Jelsa may be just a little town in the middle of Hvar Island, as a popular song has it, but it boasts a wide harbour and attractive stone waterfront. Once a fishing centre, in the 19th century Jelsa had an important fleet of trading sailboats, some of which were even ocean-going, and was part of the enviable fishing epopee which lasted some fifty years, plying its trade to Lampedusa and around the Mediterranean.
Although fishermen, farmers and tradesmen made up the majority of its population, Jelsa established the first Croatian library on the Dalmatian islands.
This picturesque settlement, which is exposed to the northerly wind called the ‘bura’, was first mentioned in 14th century historical records as a port three kilometres away from the village of Pitve, which was situated on the northern slopes of the Gozd hill. Although Jelsa itself counts among the newer of Hvar Island’s settlements, there are signs of human habitation dating back some 5000 years not far away.
There is fresh drinking water in Jelsa, which has its own springs, a relatively unusual advantage for a place in the centre of a Dalmatian island.
Despite being smaller than Hvar Town and Stari Grad, the Jelsa Council covers the widest area of the Hvar local authorities. Its main asset is the ring of several villages surrounding Jelsa, which have a rich tradition of agriculture. Twelve settlements in all belong to the Jelsa Council.
And Jelsa has another plus: many wonderful beaches are within walking distance, more than any other settlement on Hvar, which makes it an ideal place for a summer holiday without having to rely on a car. If you do come by car, it means you can easily get to yet more fabulous beaches further afield, including those on the south side of Hvar.
The Hotel Jadran was the first to open in Jelsa, back in 1911. It comprised 14 luxuriously furnished bedrooms, a restaurant, bar and reading room. However, it was only in the 1960s and 70s that a bigger hotel was built to cater for tourists on a larger scale. Jelsa’s main claim to fame at the time throughout former Yugoslavia was its disco-club, the first in the region. Nowadays it is the only place on the Dalmatian islands which can boast of having its own superman cartoon character, Lavanderman.
In 1868, at the time of national revival amid rising national awareness, the first Croatian library was opened on the Dalmatian islands. In 1878, the library gained the right to fly the Croatian tricolour flag. In 1880, Jelsa’s school was among the first in Dalmatia to introduce teaching in the Croatian language. The library carried various daily newspapers, and became the centre of political life in Jelsa. It was transferred to the new Town Hall on February 1st 1896, when it held a celebration in honour of its founding over a quarter of a century previously. The Town Hall itself was only given the right to fly the Croatian flag later, in 1907.