VISIT MALA STINIVA BAY ON ISLAND HVAR WITH ME (PART 1)

Today I'm taking you to Mala Stiniva Bay on island Hvar. I might talk for a living, but before this beauty I was left speechless and it's not even the first time I have visited this place. If you remember, I blogged about Mala Stiniva Bay back in 2018 and I originally visited it a few years prior to that rather lengthily travel post. My husband loved this place, so I promised to take him back some time. We went there last week. After I finished working, I put on a pair of white sneakers and drove there. When we got there, we just stared at this bay because it is so overwhelming beautiful. Now, that says something coming from someone who spent most of their summers on this island, mind you. Even for high standards set by island Hvar, this bay is enchanting. Most bays on island Hvar are absolutely gorgeous, but somehow this one stole my heart. 

Mala Stiniva Bay belongs to Poljica village on island Hvar (not to be confused with a group of villages located on Dalmatian coast that originally formed the famous Poljica Republic). Stina means a rock in Dalmatian dialect (stijena in standard Croatian) so that is probably how the name was formed. Mala means little, possibly it is named thus because there is a beach near by called Big Stiniva (Vela Stiniva). There is also a beach named Stiniva on island Vis that boost with similar vertical cliff as does the bay Vela Stiniva near by (I visited that one as well). What makes this bay so special- apart from its obvious beauty? Well, for one the giant vertical stones that encompass this bay. These picturesque cliffs contrast with the softness of Adriatic sea beautifully. Moreover, Mala Stiniva is really a lovely bay. It is quite secluded and it has a nice beach. The sea is so crystal clear, it is hard to believe it is not some kind of giant pool. I always get so many questions whenever I post my photographs from island Hvar or just send them to friends. Everyone always thinks they are looking at some kind of lake, they can't believe that sea water can be so clean and transparent but there you are, it really is quite transparent. You don't need diving equipment to see to the rock bottom. Just relax on the shore and observe the fish from there. The sea here is amazing clean and crystal clear. The nature that surrounds this bay is stunning. You have your typical pine forest and the ever present agava plants for greenery. There are only a few houses in this bay. All the accommodation this bay offers is privately owned. There are no hotels, cafes or restaurants, just private houses, some (and possibly all) of which are available for rent. Most people visit it in the summer, but I quite enjoyed my winter visit,  I have to say. I even preferred it to summer one. It was nice having this place just for ourselves. There was not a soul in sight when we visited and we had fun exploring Mala Stiniva Bay. 

IS ISLAND HVAR A GOOD WINTER DESTINATION IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOME SUN?

Absolutely, it is. Island Hvar is known as a sunny island. It has a record number of sunny days. So, if you're looking for some vitamin D, booking a plane ticket to Croatia and coming to island Hvar isn't a bad idea. Not that other islands are any less beautiful, but I cannot help recommending island Hvar first. It always sets a record in the number of sunny days, after all! What can you do in bay Mala Stiniva in the summer? Well, besides enjoying the stunning views, I would also recommend some hiking. You know I love my walking and trekking. It is great when one can be both physically active and enjoy beautiful nature at the same time. It is like food for both body and mind. If you want to enjoy great views, bay Mala Stiniva is a great place to sunbathe and hike in the winter.

THE ROAD TO MALA STINIVA BAY : SHOULD YOU HIKE OR DRIVE?

 How to get to Mala Stiniva bay? Besides sailing into this bay (that would be the sea route), you can also drive there. However, the road is quite narrow and there aren't any extra parking spaces. From what I could see, the parking spaces are privately owned (as are the houses and the land). Driving all the way to the bay might leave you with no space to park and you might need to drive back a little to find a place to park. So, maybe it is best to park a bit farther away and walk a part of the way. Most of the roads on island Hvar are quite narrow. If you're not a good driver, you might find yourself feeling a bit stressed. Another option is parking on the main road (not that the main road isn't somewhat narrow too) and walking all the way to this bay. The views are certainly impressive. From the road you can see the Dalmatian coastline and even island Brač. You can also take photographs of these majestic agava plants with the beautiful Dalmatian coast in the background. Agava plants aren't native to Croatia (as far as I know they are native to Mexico) but they are quite widespread here. Besides olives trees, vineyards, cypress and pine trees, you can expect to see quite a lot of agava and cacti plants on this island. Palm trees are another tree that is not native but is quite widespread and does well here.

