How to get to Pakleni Islands in separate stages
How to get to Pakleni Islands is a question of connecting the right harbours: travel to Split Port, cross to Hvar Town and continue by island boat. The passenger catamaran reaches Hvar Town directly. The car ferry arrives at Stari Grad, leaving another journey across Hvar before the Pakleni boat departure.
Hvar Town is the reference point for the last stage, even when your final destination is accommodation on Sveti Klement. Begin with the date and arrival port on your sea ticket, then work backwards to your mainland arrival. Leave room between separately arranged stages instead of treating the whole route as a single timed transfer.
Taxi and transfers from Split Airport (SPU)
Split Airport (SPU) to Split Port is the road section of the journey. Book that destination explicitly when arranging a taxi or private transfer, and match it to the harbour used by your sea departure. The airport transfer gets you to the mainland port; the crossing to Hvar and the island boat are separate arrangements.
Split makes a useful pause when your flight and sea departure do not fit comfortably together. Allow for collecting luggage and reaching the port before boarding. For planning time in the city at the ferry start, see staying in Split. Keep your road transfer booking separate from your onward sea tickets so that each arrival point stays clear.
Book a fixed-price transfer from Split Airport (SPU) on Kiwitaxi.
Split to Hvar passenger catamaran
The Split to Hvar passenger catamaran arrives in Hvar Town, the starting harbour for summer Pakleni taxi boats. The published seasonal schedule for line 641 ran from 1 May to 11 October 2026 and listed a 65-minute crossing at EUR 25. Those dates describe that seasonal service, rather than a November or year-round timetable.
The sea ticket for line 641 reserves a place on the selected departure. Choose your travel date first and use the service available for that date. A search for a Split to Hvar ferry can return different Hvar ports, so read the arrival harbour as carefully as the departure time. The onward island journey begins after arrival, rather than being part of this passenger crossing.
Day trip from Split
Our take: This organised day trip offers an excursion from Split to the islands rather than a transfer.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
A sightseeing alternative from Split
A speedboat day from Split with a Pakleni stop and snorkeling equipment. This is an excursion; Blue Cave admission is extra.
Stari Grad instead of Hvar Town
Stari Grad is the arrival port for car ferry line 635 from Split. Hvar Town and Stari Grad are separate destinations, so reaching Stari Grad leaves an overland connection before boarding a Pakleni taxi boat. This is an important distinction when comparing sea tickets with luggage or planning an overnight base.
The special timetable for line 635 applies only from 9 November to 31 December 2026. Use it within that period and allow separately for the connection to Hvar Town. Avoid building a close island-boat connection around the ferry alone. The accommodation areas guide helps you decide whether to sleep near your eventual boat departure.
Onward taxi boat
Hvar harbour has shared taxi boats to the Pakleni Islands in summer, with destinations including Jerolim, Stipanska, Mlini, Ždrilca and Palmižana. Choose the landing that fits your day. Palmižana Marina and the bathing beach in Vinogradišće are different places on Sveti Klement, so an island name alone is not enough to describe your destination.
Private transfers are another way to arrange the final crossing. A Palmižana offer priced for 2026 lists EUR 120 per boat for one direction, with the return arranged separately. Shared boat tickets use their own terms. Settle the return arrangement before leaving Hvar and read the taxi boat guide for the distinctions. Strong wind and high waves can cause cancellations.
An organised day from Split
The organised speedboat day departing Trumbićeva obala 13 in Split includes a Pakleni stop as part of its Blue Cave and island programme. The fare includes the skipper and crew, snorkeling equipment, fuel, port taxes, insurance and bottled water. Blue Cave admission is extra. This option suits a sightseeing day that begins on the mainland.
The organised excursion serves a different purpose from travelling to your accommodation: choose it for the day’s route, rather than as a ferry connection. For more departure styles, compare the boat trips. For the wider cave circuit, see caves and island hopping.
Car rental and parking on the mainland
A rental car can serve a mainland route before or after the Pakleni visit. Keep the Pakleni leg as a boat journey and decide where the mainland driving portion ends before arranging the sea crossing. Parking and car return belong to that mainland plan; they should not determine which Pakleni bay you choose.
The season guide explains why a marina season, a ferry timetable and a summer taxi boat service are different planning tools. Build your return journey in the same stages as your arrival, with the island crossing and onward ferry treated individually.
Questions about getting to the islands
Which Hvar port should I choose?
Hvar Town puts you at the starting harbour for summer Pakleni taxi boats. The passenger catamaran from Split arrives there directly. Stari Grad is the car ferry port and requires a separate onward journey to Hvar Town. Choose the arrival port before trying to connect the ferry with an island boat.
Does a private Palmižana fare include the return?
EUR 120 per boat and direction is the private Palmižana offer listed for 2026. The return is arranged separately at the same listed boat price. Treat that as a private service quote, rather than a shared taxi boat fare, and organise both directions around the needs of your island visit.
Can wind affect the final boat journey?
Yes. Strong wind and high waves can cause taxi boat cancellations between Hvar and the Pakleni Islands. Allow room around independently arranged ferry and island crossings. A seasonal service description tells you when an offer operates, while the daily conditions determine whether the boat can make the journey.