The Croatian village of Sveta Nedjelja offers some of the country's best wines and most picturesque rock climbing. A new road from Hvar has eased access.
Sveta Nedjelja is wine country. The small village on Hvar's south coast is dominated by the vineyards and winery of Zlatan Plenkovic, one of Croatia's most famous producers and a regular medal winner in international competitions.
The Wines of Zlatan Otok and Marina Restaurant
From the sloping vineyards on the steep hills leading down from Svetia Nikola, the island's highest peak at 626m, to the unique restaurant and jetty on the waterfront, the mark of the Zlatan Otok brand is visible throughout the village.
In addition to produce excellent wines, the Plenkovic winery also runs a guest house and restaurant on the small marina. The stone cone-shaped building is unique in its design and a good setting for the fish and meat dishes to accompany the Plenkovic range of wines. Boats up to 18m in length and 4m in draught are able to moor at the marina, according to theZlatan Otok website, making it an attractive stopping off point for those sailing round the southern coast.
The Bilo Idro restaurant is open daily from 0900-0100 from May 15 and October 15 and its offer includes the choice of live crab and lobster from a sea pool, while wine tastings are easily arranged and include an underwater cellar with submarine view.
New Road from Hvar Town
Access to Sveta Nedjelja, which literally means "Holy Sunday" in Croatian, has been vastly improved with the opening of a makeshift road from Hvar Town. Not yet ashphalted and perilous in places, it may not be for the fainthearted, but does offer access to some more isolated beaches, as well as an alternative to the main access road to the village, through the infamous Pitve Tunnel.
The road from the tunnel winds down to the water, the main destination for many visitors, but it is worth taking the right turn to the old village itself, a nicely preserved stone village with a pretty square, and affording great views of the sea and island of Vis in the distance. The backdrop of the cliffs gives a stunning contrast.
Rock Climbing on Hvar
Cliffs mean rock climbing, and this activity sport is growing in popularity every year on Hvar, with Sveta Nedjelja one of the main centres on the island. There is also a rock climbing school where courses can be arranged by local activity specialists, Hvar Adventure.
One other restaurant worth seeking out is Tamaris, a seafront restaurant with large terraces, traditional fare and easy access for swimming, a great place to laze away an afternoon. It is access by a sharp left turn along a dirt track as the main road winds to the jetty.
No comments:
Post a Comment