ACI Marina Palmižana, Pakleni Islands

ACI Marina Palmižana occupies a sheltered inlet on the island of Sv. Klement — the largest of the Pakleni Islands, the pine-covered archipelago that shields Hvar Town‘s harbour from the open sea. It is not a full-service superyacht facility and makes no attempt to be one. What it offers instead is a moorage set among some of the most beautiful water in the Adriatic, with restaurants hidden in the pines, a botanical garden planted by a Hvar professor a century ago, and swimming coves reachable only on foot or by dinghy. For many sailors, Palmižana is the reason you come to Hvar at all.

The marina is managed by ACI — Croatia’s national marina network — and has been an established yachting waypoint since the 1970s. The facility is modest in scale: approximately 160 berths on fixed pontoons, with the deepest berths at the outer end of the main pier carrying around 4 metres at chart datum. Shore power is available on all pontoons (16A and some 32A connections), water is on tap, and sanitary facilities are maintained to a clean, no-frills standard. What you will not find here is a travel lift, a full boatyard, or a chandlery — for those, you return to Hvar Town or cross to Split.

Approaching and Berthing

The approach to Palmižana from the north is straightforward. Pass between the islets of Vlaka and Borovac into the wide bay of Vinogradišće, then turn east into the narrower inlet where the ACI pontoons are arranged in rows. The entrance is well marked; in summer, a marina attendant will usually direct you by hand signal or VHF 17. Stern-to berthing is standard throughout, with lazy lines on most berths. The holding in the outer bay is sand over mud — excellent for anchoring if you prefer to swing on the hook rather than pay for a berth.

In July and August, the marina fills by early afternoon. Arriving before 14:00 is wise if you want a reserved berth; after that, you may be rafted alongside another yacht or directed to the outer mooring buoys. Off-season — May, June, September, October — the atmosphere changes entirely: the pontoons are half empty, the restaurants are quieter, and the swimming coves belong to you.

The Pakleni Islands Setting

The real attraction of Palmižana is not the marina infrastructure but the landscape around it. Sv. Klement is a narrow ridge of Aleppo pine and Mediterranean macchia running roughly east to west, with rocky bays indenting the north and south shores. The botanical garden — Toto’s Garden, named after Professor Eugen Meneghello, who planted it in the early 1900s — is a short walk from the marina and contains agave, oleander, cactus, and eucalyptus arranged on terraces overlooking the bay. His descendants still run a restaurant and gallery on the site.

From the marina, a network of unmarked trails crosses the island to half a dozen swimming spots on the south shore. Zdrilca beach, about 15 minutes on foot through the pines, is a pebble-and-rock cove facing the open sea with consistently clear water. Vlaka, to the west, is a popular anchorage for day boats from Hvar. The entire island has no cars, no paved roads, and no permanent settlement beyond the marina hamlet and its handful of restaurants.

Eating and Drinking

Several restaurants cluster near the marina waterfront, each accessible on foot along pine-shaded paths. Toto’s — the Meneghello family restaurant — is the most established, serving grilled fish and Dalmatian staples in a garden setting that hasn’t fundamentally changed in decades. Dionis, slightly further along the bay, specialises in seafood risotto and grilled octopus on a terrace that catches the last of the evening light. In peak season, a handful of beach bars on the outer bays operate until sunset, serving cocktails and light plates to swimmers arriving by dinghy or water taxi.

Provisioning on Palmižana itself is essentially zero — there is no supermarket, bakery, or grocery shop. Stock up in Hvar Town or Split before arriving. Fresh bread can occasionally be bought from restaurant kitchens by arrangement, but this should not be relied upon.

Sailing from Palmižana

The Pakleni Islands are perfectly positioned for cruising the central Dalmatian coast — one of the most rewarding areas to explore on a yacht charter in Croatia, with Palmižana among the region’s best charter-base marinas. Hvar Town is 3 nautical miles east — a 20-minute sail or 10-minute water taxi ride. Vis lies 15 miles to the southwest, a comfortable morning passage in typical summer conditions. The Blue Lagoon at Krknjaši Bay near Veli Drvenik is roughly 20 miles north, making it a full day’s outing or an easy overnight hop. For those heading south toward Korčula, the crossing from the Pakleni Islands runs approximately 25 miles via the Šćedro channel — sheltered water most of the way.