While Hvar, Croatia, is best known for its marinas, beaches and clubs, this Croatian island teems with undiscovered oceanic and gastronomic experiences you might otherwise not know about. Taste wine in an underground cellar, dine amongst hidden restaurants on uninhabited islands, indulge in tastings from a 2,500-year-old olive tree and more.

© Hvar Tourist Board

Sip Wine from Underwater Cellars

At award-winning Zlaton Otok, this winery uniquely stores and serves wine in a cellar under the sea. The winemaker’s winery and restaurant sit out on a pier, open for lunch, dinner or a tasting. After a meal, head downstairs to the stone wine cellar under the sea, featuring wooden barrels and windows to view the water from below.

© Cliffbase

Walk Iron Steps Along Hvar’s Highest Peak

Even amateur climbers can enjoy Hvar’s highest peak, Sveti Nikola. Climb from the steep wine vineyards of Sveta Nedjelja with Cliffbase’s Via Ferrata Hvar and experience a walk over a bridge 260 feet in the air across a protected climbing route with iron steps, bridges and cables.

Taste from One of the World’s Oldest Olive Oil Trees

This miraculous tree outlives the average lifespan of an olive tree by 2,000 years. This 2,500-year-old tree lies at the center of a tour to Zastražišće by bike. This tour includes an olive oil and lunch tasting. The ancient tree is joined by more than 200,000 olive trees on Hvar, which have produced award-winning olive oil.

Discover a Wine Cellar in an Abandoned Tunnel

Built by the Yugoslav army in 1963, this tunnel is now home to a hidden wine cellar few know about. Using a room built for water storage, winemaker Zlatan Plenkovic, owner of Zlatan Otok winery, repurposed the room to store wine. Drive through and spot this hidden cellar.

Stay in a 15^th-Century Home in Hvar Town

Historically known as The Bevilaqua House, Villa Varda – Latica is a 15^th-century mini-palace located next to Church of St. Annuziata. This manor was restored with the highest care for travelers to step back in time.

© Hvar Tourist Board

Dine in a Former Military Fortress

Galesnik is an uninhabited island and the closest of the Pakleni Islands surrounding Hvar. Escape summertime crowds and enjoy dinner and sunset at this island’s eco-restaurant. The island was originally used by Franciscan monks as a quarantine station before becoming a military fortress.