Island Hvar is Croatia’s longest and sunniest island, with 2.722 hours of sunlight per year.
The name derives from the Greek name Pharos (lighthouse), the ancient name for the whole island and the town of Stari Grad. When Slavic tribes arrived on the island, they couldn’t pronounce Pharos, so they changed the name to Hvar.

The settlement Hvar only became a true town in 1278, when the Venetians (during a brief period of occupation) encouraged people from Pharos (present-day Stari Grad) to relocate around this southwest-facing bay, which they considered a more suitable centre, as it could be better defended in the event of an attack. In 1420, the town came under Venice for a second time and rapidly became one of the wealthiest centres in Dalmatia. The Venetians used it as a port of call for trade ships travelling to and from the Orient and also set up the headquarters of their Adriatic fleet here.