Hvar · Month comparison

December vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs December at #7. The first Goldilocks — 22°C, restaurants all open, no superyacht arrivals.

Advent lights in Stari Grad harbour in December

December

#7 of 12 months

Strong option

Christmas in Stari Grad is genuinely Croatian — fritule frying, no party tourism in sight.

  • Stari Grad lights up for Advent with fritule (Croatian doughnuts) stalls on the harbour
  • €40-55/night for guesthouses in Stari Grad that normally hit €200 in August
Hvar Town and harbour in May with calm clear water

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The first Goldilocks — 22°C, restaurants all open, no superyacht arrivals.

  • Pakleni Islands boat trips with you and maybe 6 others — not 60
  • Lavender begins to flower in late May across the southern hillsides
FactorDecemberMay
Weather score
4
9
Value score
10
7
Crowd score
10
8
Events score
5
5
Atmosphere
6
10
Avg high temp13°C22°C
Monthly rain90mm40mm
Daily sunshine4hrs9hrs

December trade-offs

  • 90mm rain plus bura — catamarans from Split cancelled multiple times across the month
  • Hvar Town effectively closed — only one open bar in the main square

May trade-offs

  • Sea at 18°C — comfortable swim but cooler than July's 24°C
  • Maestral wind picks up around Hvar Town in late May afternoons
Scores compare months within Hvar. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →