Wishing Our Guests A Warm Welcome
Welcome to the Visit Jelsa website at www.visitjelsa.hr, the Jelsa Tourist Board’s dedicated website for guests and visitors. These web pages will tell you all you need to know in order to have a safe stay and to enjoy all the amenities our wonderful region has to offer to the full. (For locals and non-Croatians who own rental properties, the Jelsa Tourist Board has a parallel site, ‘B2B Pages’ at www.tzjelsa.hr, offering essential comprehensive advice to renters.)
We are glad for the visitors who come to our beautiful Island of Hvar. Even if your stay is short, you are not just a tourist but our welcome guest. We want you to enjoy our island to the full in the best possible way. These guidelines are written to help make your visit memorable and pleasurable.
Good guests deserve good hosts
We aim to provide a high standard of hospitality. As our guest, you will expect cleanliness in your accommodation, in restaurants and cafes, on the beach, in the countryside and on the streets. You expect courteous and efficient service in shops, restaurants, cafes and your accommodation. If you need assistance, whether for a minor problem or a medical emergency, you can expect that your host, local neighbours or the Tourist Board personnel will help you to find the right solution. Before booking, contact your host to make sure the accommodation can meet your needs, for instance if you want air conditioning (or heating in the cooler months), or if you intend to bring a pet with you.
Good hosts and the law. For any overnight stay, whether in a hotel or a private rental accommodation, to comply with the law your host has to register you in the eVisitor system. You should always ask for a receipt proving where you have stayed. Registration is partly a safeguard for you, as it proves your accommodation was operating legally, and it also provides a point of reference in rare situations such as an accident or sudden illness.
All facilities offering tourist services have a complaints book, and/or offer the possibility to complain to the management online. If you are not satisfied with any aspect of the service you have received, use the complaints procedure to help improve the situation for yourself and others.
How to enjoy the island. There’s plenty to enjoy! The beautiful views, with summer sun, balmy autumns and generally mild winters; as well as summertime beach holidays, the environment is tailor-made for cycling and walking, especially outside the hot summer season; there are activities of all kinds, from tennis to rock climbing; also plenty of restaurants, cafes, ice cream parlours and patisseries for relaxing and socializing; opportunities for tasting and learning about the island’s wines and olive oils; music, films, sometimes plays; not to mention lots of activities and entertainments for children.
Religious feasts are an important part of the island’s calendar of events. Each village celebrates its saint’s day with a special mass, followed by feasting, music and dancing. The outstanding event in our area is the all-night Maundy Thursday to Good Friday Procession, called ‘Za Križen’ (‘Following the Cross’), round six villages. This is a moving experience which attracts a lot of visitors as participants or spectators.
Positive socializing. Being largely a family destination, the Jelsa region has a long tradition of hospitality which leads to lasting friendships between hosts and guests. Goodwill is a two-way process. Guests who respect local customs are the most welcome. Although jelsa is a holiday destination, walking around the town in a bathing costume is not allowed. Shorts are not acceptable dress for entering any of the churches. A degree of modest cover-up when away from the beach is appreciated!
It’s also appreciated if you support the islanders by buying local produce whenever possible: etheric oils, olive oil and the island’s finest wines are also good to take home as gifts or souvenirs. Tipping can make a lot of difference to Hvar’s seasonal workers in the tourist industry, such as waiters and tour guides, who often work strenuously long hours on minimal wages.
Visitors who establish long-term friendships with islanders often enjoy sharing some of their lifestyle. It helps to understand that people who actually live on a holiday island mostly don’t have time for a holiday themselves! Towards the end of the summer season, most islanders have grapes to pick, followed by olives later in the autumn. Helping with the harvests can be a delightful sociable experience, and is much appreciated.
Caring for the island. We are all responsible for looking after our precious environment.
Think organic! We recommend using organic products for washing and cleaning: these are available in certain shops on the island, and in Split. There are natural products, notably citronella, for controlling pests like mosquitoes.
Rubbish management. Controlling rubbish efficiently is a worldwide problem. Litter is a bane: please do not drop cigarette stubs or other detritus on the ground or in the sea – use the rubbish bins! If you have a dog, please do not leave dog mess anywhere on public paths, open spaces or private land: collect it up and dispose of it in the nearest rubbish bin.
Thoughtful disposal. Beer bottles and most plastic drinks bottles can be returned to the main supermarkets for a refund: please check the details in your locality. Used batteries can be disposed of in special boxes in the main supermarkets. Please remember that all rubbish has to finish up somewhere, so try to keep your waste materials to the minimum, and never put anything other than toilet paper down the lavatory.
Glass bottles and jars can be washed and reused, so ask your hosts if they would like to have them, rather than putting them into the waste collection.
Respect the natural environment. The island is home to protected species of plants, such as the wild orchids and the Dalmatian black pine (pinus nigra), and there are many protected species in the sea, such as the highly endangered noble pen shell (fan mussel, pinna nobilis), dolphins and other mammals, as well as fish, reptiles, plants and corals. Damaging protected species of any kind is a criminal offence which risks incurring a fine.
Take care of yourself. Drink water! Summers on Hvar can be very hot indeed, and even out of the high season daytime temperatures can be high. So make sure you keep well hydrated by drinking plain water at regular intervals throughout each day, especially if you are physically active. (Any other kinds of drinks, especially alcohol and fizzy drinks, are no substitute for water.) One of the island’s least trumpeted assets is its specially clean supply of drinking water. Keeping well hydrated with plain water is essential to good health, especially in high summer. On Hvar there’s no need to buy bottled water in normal circumstances, the tap water is excellent.
Coping with sun and heat. Protect yourself from excess exposure to the sun, whether lazing on the beach, walking, jogging or cycling. Stay in the shade at the hottest times of day, cover your head, and don’t over-expose your skin. Equally, you should avoid excessive cooling. Air conditioning in a vehicle or a building should not be more than about 5 degrees less than the ambient temperature.
Exploring: be prepared! Exploring Hvar is a great experience. It’s best to go with a dedicated guide, but if you go on your own, make sure you know your route. Dress appropriately, always carry water with you and a mobile phone in case of emergency. Cyclists are recommended to use the old minor roads. Be warned: bicycles and mopeds are not allowed through the Pitve to Zavala tunnel. Maps for cyclists can be obtained from the Tourist Board office or online via the website. If you visit the island outside of the summer season, the hunting season runs two to three days a week from October through January, and on Sundays or other days as required after that, so you should avoid going into the countryside during those times. Details, when available, are published on the Tourist Board website.
Good guests: how you can help us. Your interactions with local people can help to make your visit a specially positive experience. We enjoy the diversity which visitors from all over the world bring to our island. As hosts, we hope our guests will equally enjoy getting to know our culture as well as respecting our customs.
If any aspect of your visit falls short of your expectations, please take the trouble to report the details to us at the Tourist Board office. You can also use the questionnaire of the Jelsa Tourist Board website to express your opinions about your visit. We aim for the highest standards, and always try to make improvements when needed.
Wherever you go, be part of sustainable tourism to enjoy yourself to the full!
