did a day trip from Hvar to the Pakleni Islands so this is a summary of my experience, plus all the tour options and water taxi options I considered for the trip.
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Where are the Pakleni Islands in Croatia?
Also known locally as the Paklinski Islands, the Pakleni Islands are a stunning chain of around 20 islands forming an archipelago off the southwest coast of Hvar Island.
Hvar Island is around 40km from Split, Croatia and there are regular passenger ferries which take around 50 minutes to do the crossing.
There are three main islands you can travel to by water taxi from Hvar town, although if you choose to hire or charter a private boat, or if you go on a tour, you will be able to see many more of the islands as you cruise around.
The largest island, Sveti Klement, is home to the famous Palmižana Bay where you’ll find beach bars, restaurants and a large bay for swimming and water sports. You can also find overnight accommodations here. You’ll also see the island referred to as Pakleni Otoci.
Another popular island is Marinkovac, home to the famous Stipanska Bay where you’ll find Carpe Diem Beach, a nudist beach and plenty of facilities, restaurants and bars. At night the beach comes alive with famous DJs and some of the biggest nightlife in Croatia.
Another island to consider is Jerolim, which is much smaller and famous for its nature and wildlife. This beautiful, peaceful island is perfect for nature lovers and there’s also a bar and cafe.
How to get to the Pakleni Islands from Hvar Island?
There are three main ways to get from Hvar to the Pakleni Islands and they depend on your budget and your group - are you looking for a casual day trip from Hvar to the Pakleni Islands or are you looking for a private party experience on your own boat?
Check out the three options below.
Water Taxi from Hvar to Pakleni Islands
The cheapest way to get from Hvar town to the Pakleni Islands is via water taxi to the Pakleni Islands.
There are three main water taxi routes and you can find the booths to buy your tickets along the harbour outside the Mlinar Bakery.
The water taxi will only take you to one island and there are no taxis between the islands so make sure you pick the island that you’re happy to spend your whole day on.
The taxis run every 20-30 minutes between Hvar Town and the island, depending on the route, sea conditions and the time of year. But your taxi driver will tell you the boat times. Usually, there are 4-5 return time options later in the day but confirm this with the boat driver on the route you pick.
The route your pick will depend on how you want to spend your day - do you want to be partying? Probably pick Marinkovac and head to Carpe Diem. Are you looking for drinks, food, swimming and a chilled beach day that’s suitable for couples, friends and families - probably go for Palmižana on Klement.
Hvar town
Option 1 - Water Taxi to Stipanska Beach (Carpe Diem) and Jerolim - Costs about 8 euros return
You’ll see signs like this for the water taxi
This is the taxi boat: Hvar to Carpe Diem. This option is the shortest and therefore the cheapest. It will take you to the famous Carpe Diem Beach if you’re looking for a party and nightlife. It also stops at Jerolim for those looking for a nature island escape.
Boats are every 20 minutes from Hvar town. Return times are on the hour 3pm - 10pm.
Option 2 - Water taxi to Mlini Beach and Zdrilca on Marinkovac - Costs about 9 euros return
This option will take you to the big island, Marinkovac, where you can enjoy Zdrilca and Mlini Beach.
Boats are every 25 minutes from Hvar town. Return times are every 25 minutes from 4pm - 6.30pm.
Option 3 - Water taxi to Palmižana Bay - Costs about 11 euros return
Palmizana Bay in the Pakleni Islands
This option is the furthest away from Hvar, a 30 minute water taxi journey and takes you to Palmizana Bay.
Boats are every 30 minutes from Hvar town. Return times are every hour from 4pm - 7pm.
Palmizana Bay is where you’ll find the famous Laganini Beach bar, which has stunning cabanas available for rent. Although they don’t come cheap and you need to enquire on their website to book, so I can’t give you accurate prices unfortunately! They also don’t have sun loungers available. But you can find sun loungers for hire on the main beach in front of Toto’s Bar.
However if you are looking for a great spot for food and drink, head to Bacchus Palmizana which is a great spot, much more casual and affordable than Laganini’s but with stunning views from their terrace still (see picture below)
Bacchus Palmizana restaurant
Pakleni Islands tour
Pakleni Island sailing boat tours for hire
Your second method for reaching the Pakleni islands is going as part of a small group tour. There are two main benefits to this:
A more private experience, perfect if you’re travelling as a small group already - you could book the whole tour for yourself so it’s like a private tour for you
Your skipper will take you to islands, coves and secret beaches that the water taxis cannot. So you’ll see a more secluded part of the island, as well as some of the popular spots
A tour to the Pakleni Islands is also a fantastic option because it’s on a catamaran or sailing yacht, so it’s a much nicer experience and a more memorable experience for you and your group.
This half-day yacht tour of the Pakleni islands includes stand up paddleboards, snorkel gear and your own skipper on a 36-foot yacht. The duration is 4 hours, perfect if you don’t want to spend a whole day on a boat but still want the memorable experience of sailing around islands on your own yacht!
Alternatively, this full-day Pakleni Islands tour on a sailing boat includes 8 hours of cruising, swimming, snorkelling, with paddle boards and snorkel gear included, plus stops at a secluded beach bar for cocktails and snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are included on board too.
Hire your own boat
Palmizana Beach
One of the best options for exploring the Hvar Pakleni Islands is to hire your own boat. It means you can explore the coast of Hvar and the secluded bays and beaches on the Pakleni Islands at your own pace.
However, Croatian law does require someone on board to have a boat licence. You will see plenty of people advertising small 2HP or 5HP boats for you to hire yourself, but you should still have a boat licence for these, even if they say otherwise.
So your options for hiring a boat are:
You have a boat licence so you’re good to go
You hire a boat and also pay for a skipper to come with you who holds a licence
You hire a boat without a licence and deal with the risks that could come from that.
If you do hold a licence already, make sure it’s one that is valid in Croatia maritime law.
Best Beaches on the Pakleni Islands
There are countless Pakleni Island beaches to choose from, how you’re getting to the islands will depend on which beaches you can visit.
Palmizana Beach - the most famous beach on Palmizana Island. Croatia beaches are rocky and this is no exception, the beach is small but there’s plenty of sun loungers, there’s also designated swimming areas. Be advised that if
Perna Beach - also on the large island of Klement and is most easily reached by boat
Store-stone beach - another popular one on the big island but a bit quieter than Palmizana beach
Vlaka Beach - beautiful quieter spot on the big island where you can arrive by boat. Amazing local restaurant called The Fisherman’s House
Okorija Beach - best reached by boat
Tarsce Beach - another rocky bay to reach by boat on the main island
Mlini beach - most popular beach on Marinkovac
Zdrilca Beach - close to Mlini beach
Carpe Diem Beach and Stipanska Beach - the party beach
Kordovan Beach - much quieter beach on Jerolim island
Summary: how to get to the Pakleni Islands, Croatia
Hopefully this guide has given you all the information you need to plan your trip to the Pakleni Islands from Hvar and the various options available to you on your Croatia travels.
This is one of the best day trips from Hvar and the islands are absolutely stunning - a must visit whether you’re in Hvar to party or just enjoy nature.
Pin this for later to plan your future trip!
