Jelsa is one of the larger resorts on the island of Hvar. I think it's just the right size for a pleasant holiday. There are good restaurants, nice cafes, you'll find famous ice cream in a pastry shop right on the Riva, and a nice children's playground is a short walk away. And what about Jelsa's beaches? If I disregard the small town beach a short distance from the center, there are other pleasant options for swimming and sunbathing.
To the east of Jelsa, there are 4 bays with beaches. We'll take them nicely from the closest one.
We drove through the beaches during our Easter trip around the island, but for comparison, I'm also including photos from the main season (both from 2023). This is to give a better idea of how crowded or uncrowded the beaches are, as that interests almost everyone choosing a holiday destination 🙂
Mina Sandy Bay
We walked to this beach, as it's right on the edge of Jelsa. An asphalt road leads here from the center of Jelsa along the sea. Along the way, you'll find small rocky sections where people also swim. A little further on is Mina beach. It's a paradise mainly for children.
Shallow water is great for young non-swimmers. The entry into the water is very gradual, and because the bay is deeply cut into the island, there aren't usually big waves there – at least we haven't encountered them.
There are public toilets on the hill above the beach, and some refreshments are available on the same side of the bay (I haven't tried them, so I can't rate them). There are campsites on both edges of the bay, so it won't be completely quiet. There is no shade directly on the beach, but there are terraced areas with trees at the edges.
GPS coordinates of Mina beach: 43.16136081844999, 16.70364236697666
Grebišće Bay
From Mina Bay, the asphalt road continues to Grebišće Bay, which also has a smaller sandy beach. There's a campsite, a beach bar, and a famous refreshment stand called Čorni Petar – locals know it well, it's said to have been operating for ages.
For comparison, I'm attaching a photo from the main season. We didn't get to explore this bay much, hopefully, we'll succeed next year.
GPS coordinates of Grebišće beach: 43.158805609078556, 16.712345252970678
Zenčišće Bay
From Grebišće, the asphalt road led us to another bay, Zenčišće. There are mostly sunbathing jetties and small pebble beaches.
Right by the beach is the Zen beach bar.
This bay has a big advantage in that there's a large parking area. This summer, however, I was surprised that there weren't many people here during the day.
GPS coordinates of Zenčišće beach: 43.15676813802346, 16.719411980538005
Sveti Luka Bay
This is the last bay to the east of Jelsa, beyond Zenčišće beach. The road ends here on both sides of the bay (the roads are not connected within the bay). The bay is guarded by a small chapel called Crkva Sveti Luka, and the bay is also named after it – Sveti Luka. Locals also know it as Uvala Crkvica.
It's a natural beach; apart from one private house towards the chapel, there's nothing else here. Just wonderful peace and clear sea. So, you'll need to bring your own drinks and food, and also water shoes – there are no sea urchins here, but the stones are quite uncomfortable even for me, and I don't usually wear water shoes.
You can take a nice walk to the chapel, not along the sea, but via a path that starts above the beach. After a few meters, turn left from the path, and the chapel will be in sight. It's a beautiful spot with a lovely view. This path then continues to another bay, Prapratna, which also has a pebble beach.
GPS coordinates of Sveti Luka beach: 43.15606683458058, 16.725167657755275
Sandy beach towards Vrboska
And to the west of Jelsa, there's another sandy beach. It's smaller and a bit hidden, and there are no refreshments nearby.
GPS coordinates of the beach: 43.17236707217476, 16.68357798372348
If this caught your interest and you'd like to know more about Jelsa, you can read this article specifically about Jelsa: https://zijemechorvatskem.wordpress.com/2021/12/07/jelsa/