THE STORY OF AN OUTFIT- HOW I WORE IT BEFORE?

Nothing about this outfit is new so I'll link up how I wore these clothing items before. I never purchase clothes just for the sake of buying, I only buy things that I either need or really want. This is an outfit I wore to work. The only thing I changed were the shoes. I wore this pair of high heeled boots with this outfit, but I changed into sneakers when I left work because driving and hiking in high heels isn't the easiest or safest of tasks. Those boots might be the most comfortable heeled boots I own, but they are no match for these cliffs. Sneakers are the only sensible choice for exploring the cliffs of Mala Stiniva. Anyhow, bellow you can see how I wore these items before.

THE CHERRY PRINT DRESS. I have had this dress for ages, if I remember correctly I got it as a gift a few years ago in blog collab with one of those Asian online sites. This dress has stood the test of time wonderfully and it still looks brand new. I should really devote a special post to it. I have had the 30 ways to wear a cherry print dress post in the wraps for a while now, I only need the time to put it all together. Until then, you can see how I styled it for summer  here and here. You can also can check out this post where I wore this dress with a yellow bag to make it pop even more, or this post where I paired it with an oversize hat and kitten heels to make it more sophisticated and lady like. Here is a similar outfit, but with wedges. If you are the type that loves fun hand made accessories, check out this post where I wore this dress with hand made cat ears. I really wear it a lot (most recently worn here).

THE BLACK BLAZER I actually had this blazer custom made for me by a local seamstress. Not just the blazer, but the matching pants and skirt as well. It was the first time I had a suit made for me and it is an experience I can definitely recommend. Nothing beats a custom made suit. If you have the funds, do consider investing into a hand sewed suit. It is one of those pieces you can always wear, so they are worth the investment. I do wear this blazer often, sometimes as a part of the suit but even more often as a separate suit. See proof here, here, here , here , here and here. 

THE SCARF If I had a penny for every time I wore this scarf, well I'd have a lot of pennies. I do wear this scarf a lot and I have had it for more than a decade.  I stole it from my mother who got it as a gift from an Ambassador of Netherlands or something like that. It is the perfect scarf! You can see how I wore it here, here, here, here . 

THE BROWN FAUX LEATHER COAT

I devoted a special post to this coat here so you know it is a piece I wear a lot. 

THE SNEAKERS

I've actually had these sneakers for 8 or 9 years, so way before the dad sneaker trend. I'm not sure about the brand but I bought them in one of those shops that sell quality sneakers. They are certainly quality made to have lasted this long. If I knew the name of the brand, I'd look it up. Anyhow, you can see how I styled these sneakers in the past with a dress here, with blue jeans and a blazer here,  with burned orange jeans here and with an all sporty styling here and with ripped jeans here. 

Well, we have talked enough about clothes, let's get back to admiring the natural beauty of this place. 

MORE POSTS ABOUT ISLAND HVAR 

1. INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CHURCH OF SAINT STEPHEN, STARI GRAD

2. VISITING BASINA BAY ON ISLAND HVAR

3. ADVENT IN STARI GRAD: TWO OUTFIT PROPOSALS
4.STARI GRAD IN AUTUMN: WHAT TO WEAR FOR SIGHT SEEING?
5.VISIT STARI GRAD ON ISLAND HVAR WITH ME
6. INSIDE OF A RENAISSANCE VILLA OF PETAR HEKTOROVIC
7.VRBOSKA (AKA LITTLE VENICE) ON ISLAND HVAR
8.TARTAN BLAZER AND A GUIDE TO JELSA
9. A BEACH OUTFIT FEATURING A CHERRY PRINT A LINE DRESS
10. ISLAND HIKING OUTFIT FEATURING A GEOMETRIC PRINT DRESS
11.A SEASIDE PAINTING INSPIRED BY BAY TORAC
12.A STRIPED ROMPER AND A CAPER FLOWER

13. MY TOP CROATIAN DESTINATIONS OF YEAR 2019

14. TORAC BAY, ISLAND HVAR

15. VISITING SUĆURAJ ON ISLAND HVAR

16. CLIMBING THE FORTRESS IN HVAR CITY

17. PERFECTLY VALID REASONS FOR VISITING HVAR IN WINTER TIME

Thank you for reading and visiting. I'm linking this look with Nancy Fancy Friday Link up.