How to Get to the Pakleni Islands from Hvar Town (2026)

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The easiest way to get to the Pakleni Islands is by taxi boat from the harbour in Hvar Town: boats leave every 20–30 minutes in season, take roughly 10–30 minutes depending on the island, and a return ticket costs around €10–15. You can also join a half-day or full-day boat tour, hire a private skipper, rent a small boat yourself or paddle across by kayak. If you are starting in Split, first take the catamaran to Hvar Town (about an hour), then switch to a taxi boat.

Below you’ll find every route compared, how the taxi boats actually work, which island each boat serves, what a tour adds, and the timing mistakes that leave people stuck waiting on a jetty at 7 pm.

Where the Pakleni Islands are

The Pakleni Islands (Pakleni otoci) are a chain of small, car-free islands and islets lying just off the south-west tip of Hvar, directly in front of Hvar Town. Sources count anywhere from 16 to around 20 of them depending on which rocks you include. From the Fortica fortress above town you can see the whole archipelago spread across the bay.

Only three islands matter for most visitors:

• Jerolim – the closest island to Hvar Town, small, best known for its naturist beach.
• Marinkovac – home to Stipanska bay (the Carpe Diem beach club), plus the coves of Ždrilca and Mlini.
• Sveti Klement – the largest island, with Palmižana, the marina, footpaths and most of the restaurants, plus quieter bays such as Vlaka and Taršće.

There are no roads, no cars and no bridges, so every visit starts with a boat. For a deeper overview of the islands themselves, see our complete Pakleni Islands guide.

All the ways to get there, compared

Option	From	Typical cost	Time on the water	Best for
Taxi boat	Hvar Town harbour	About €10–15 return per person (2026 guide prices)	10–30 min each way	Independent beach days on one island
Group boat tour	Hvar Town	From about $76 per person (Oct 2026)	Half day to full day	Seeing several bays without planning
Private skipper / sailing boat	Hvar Town	From about $560 per boat for up to 6 (Oct 2026)	Flexible	Groups, families, special occasions
Self-drive rental boat	Hvar Town agencies	Roughly €80–150 per day plus fuel	Flexible	Confident boaters who want hidden coves
Kayak	Hvar Town	From about $57 per person (Oct 2026)	Paddling 1–2 hours total	Active travellers on calm days
Day tour from Split	Split / Trogir	From about $94 per person (Oct 2026)	Full day	Visitors based on the mainland

Taxi boats from Hvar Town: how they work

Taxi boats are the local bus service of the archipelago. In the main season they leave from the waterfront in Hvar Town, a short walk from the main square. You buy tickets at small booths along the harbour; the operators’ boards list the destinations and return times.

The key rule: one boat, one island

Each taxi boat runs to one destination and back. There are no transfers between islands, so decide in the morning whether you are going to Jerolim, Marinkovac or Sveti Klement. Older published timetables show three typical routes:

• Jerolim and Stipanska (Marinkovac) – the shortest crossing; this route usually serves the Carpe Diem beach club.
• Mlini and Ždrilca (Marinkovac) – for the two popular coves on Marinkovac away from the beach club.
• Palmižana (Sveti Klement) – the longest run, around 20–30 minutes, and the busiest route in high season.

Frequency, prices and return times

In July and August boats typically leave every 20–30 minutes from mid-morning. Return trips are less frequent: there are usually set return times in the late afternoon and early evening, and on some routes they finish well before sunset. Ask the skipper for the last boat back when you board and write it down – this is the single most useful tip on this page.

Prices are set by the individual operators and rise slightly most years. 2026 travel guides quote around €10–15 for a return ticket to Palmižana or Jerolim; shorter routes are cheaper than Palmižana. Bring euros in cash, as card payment at the booths is not guaranteed.

When the taxi boats run

Regular taxi boats are a summer service. Expect the full network from roughly late May or June to September, with a thinner service at the start and end of the season. Strong wind and swell can cancel crossings even in summer. Outside the season you will need a tour, a private transfer or your own boat.

Joining a boat tour from Hvar Town

A tour solves the biggest limitation of the taxi boats: it can stop at several islands and bays in one trip, including coves the taxi boats never reach. Popular options on GetYourGuide include:

• Boat Tour to Pakleni Islands on a Comfort Yacht – from about $76 per person (Oct 2026), rated 4.8 from 671 reviews; the best-known shared option.
• Hvar Boat Tour: Red Rocks & Pakleni Islands – from about $106 per person (Oct 2026), rated 4.8 from 51 reviews; adds the Red Rocks on Hvar’s south coast.
• Pakleni Islands Sailing Tour with Brunch – from about $224 per person (Oct 2026), rated 5.0 from 25 reviews; a slower sailing day with food included.
• Private Sailing Boat Trip with Swimming and Snorkeling – from about $560 per group of up to 6 (Oct 2026), rated 4.9 from 84 reviews.

