Pakleni Islands: Which Bay Should You Actually Swim In?

A chain of 21 small islets just off the south coast of Hvar — pine-covered, mostly uninhabited, with secluded bays and very clear water. The name comes from "paklina," a tar-like resin used historically to seal wooden boats, not from the Croatian word for hell as is sometimes claimed.

For boat travellers, Pakleni is the third-most-photographed area in central Dalmatia after the Blue Cave and Zlatni Rat. The combination of pine-scented forest, clear bays, and easy distance from Hvar makes it the natural last stop on most full-day routes.

The main bay on Sveti Klement, the largest of the Pakleni islands. Has a marina, several restaurants, a beach bar, and accessibility — most tour boats stop here at some point.

Pros: amenities, easy to land, food and drinks available, good for families.

Cons: crowded in peak season, more tourist-priced, less wild than the smaller bays.

Best for: families, guests who want food and drink at the stop, anyone with mobility limits who needs a proper landing rather than swimming from the boat.

A small bay on the south side of Sveti Klement, near Palmižana. White pebble beach, clear water, the famous Toto's Restaurant on the shore.

Pros: photogenic, lunch option at Toto's, beach for kids, sheltered.

Cons: crowded in summer, expensive lunch, no easy boat approach to the beach itself (anchor offshore).

Best for: photographers, lunch-focused guests, couples.

A bay between Sveti Klement and Marinkovac, just east of Palmižana. Less developed than Palmižana, with a small beach bar and a beach.

Pros: quieter than Palmižana, still has some amenities, easy swimming.

Cons: more crowded than the truly wild bays, beach is smaller.

Best for: guests who want some quiet but with amenities, snorkellers (decent fish life around the rocky shores).

The island that hosts Carpe Diem Beach, the famous open-air club. By day it is a beach club with sunloungers, music, and a restaurant. By night it is the late-night party venue.

Pros: lively atmosphere, drinks, music, the Hvar party scene.

Cons: not for quiet seekers, expensive, can be very busy.

Best for: groups in their 20s and 30s wanting a party-adjacent stop, bachelor and bachelorette parties.

The smaller islets — Marinkovac, Dobri Otok, Borovac, and Jerolim — have unnamed coves that the right skipper knows. These are the bays for guests who want to swim in clear water with no infrastructure and no crowds.

No amenities. No restaurants. No beach bars. Just water, rock, pine, and quiet.

Best for: guests who genuinely want to escape, photographers, anyone tired of the crowded version of Croatia.

Wind direction. North-side bays are calm when the south wind blows; south-side bays when the north wind blows. The skipper picks the calmer side.

Crowds. In peak season, the skipper avoids the obviously busy bays and seeks a quieter alternative.

Time of day. Late-afternoon Pakleni light is better in the west-facing bays. Earlier in the day, east-facing bays are brighter.

Your group preference. If you want food, the skipper picks a bay with a restaurant. If you want quiet, the skipper picks a wild one. On a group tour, the choice averages across the boat's preferences.

On the standard Blue Cave 5 Island Tour, Pakleni is the last stop — about 45 to 60 minutes. Enough for a swim, a drink at a beach bar, and a final relax before the return ride.

On private tours, this can stretch to 90 minutes or even two hours depending on departure time.

Pakleni at sunset is the photograph that sells Croatia. The pine silhouettes against orange-violet light, the anchored boats in calm water, the islands receding into hazy distance.

For this shot specifically, target a September private tour with an extended Pakleni stop. The light hits around 18:30 to 19:00.

Further reading: see also our Hvar nightlife guide, the Hvar-to-Split sunset return piece, the bachelorette private boat Hvar write-up, and the photographer-aboard guide. Day route at /tours/hvar-pakleni-islands-private-tour and Blue Cave day at /tours/blue-cave-5-island-tour.