Day 2: Explore the Pakleni Otoci Islands by Sea Kayak
It was Monday morning in Hvar. Our meeting time was 9:30. That gave us plenty of time to sleep in and get breakfast. Our hotel had a huge breakfast buffet, always popular with the kids. While some items had a local flavor, there were also plenty of familiar options, too.
We met our group in the lobby and made the short walk to the dock. Today was a water day! We boarded speed boats that took us a short distance to the starting point of our sea kayaking trip.
KidTripster Tip: Be sure to remind your kids the importance of being on time. Our group did a great job of adhering to the meeting times. Being late means a delayed activity or meal start for the rest of the group.
Once back on ground, our guides fitted us with life jackets and safety instructions. We picked our partners for kayaking – one adult and one kid per boat. Then we loaded up and hit the water.
Everyone in our group had previously kayaked, but experience wasn’t required for this activity. It was a gorgeous day to be on the water. Our kayaking trip was broken up into two parts. For the first leg, we kayaked to a small beach. We hopped out and took a swimming break there. The kids loved being in the clear water.
Our guides brought snorkeling gear so several of us took a peek underwater. After awhile, we loaded back into the kayaks. While staying at the beach longer would have been nice, it was necessary to kayak to our next location … lunch!
For round two, our family switched up partners. For the first leg I was with my son, and for the second round I partnered with my daughter. Each kid brought a different energy to the kayaking experience! Just as we were feeling fatigued, we rounded a corner and saw our destination, a restaurant perched on a hill, with beachgoers lounging on chairs along the water. Seeing that was the motivation we needed to make that final push.
We parked our kayaks along the shoreline and followed a winding path up the hill to the restaurant patio. The view was spectacular. We used the restrooms to change out of our wet gear and then grabbed a seat at the table.
Meneghello Palmizana served lunch family style. First a green salad, then grilled chicken with potato salad, and then dessert. The kids enjoyed all of the pets roaming around the restaurant.
Although kayaking was fun, we were glad to learn that we’d be getting a ride back to town. A water taxi awaited us at the bottom of the hill, towing the kayaks along behind us.
We arrived back in town around 3 p.m. which meant a few hours of free time before dinner. We decided to make use of the large hotel pool.
Some of the other parents used the time to catch up on laundry at a nearby laundromat. Most families had traveled elsewhere in Europe before meeting up with the group and as a result had suitcases filled with dirty clothes.
Hotel Adriana has a large indoor pool with floor to ceiling windows looking onto the harbor. While the kids swam, I sipped a limoncello spritz from the rooftop bar.
There were some last minute changes to our dinner plans. We’d originally been scheduled to participate in a cooking demo with a local chef, but he was unable to meet with us. Our guides had a back-up plan at the ready. We boarded a shuttle bus and headed up the hill to Alavia Soul Food.
When I heard the name, my thoughts immediately went to Southern BBQ, but this was the soul food of Croatia so that meant dishes like mussels, black risotto, octopus, and monkfish.
KidTripster Tip: You may be wondering what the dining experience will be like for your kids. I have one child who loves to try new foods, and another who prefers plain and predictable meals. My daughter loved the opportunity to sample so many local dishes, but it was trickier with my son. We were able to order him a simple pasta or chicken dish at most establishments. During our stays in Hvar and Korcula, we were near small grocery stores where we picked up some supplemental snacks. If you have a food allergy, be sure to indicate that on your pre-travel forms. Your guides will work with you to make sure you have ample dining choices.
Alavia is located on the top of a hill with sweeping views of the island and sea. It’s also surrounded by lush fields of lavender. We had a lovely view of the sunset from the hilltop.
The dinner ran a bit late and it was dark as we arrived back at our hotel. We were given instructions for our meeting time tomorrow. We needed to place our luggage outside our room by 8 a.m. and our meeting time was at 9.
Day 3 required a change of islands. Click 3 to read about the experience of arriving in Korcula.
