Hike Robinson trail on the Dalmatian Coast of Hvar, Croatia. Trek to remote swimming spots, hidden coves, and restaurants including Pokonji Dol, Strand Mekićevica, and Robinson beach, all within just an hour long walk from Hvar Town.
Hvar town can easily take up the majority of your time when on Hvar, but the island is huge and there’s a lot to see beyond Hvar town. If you don’t want to venture far, but still experience the remoter side of the island, some of the best walks in Hvar are not too far from Hvar town. With many hikes nearby, Pat and I chose to hike Robinson trail (and I use the term hike, but it’s mainly flat terrain through grassy, rocky, and wooded areas). I chose to hike Robinson Trail because I knew the walk along the coastline would be dotted with various coves, beaches, beach bars, and more, each worth a visit.
The Start: Hiking the Coastline
The hike starts off in the center of Hvar Town. Before you begin, make sure you’ve packed a backpack with sunscreen, a water, and beach towels–you’ll be jumping in and out of the water more than you think and the beaches are mainly rocks. From here, walk down riva towards the Franciscan Monastery and continue down the coastline–and you’re off!
To get to Robinson beach via the Robinson trail you have 2 options:
I’m sure you know which one Pat and I went for, the scenic coastline hike! As you walk along the coastline, you’ll come across a lot of natural swimming pools. What I mean by natural swimming pools are steps that lead down to the edge of the rocks near the water and have a sea ladder (or pool ladder) for easy access in and out of the Adriatic Sea. There are so many of these natural swimming pools, you’ll feel like you’ve got the entire area all to yourself. There are no shortage of fig trees in Hvar, especially during prime fig season, so you’ll come across a lot of beautiful Indian figs or prickly paired cacti along the way.
What makes Robinson trail one of the best walks in Hvar is being able to watch the locals go about their day to day lives outside of Hvar Town. It was around 2:30PM when we set off for our hike and locals were taking mid-day breaks from work and going for a dip in the sea at the natural swimming pools. Others were walking from their house down to the rocks by the sea, fishing, catching some fish, cleaning and scaling their fish for the night, and walking back up to their house to prep it for dinner. It was these small and under the radar moments that brought to life the tranquility and everyday life of Hvar for me outside of the bustling, more structured Hvar Town.
About 15 to 20 minutes into your hike on Robinson trail, the coastline starts to close in and you find yourself walking through a tree canopy (finally some well-needed shade!), which ultimately leads you to the first beach you’ll encounter on this walk.
First Stop: Pokonji Dol Beach
This is technically not really your first stop, unless you want to make it your first stop. It’s just 25 minutes from Hvar and a great spot to visit if you’re looking for a beach not too far from Hvar Town that you can reach by foot. What didn’t appeal to me that much about Pokonji Dol beach was the fact that it was packed. Beach beds dotted the pebbly shore, the waters were filled with people on floaties or scuba diving…there was just a bit too much action for my taste, I wanted something more secluded and away from loud noises and children. What Pokonji Dol beach does have though is a very cool beach bar and restaurant, which is a great place to enjoy a mid-day meal or drink or even dinner at night. It’s also equipped with canoes and pedal boats you can take to nearby bays, so if you choose not to hike Robinson Trail, you can just get there on water.
If you cut through the restaurant and continue along the coast, you’ll walk by beach beds you can rent on the border of the water (very cool). Right behind these beach beds is a small dirt road path with signs for Robinson Trail, let the real, off-the-beaten hike begin! No more paved coastal roads from here on out.
Second Stop: Pacha Mama Beach Bar
Patrick and I were winding in and out of the pebbled shore on a narrow dirt terrain path that would occasionally turn into woods. All of a sudden I stopped short–what was this? In the middle of the pebbly trail, literally in the middle of nowhere, where these 2-3 day beds laid out on the cliffs with a small natural swimming pool with a sea ladder located at the bottom. I caught a glimpse of an aqua marine sign hung on a gate that read Pacha Mama Beach Club.
A colorful character approached up. He was dressed to impress with necklaces abound and impeccable makeup, he walked over to greet us at the entrance as he sang along to the Mariah Carey soundtrack playing in the background. He asked if we wanted a drink (Pina Coladas anyone?) and to rent a day bed to watch the sunset over the Adriatic Sea. We were so caught off guard by the beauty of this place, we were highly debating it. There was no one else in sight except for one other couple who had made it to this place! We had a decision to make–hike Robinson trail or stop for drinks in this marvelous, secluded beach bar and call it a day. We were on a mission, so passed on the drinks. As we left I caught a dark shadow out the corner of my eye. That’s when I realized a donkey was just casually grazing at the grass near the entrance of Pacha Mama Beach Bar. So Hvar!
We continued along the narrow pebbly path down Robinson trail…maybe next time we’d stop by Pacha Mama Beach Bar.
Third Stop: Strand Mekićevica
Strand Mekićevica beach was my favorite cove on Robinson trail. A few hundred feet after Pacha Mama you come across the first secluded cove on the Hvar coastline. A concrete pier extends out onto the Adriatic Sea. I walked to the edge of it in my suit and felt like I was strutting down a runway on water. The water was crystal clear and the few people who were at Strand Mekićevica were mellow and as silent as can be. It was a secluded place for those who wanted to get away from the crowds and perhaps read a book. There are a few day beds on the beach for rent, but it’s mainly a white pebbly shore so a towel is important here.
Fourth Stop: Robinson Beach
Just behind Strand Mekićevica, just a 3 minute walk around the cove, you finally reach Robinson beach. Robinson beach has a few more people than Strand Mekićevica because of its amenities and size, but still a select hand few since getting their involves a hike or water taxi. The water at Robinson beach is equally as turquoise and pristine. The only difference is that it’s made up of two tiny beaches separated by big boulders and has a quaint restaurant called Restaurant Robinson. The restaurant is known for their lunches, which offer a variety of specialties in Dalmatian cuisine. It’s nestled and shaded underneath olive groves, making for a very intimate and remote experience. Restaurant Robinson is particularly known for their squid nona mikra, or squid braised with onions. Eat seaside at their restaurant while watching the waves roll into Robinson beach, it’s a culinary experience you won’t want to miss.
From Robinson beach you have a few options:
Pat and I chose option 4, to get back to Hvar Town via a different path. On our way back we chose to cut through the main city and not do the coastal trail. You basically hike Robinson Trail all the way back to Pokonji Dol Beach. Before following the coastal paved road that takes you back to Hvar Town, you’ll come across a sign that tells you to cut through a wooded hill to get to Hvar Town. Hike up this hill, and I mean hike because it literally is a hike up a big hill! But as you reach the top you are rewarded with stunning views of Hvar Town. I never realized how the walls hugged the city of Hvar Town in such a warm embrace until I reached the top of that hill.
As the sun was beginning to set, we started our descent back into Hvar Town. We made it just in time to run to the super market, grab a bottle of Plavac wine and a bag of chips, and run up to our Airbnb to watch the sunset behind Hvar Town harbor. We watched as the sky turned from a mellow yellow and blue, to a fiery orange and red, to a subdued purple and pink.
And if you are looking for a hike and chance to explore the nature, history and traditions of Hvar, as well as some quite incredible views and food (the Hvar Mediterranean Diet was inscribed as UNESCO intangible heritage back in 2013), there is no better place to start than with short walk from Hvar town and hike Robinson trail.
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