Planning Visual
Under a Nautical Mile
The chain starts within sight of Hvar town, which is why even the smallest rental can reach the near islands.
Hvar & Central Dalmatia
Pakleni Islands Boat Tour
The Pakleni chain begins less than a nautical mile off Hvar town, which makes it the rare island day a small licence-free boat can genuinely do. This guide covers what is on Sveti Klement, Jerolim and Marinkovac, when to take a skipper instead, and the afternoon breeze that catches people out on a very short crossing.
Under 1 nm OutPalmižanaSmall-Boat Friendly
Planning Visual
Palmižana Is the Anchor
A sheltered bay on Sveti Klement with a marina, a botanical garden and the restaurants that made the chain an evening destination.
Planning Visual
Go Early, Not Late
Glassy mornings, a building afternoon breeze. The channel is short but open enough to turn slow and wet.
Quick planning answer
The Pakleni start under a nautical mile from Hvar town, so the near islands — Jerolim and Marinkovac — are reachable even on a licence-free rental. Palmižana on Sveti Klement is the destination worth a skippered boat, for lunch ashore and a later return. Whichever you take, go out early and be back before the afternoon breeze fills in.
The closest island chain on the coast
Most Adriatic island trips are a commitment. The Pakleni are not: the chain starts well under a nautical mile off Hvar town, which makes it the rare island day that even the smallest licence-free rental can reach in comfortable time. That single fact is why the Pakleni appear on almost every Hvar itinerary, and why they are the one stop worth adding if you are only adding one.
The name is usually traced to paklina, the pine resin once used to caulk wooden hulls, rather than to anything infernal — a detail worth knowing because the alternative translation gets repeated a lot and puts people off a chain that is, in practice, the gentlest water around Hvar.
What is actually out there
Sveti Klement is the largest island and carries the name most visitors arrive knowing: Palmižana, a sheltered bay on its northern side with a marina, a botanical garden planted over generations, and the restaurant scene that turned the Pakleni into an evening destination rather than a swimming stop. Jerolim and Marinkovac sit closer to Hvar town and are the quick hop — the ones a small boat reaches in minutes.
The practical shape of a Pakleni day is therefore a choice between two things. Either you treat the chain as a series of short hops and swim stops within sight of Hvar town, which suits a small self-drive boat, or you treat Palmižana as a destination with lunch at the end of it, which suits a skippered boat that can get you back after dark.
Small boat or skippered?
| Option | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Licence-free rental from Hvar town | Jerolim, Marinkovac and the near coves — the chain begins under a nautical mile out. | A self-directed swimming day in settled weather. See the Hvar boat rental guide. |
| Skippered private boat | The full chain including Palmižana, plus the option to push on toward Vis or the caves. | Anyone who wants lunch ashore, a later return, or a route decided by conditions rather than by a rental zone. |
| Five-island group tour | The Pakleni as one stop among several, usually alongside the Blue Cave and Hvar town. | Visitors based in Split with a single day. The Pakleni are a stop, not the point. |
If you are weighing the group option, the Blue Cave guide covers what those five-island days actually consist of and why the timing matters more than the boat.
The weather rule that applies here
The Pakleni are close, sheltered and forgiving in the morning, and that lulls people. The Adriatic summer pattern still holds: near-glassy water early, an onshore breeze building through the afternoon. The channel between Hvar town and the chain is short, but it is open enough to get lumpy by mid-afternoon, and a 5 hp boat crossing it into a headwind at four knots is a slow, wet business.
The fix is the same as everywhere on this coast and almost nobody applies it: go out early, take the longest leg first, and be back on the Hvar side before the breeze fills in. It costs nothing and it is the difference between an easy day and a memorable one for the wrong reasons.
Planning notes
Timing
Palmižana fills up
It is the chain's anchor destination and it is busiest at lunch in July and August. Either arrive early or make it the late stop, not the middle one.
Anchoring
Swim zones are buoyed
Same rule as everywhere: anchor outside the buoys and swim in. The near islands get busy with small boats and swimmers sharing very little water.
Onward
Vis is the next step up
If the Pakleni feel too easy, the caves and Vis are the natural progression — but that is a skippered day, not a rental one. See the Vis guide.
Answers for Search and AI Planning
Frequently Asked Questions
How far are the Pakleni Islands from Hvar town?
The chain starts well under a nautical mile off Hvar town, which makes it the closest island group to a major town anywhere on this coast. That proximity is the whole appeal: even a licence-free 5 hp rental, restricted to under 5 metres and within 500 metres of shore, can reach the nearer islands such as Jerolim and Marinkovac in comfortable time. Palmizana on Sveti Klement, the largest island, is a slightly longer run and the one most visitors are really aiming for.
What does the name Pakleni mean?
It is usually traced to paklina, the pine resin once used to caulk wooden hulls, rather than to the word for hell — a translation that gets repeated often and puts people off unnecessarily. In practice the Pakleni are the gentlest water around Hvar: close in, sheltered, and forgiving in the morning, which is why they appear on almost every Hvar itinerary and are the single stop worth adding if you only add one.
Can I do the Pakleni Islands on a boat without a licence?
Yes, and it is one of the few genuine island trips the licence-free tier can manage, because the chain begins under a nautical mile out. Stick to the near islands and go early. The Adriatic summer pattern still applies — glassy mornings, an onshore breeze building through the afternoon — and the short channel back to Hvar town gets lumpy enough by mid-afternoon to make a 5 hp boat into a headwind a slow, wet crossing. For Palmizana with lunch ashore and a later return, take a skippered boat instead.
Private Speedboat from Hvar: Caves and Vis
The private option out of Hvar if the Pakleni are your warm-up rather than your day — both caves and Vis island, on your own boat and your own clock.
See Availability on GetYourGuide →From Hvar: Full-Day Group Speedboat with Palmižana
A twelve-person boat departing Trg Sv. Stjepana in Hvar town, with a Pakleni stop at Palmižana built into the day. The budget way to combine the chain with the caves.
See Availability on GetYourGuide →From Split: Blue Cave and Hvar by Luxury Boat
The Split-side version, taking in Biševo, Stiniva, the Blue Lagoon and Milna in the Pakleni before Hvar town. A long day, but it covers the chain and the caves together.
See Availability on GetYourGuide →Hire a Car in Croatia
Compare rental car prices from trusted suppliers. Essential for reaching marinas, airports, and coastal towns that aren't served by ferry or bus.
Compare Car Hire Prices →