Fuel in Croatia: Sucuraj Residents Face 110km Round Trip on Hvar

With rising fuel prices a global concern, local residents in eastern port town of Sucuraj have the option of an expensive ferry or long trip to refuel.

A report in Slobodna Dalmacijaon May 8, 2011 highlighted the plight of residents of the port town of Sucuraj in eastern Hvar, who are faced with expensive choices for refuelling.

Sucuraj, the main conduit for road traffic from Dubrovnik and the south, is a small fishing town, a short 30-minute ferry ride from the mainland port of Drvenik, and is especially popular in Summer, as tourists flock from Dubrovnik to the island of Hvar, describes as one of the world's sexiest by Forbes Magazine.

Fuel is an issue on the east of the island, and many tourists, coming to Hvar from Dubrovnik, are caught out by the lack of petrol stations after the ferry from Sucuraj. The nearest petrol station is 56km from the town, in the northern coastal resort of Jelsa.

"It is a pity, not only for Sucuraj residents," said Vladimir Rudan, a local councillor, in an interview with the paper, "but also for the many tourists who arrive from Drvenik that they have to travel so far for fuel in the 21st Century."

Fuel on Hvar: Ferry or 110km Round Trip

Refuelling options for Sucuraj residents are currently two-fold, but both involve additional expense at a time of economic crisis when island fuel prices are higher than the national average. The round trip to Jelsa takes approximately two hours along what Rudan describes as the worst national road in the country.

The second option is to take the ferry to the mainland, followed by a drive of 12km on the Dubrovnik road to the nearest petrol station at Gradac. Neither options are attractive, and several locals choose to stockpile fuel to mitigate costs, in less than secure conditions.

The lack of fuel availability highlights the difference between the two halves of the island, where resources, population and tourism are heavily weighted on the western side. With the exception of Sucuraj, none of the villages in the east have running water, are for the most part abandoned, and offer the first-time visitor a picturesque, if somewhat confusing introduction to an island billed as Croatia's finest.

East versus West: Hvar Town and Sucuraj

By contrast, the western Hvar is home to the main resorts of Hvar Town, Stari Grad and Jelsa, historic stone towns with an increasing reputation as must-see stops on the Adriatic sailing route. The tourist emphasis may soon shift more to the east, however, as Norwegian project development company Edge Capital is working with the Nikki Beach Hotel group to establish an 80,000m2 resort close to Sucuraj to rival Cannes.