Jelsa Park

Jelsa Park, known locally as Perivoj, sits right on the harbor in the town of Jelsa on Hvar. It was created in 1870 by draining a stretch of marshy ground near the port — an ambitious piece of urban planning for a small Dalmatian town at the time, and it's still considered one of the largest and most attractive parks in the region.

The park is planted with tall poplars, pines, palms, acacias, oleanders and bay laurel, giving it a shaded, green feel that's a relief from the stone streets around it. Paths wind between the trees down toward the waterfront, and it's a popular spot for an evening walk once the heat of the day has passed.

Two statues mark different eras of the park's history: one of sea captain Nikola Dubković (1835–1912), put up in 1923 and made by sculptor Ivan Rendić, and another from 1950 of the composer Antun Dobronić (1878–1955), by local sculptor Slavomir Drinković, in the section added that year.

It's a small stop, but Perivoj is worth a visit if you're chartering a gulet in Croatia and have an hour to spend wandering Jelsa's waterfront between the harbor and the old town.