The 5 best islands to live on

HVAR
Long warm days, old stone homes, vineyards and fields of lavender. Welcome to life on Hvar. Croatia’s little island in the Adriatic is safe, affordable and, well, intoxicating.

Why move here?
Floating just off Croatia’s drop-dead gorgeous Dalmatian coast, Hvar is far different from the other islands featured in this story: Think olive trees, fields of lavender, vineyards and rocky shores. But what Hvar shares with the other islands may surprise you: With an average of nearly eight hours of sunshine per day and water temperatures that hover around 70 degrees for at least half the year, it has one of Europe’s best climates.

Settled, over the centuries, by Venetians, Greeks and Croats, Hvar has a long history of art and culture. The 16th-century Spanjola fortress and the 17th-century municipal theater dominate Hvar town. Here, locals gather in cafés around the cobblestone square and along the palmshaded waterfront each evening to sip prosek, a dessert wine, and dine on local favorites like octopus salad or muckalica (pork cutlets). Beyond the town are rugged mountains scented with lavender and rosemary. You can also take a water taxi to the nearby Pakleni archipelago, where secluded strands of white sand, hiking trails and pine groves await.

Hvar, with a fairly homogenous population, was spared the ethnic and religious violence that decimated other parts of the region. Croatia is scheduled to join the European Union in 2009 or 2010 and the euro will become standard currency.

The “in” thing to do now is buy a 17th-century stone farmhouse, plant a few grapes and cork your own vintage. Londoner Tim Coulson moved here in 2004 and did just that. “Now I wake up in the morning to the beautiful, crystal-clear blue sea, big green hills, clean air and lots of old stone,” he says.

Meet the neighbors
Easter Week is the biggest annual bash and newcomers are welcome to join Za Krizem, a candlelight procession between five villages held the night before Good Friday. If you want to score points with the neighbors, bake the traditional Hvar cake made from saffron, honey and coriander.

You know it’s an island when ...
There are no quick conversations. “On Hvar,” says Coulson, “all business is done with coffee — before, during or after.” Translation: Be patient as you house hunt.

Escape clause
Dubrovnik — one of Europe’s most intact Renaissance cities — is only 30 minutes away by high-speed ferry. During the summer, there are also ferries to Ancona and Pescara, Italy.

Size: 115 square miles
Population: 11,500; 55,000 (summer)
Median Home Price: $279,000

Buying property on Hvar is fairly straightforward. But you must apply for permission to purchase a house or land. This is normally a formality, and most people apply via a local attorney. In order to dampen speculation, the government slaps a 35 percent capital gains tax on anyone who sells within three years. For listings, see www.croatianhouse.com.

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