If your Hvar plan for this week was built a few days ago and never rechecked, this is the moment to fix that. Official updates now affect both direct Hvar Town access and the Stari Grad side of the island, which means some travelers have a better option than before while others need to stop assuming the usual departure time still holds.
On the official HAK traffic and ferry page, the morning update for 29 April says ferry traffic is running without wider difficulties, but it also flags a relevant change for Hvar travelers: a commercial Split-Hvar line starts on 30 April with departure from Split at 08:15, operated by HSC Jazine. On top of that, official Jadrolinija passenger notices confirm that the Stari Grad-Split catamaran on 30 April leaves at 14:00 instead of 13:00, while the Split-Stari Grad ferry on 3 May leaves at 21:00 instead of 20:30.
Before you go: this is not a week for memory-based island planning. Recheck the exact operator page for your departure, because HAK itself notes the line change, and Jadrolinija explicitly states that schedules remain subject to change.
The short version
Date | Route | Official change | What travelers should do |
|---|---|---|---|
30 April | Split-Hvar | HAK says a commercial line starts from Split at 08:15, operated by HSC Jazine | If you are staying in Hvar Town and traveling as a foot passenger, recheck whether this direct option now fits better than routing through Stari Grad |
30 April | Stari Grad-Split catamaran | Jadrolinija moves departure to 14:00 instead of 13:00 | Do not arrive on the old one o'clock assumption, especially if you built a same-day return around that slot |
3 May | Split-Stari Grad ferry | Jadrolinija moves departure to 21:00 instead of 20:30 | Useful if you are arriving later into Split, but still worth rechecking before heading to the port |
This week, the most useful Hvar planning decision is not just the island itself, but whether your arrival logic should point to Hvar Town or Stari Grad.
What changes on 30 April
The most interesting update is the new direct Split-Hvar commercial sailing listed by HAK for 30 April at 08:15. For travelers staying in or near Hvar Town, that matters because it can remove one layer of compromise from the journey. Instead of defaulting to Stari Grad and then continuing across the island, some foot passengers may now have a cleaner direct arrival into the place they actually booked.
But the same date also brings a timing shift in the other direction. In its official notice for line 9603, Jadrolinija says the Stari Grad-Split catamaran on 30 April departs at 14:00 instead of 13:00. That is not a dramatic change, but it is exactly the kind of half-hidden adjustment that breaks a transfer, lunch stop or same-day connection if you never look again after first planning.
What changes on 3 May
The other practical Hvar update lands on 3 May. In the official notice for line 635, Jadrolinija says the Split-Stari Grad ferry departs at 21:00 instead of 20:30. For travelers who are reaching Split later in the day, that can actually help. It creates a little more breathing room. But it is still a mistake to treat that as permanent logic instead of a date-specific adjustment.
That distinction matters because Hvar travelers often plan by habit. One group remembers the classic Stari Grad ferry pattern, another assumes the direct Hvar Town option they used last summer will behave the same way this week, and both groups can end up wrong for different reasons.
Which Hvar arrival makes more sense this week
If you are a foot passenger staying in Hvar Town, the newly listed direct Split-Hvar sailing is the first thing worth checking. It may be the simplest answer for this specific window. If you are bringing a car, heading to another part of the island, or already built your stay around Stari Grad access, the Jadrolinija ferry route can still be the more natural fit, but only if you are using the updated times rather than memory.
If your broader Hvar plan is still fuzzy, our earlier guide on choosing Hvar Town, Stari Grad or Jelsa without a car is still useful. What changes this week is not the island logic itself, but the transport logic you should use to enter it.
What not to assume
The weak travel move here is not choosing the wrong port. It is assuming that because ferry traffic is otherwise functioning normally, your own exact sailing must be unchanged. HAK's 29 April update is calm overall, but the details still matter, and Jadrolinija's own notices are very clear that the departure times above are not the standard timetable you should blindly expect.
So the practical move is simple. Reopen the official page, recheck the departure that applies to your date, and only then build your bus, taxi, parking or same-day transfer around it.
FAQ
Is there a new direct Split-Hvar sailing on 30 April 2026?
Yes. HAK's ferry traffic update for 29 April says a commercial Split-Hvar line starts on 30 April with departure from Split at 08:15, operated by HSC Jazine.
What changed on the Stari Grad-Split catamaran?
According to Jadrolinija's official notice, the 30 April Stari Grad-Split catamaran departs at 14:00 instead of 13:00.
What changed on the Split-Stari Grad ferry?
According to Jadrolinija's official notice, the 3 May Split-Stari Grad ferry departs at 21:00 instead of 20:30.
Should I plan by HAK or by the operator page?
Use HAK as a very useful national traffic signal, but use the exact operator page for your final departure check. In this case, the safest combination is HAK for the wider update and Jadrolinija's own notices for the route-specific timing change.