If you are torn between a shared trip and your own boat, our private boat vs group tour comparison works through the per-person maths. For a full ranking of the options, see the best Pakleni Islands boat tours.

Renting your own boat

Rental agencies along the Hvar Town waterfront hire small motorboats by the day. 2026 guide prices are roughly €80–150 per day plus fuel for a small boat, more in August. The freedom is real: you can anchor in Vinogradišće, Taršće or any empty cove and leave when you like.

Before you sign, check three things:

• Licence requirements. Whether you need a boating licence depends on the engine size and on current Croatian rules, and published advice is inconsistent. Ask the agency in writing what licence the specific boat requires; if in doubt, hire a skipper.
• Weather. The channel between Hvar and the islands is short but can get choppy in a strong wind. Agencies will tell you if it’s not a day to go out – listen to them.
• Safety kit. Make sure life jackets, an anchor and a phone number for the agency are on board.

Kayaking to the islands

Jerolim and Marinkovac are close enough to Hvar Town to reach by sea kayak on a calm morning. The Pakleni Islands Self-Guided Kayaking Tour costs from about $57 (Oct 2026) and is rated 4.8 from 220 reviews. Paddling is best early, before the afternoon wind and boat traffic build. Wear a hat, carry water and stay close to the shore of the islands rather than crossing busy lanes.

Getting to Hvar Town first

Unless you are already staying on Hvar, the islands are a two-step journey:

1. Split to Hvar Town by catamaran. Passenger catamarans run by TP Line, Krilo (Kapetan Luka) and Jadrolinija take about an hour and land right in Hvar Town harbour, a few minutes’ walk from the taxi boats. 2026 fares are roughly €15–25 one way in summer depending on the operator; book a few days ahead in July and August.
2. Split to Stari Grad by car ferry. The Jadrolinija car ferry takes about two hours. Buses meet the ferries for the roughly 20-minute ride to Hvar Town.

If you only have a day and are based in Split, a direct day tour can be easier than juggling timetables – see our guide to the Pakleni Islands from Split.

Which route should you choose?

• One beach, low budget: taxi boat to Palmižana or Marinkovac, and pick a bay from our best beaches on the Pakleni Islands.
• See several islands in one go: a group boat tour.
• Family or group of 4–6: a private boat often costs about the same per head as a premium shared tour.
• Active and early riser: kayak to Jerolim or Marinkovac.
• Short on time: follow our one-day Pakleni plan.

Practical tips for the crossing

• Take an early boat in July and August; the late-morning departures and the island beaches both fill up.
• Confirm the last return time before you leave and aim to be at the jetty 15 minutes before it.
• Carry cash for tickets, loungers and small bars.
• Pack water shoes – most beaches are pebbles or rock, and sea urchins are common.
• There are no shops of any size on the islands; bring snacks and plenty of water if you don’t plan to eat at a restaurant.
• Check the wind forecast the night before. If it’s strong, a sheltered bay on Sveti Klement is a better bet than the exposed southern coves.

Compare Pakleni Islands boat trips

Frequently asked questions

How much is the taxi boat from Hvar to the Pakleni Islands?

2026 travel guides quote around €10–15 for a return ticket to Palmižana or Jerolim, with shorter routes a little cheaper. Operators set their own prices, so check the board at the harbour and carry cash.

How long does it take to get to the Pakleni Islands?

From Hvar Town the crossing takes about 10 minutes to Jerolim and around 20–30 minutes to Palmižana on Sveti Klement. From Split, add roughly an hour on the catamaran to Hvar Town.

Can I visit more than one island with the taxi boat?

Not easily. Each taxi boat serves one island, and there are no transfers between islands. To see several islands in a day, take a boat tour, hire a skipper or rent your own boat.

Do I need to book the taxi boat in advance?

No. Tickets are sold at booths on the Hvar Town waterfront on the day. Boat tours and private boats, on the other hand, are worth booking ahead in July and August.

Can I go to the Pakleni Islands outside summer?

Regular taxi boats are a summer service. In spring and autumn the service is thinner, and in winter you’ll need a private transfer, a tour or your own boat, and many island restaurants will be closed.