Steenie's Property Guide to One of the World's Most Beautiful Islands

Listed by Conde Nast as one of the world's top ten most beautiful islands, Hvar is surrounded by sapphire blue seas and gets 2,700 hours of sunshine per year. This is an idyll of hidden coves, dense woodlands, and a clutch of quaint towns and villages, and because it's a long, skinny island, you're never too far from the sea. I'm a bit too early to see the lavender that the island is famous for...but the wildflowers are blooming their hearts out.

House prices on the island seem all over the place, though the rough guide for ruins and livable houses in need of updating is $50,000 - $125,000. Going through the fishing village of Vrboska--a kind of Little Venice with bridges and canals--I saw an unrestored house that recently sold for $74,500.

A 1,181-square-foot stone house in Stari Grad (Old Town)--beautifully restored with a lush garden courtyard and emerald green paintwork--a couple of minutes walk from shops and cafes is on the market for $174,000.

There's a shortage of seafront properties, and whatever comes on the market is priced high; overlooking the blue heaven of Vira Bay, you can get an 860-square-foot burnt-out shell for $105,000.

Hvar's main settlement is Hvar town, a renaissance beauty with a harbor, stepped stone streets and a citadel. After a pizza lunch near the waterfront ($6.80 for mushroom pizza), Paul Bradbury of Hvar Property Services takes me to see a massive 5,370-square-foot three-bedroom house on the town outskirts. In excellent condition, the house is only part of what you're buying--the rest of the property comprises six vacation apartments, all with private balcony. All yours for $1.5 million.

Any takers can contact Paul at [email protected]. He can also give you more details about the other properties I mentioned.

Steenie Harvey
Roving Euro-editor, International Living

P.S. Near Pitve, Hvar's oldest inland village, 21 of the 33 inhabitants are expats. I met a British couple here so taken with Hvar that they're not returning to the UK until they've bought somewhere on the island.