Imagine closing your eyes and, when you open them, suddenly finding yourself in a place far removed from civilization. A place that is completely isolated from casual visitors or tourists. A place that isn’t part of any well-known tourist resort, and is therefore completely unknown to many. A place where you can forget all your worries and enjoy its unique atmosphere. I believe that each of us has a little dream spot like this…
For me, this dream became a reality on the Croatian island of Hvar. Just about everyone who has visited Croatia at least once will have heard of Hvar. It is Croatia’s fourth-largest island and can be easily reached by ferry from the city of Split; the journey takes around 100 minutes. I’ll be writing a few articles about my stay on Hvar later on, but in this post I’ll be focusing on a unique yet undeservedly little-known place, which its ‘creator’ has given the English name ‘Cliff Base’.
I only found out about this place by chance whilst planning to tackle two via ferratas on Hvar (Mirko and Barbara). Whilst searching for information about the via ferratas, I came across details about Cliff Base – as both routes were designed by the same person ☺. He is a Slovak who began working on Hvar over 20 years ago – a native of Prešov – Miroslav Štec, who has gradually built up a wonderful adrenaline centre that attracts not only climbing adventurers from various countries.
Cliff Base is situated near the coastal Hvar village of Sveta Nedjelja on the south-western side of Hvar. You can only get here on foot, by boat or by abseiling ☺. If you prefer to walk, you can get there from two directions – either from the village of Jagodna (approx. 2 km) or from the village of Sveta Nedjelja (approx. 1 km). I chose the second option.
I left the car in the harbour car park in Sveta Nedjelja and set off along the coast towards Cliff Base. The walk itself was a wonderful experience, and I’d divide it into two sections. From Sveta Nedjelja to Žalo Ogon beach (approx. 600 m), there’s a concrete footpath that’s steep in places.
Beyond the beach, the terrain becomes more rugged, so I wouldn’t recommend wearing beach flip-flops – you’ll definitely need sturdier footwear. In places, you’ll have to use all four limbs, but the views of the beautiful natural beaches are certainly worth it.
After 400 metres, an incredible view opened up on my left. The photos on the internet hadn’t exaggerated in the slightest; if anything, the reality surpassed the photos. I found myself facing a cove with 60-metre cliffs rising above the sea, natural sea pools surrounded by all manner of rocky formations, with paths winding between them that you could walk along freely. It was only then that I noticed a structure that blended seamlessly into the scenery.
Cliff Base is situated beneath a rocky outcrop known as ‘Šuplja Stina’, which means ‘hollow rock’. This face features dozens of climbing routes for climbers. The walk beneath the rock face is about 150 metres long, but there’s plenty to admire – nature has really outdone itself here. See for yourself…
During my ‘exploration’, I came across several quiet spots where you can meditate in a hammock or read a book. You can choose whether to sit in the shade or in the sun.
You won’t believe it, but I fancied a beer and Mirko surprised me with ‘my’ Pilsner ☺. Here’s the proof ☺
It would be a sin to be here and not go for a swim in the crystal-clear water. There are several places to enter the water, all of which are sheltered from the open sea, and there are niches around the water’s edge where you can leave your belongings if you don’t want to leave them out in the hot sun. I’d recommend wearing shoes when entering the water, as you might come across a sea urchin, but if you’re careful, you can manage without them… just look at me ☺
There are rocks of various sizes around the natural pool; ropes have been strung across some of them, so you can try your hand at a safer form of climbing – where the worst that can happen is a fall into the water ☺. You can also jump off the rocks… that’s for the more daring among you ☺
A channel leads from the pool out to the open sea, where you can swim to your heart’s content. Mirko also offers kayaks for hire here; I didn’t make use of this service this time, but it’s good to know that the option is available.
A few words about the accommodation. I’d describe it as simple but cosy (a bit like a mountain chalet). There are small rooms – for 1–2 people, 2–4 people – but there’s also a large space that can accommodate up to 12 people (or possibly more). Some rooms also have their own toilet and bathroom. In addition, there are two fully equipped kitchens, toilets, showers (for those without a room with en-suite facilities), and a campfire pit. The owner doesn’t cook – it’s up to the guests to buy their own food and prepare it themselves. Of course, carrying such a load along the land access route is quite a challenge, so the owner offers to transport your belongings to Cliff Base by boat.
And as is customary in these coastal regions, practically everyone here owns a vineyard and offers their own wines. Mirko is no exception. He has even built a wine cellar here, which I had the chance to ‘sample’ for myself. Beneath the Cliff Base complex lies a cave through which you can descend to sea level and swim out into the open sea. On the other side of the cave is a magnificent wine cellar. A marvellous creation…
During my stay at Cliff Base, I got to know a bunch of brilliant people – as well as Mirko, I met the well-known Slovak caver Igor P., his partner Lilly and ‘the Slovak girl from Prague’ Zuzka – all of them friends of Mirko’s. And, of course, Mirko’s four-legged mates kept us company too ☺. They told me lots of details about Cliff Base, shared plenty of funny stories, and we enjoyed several bottles of excellent wine ☺… I left Cliff Base four hours later than I’d originally planned, and not with just one bottle of wine, but with four (to stock up) ☺… I’d like to say hello to the whole gang, of course, and I hope we’ll all meet up again at Mirko’s…
What else can I say? Even if I were to say that this place is amazing and that I recommend it, none of that would do justice to the atmosphere at Cliff Base. You simply have to come here and experience it for yourself ☺ …
If you decide to follow in my footsteps and need advice on accommodations, food, hiking trails, or other ways to spend your time in the Hvar island, feel free to contact me via email at ajka@uzisibalkaninak.com, my Facebook page “Enjoy the Balkans differently” or Instagram.
P.S.: All photos are protected by copyright 🙂
