“The Islands of Hell”

The Pakleni Islands, or the “Islands of Hell” lie opposite the Croatian town of Hvar, on the island of the same name. The archipelago consists of around twenty small and mainly uninhabited islands. There is a lot of bays and beaches, and the landscape is filled with indigenous plants, whose scents linger in the air.

The islands are a favorite destination for the visitors from Hvar, who travel there for daily swim and sunbathing trips. It is also a destination highly favored by modern sea-nomads, who cruise the Adriatic on their sailing yachts, as well as by celebrities on their luxurious motor yachts.

Marina Palmižana is situated in Palmižana Bay on Sveti Klement, the biggest of the Pakleni Islands. The marina is equipped with 160 berths for both luxurious motor yachts and sailing yachts. There are toilets and showers, electricity and fresh water. Opposite to Palmižana is Vinogradišće Cove, which serves as a shelter to those who prefer anchoring.

Some of the best restaurants are also located in the same cove. Novak lounge bar offers tasty ice-cold cocktails under the trees, only a few steps away from the clear turquoise water, while the chill-out music is playing all day long.

All of this indicates that the Pakleni Islands are something like a paradise, so why are they called the “islands of hell”? The local name for the islands is etymologically very similar to the ancient Croatian word for “resin”, which used to be collected in the archipelago, and was used to repair old wooden ships on Hvar. The foreign rulers of this area were the first to make maps of the islands, but they did not understand the slight difference in spelling, which turned out to be the difference between the paradise and hell.

If you are planning to explore this entire area with your yacht, read our post on top 5 places to visit while sailing Hvar.

I wish you a calm sea, a fine wind and a strong mast!

 

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