Sućuraj is a picturesque small town on the east cape of the island Hvar

Hvar

- Climate :The climate of Hvar is characterized by mild winters and warm summers. The yearly average air temperature is , 686 mm of precipitation fall on the town of Hvar on average every year and the town has a total of 2800 sunshine hours per year. For comparison Hvar has an average of 7.7...

 in Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

, 3 NM (5 km) from the Dalmatian coast and 77 km from the town of Hvar.

Sućuraj has about 400 residents, with tourism and fishing being the primary economic activities. The town is the official centre of the eastern part of the island of Hvar.

The island of Hvar is famous for its pleasant Mediterranean climate, including a high percentage of sunny days. Sućuraj is one of the sunniest and hottest places on the island, with more than 2700 hours of sunshine per year. Around the centre of the town, there are two beaches, Cesminica and Bilina.

In the town, tourists can stay in private apartments, pensions, houses, rooms, hotel or car-camp.

Sućuraj can be reached by ferryboat from Drvenik

Drvenik

Drvenik may mean:* Drvenik - a village in southern Dalmatia, Croatia* Drvenik - a village on island Drvenik veli* Drvenik Veliki and Drvenik Mali - two islands in central Dalmatia, Croatia...

 on the Makarska riviera

Makarska riviera

The Makarska Riviera is a part of the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, about 60 kilometers long and only several kilometers wide, squeezed under towering mountain Biokovo. Sunny climate and long pebbly beaches make this region a popular tourist destination...

, a trip of about 25 minutes. In the winter, there are 3-4 departures a day, and in summer there are 10-15 per day. The Ferry dock is near the centre of the town. Drvenik is situated on the Adriatic road 96 km southeast of Split

Split (city)

Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

 and 128 km northwest of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...

.

History of Sućuraj

Sućuraj has existed for more than 2300 years, although it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The first known inhabitants of Sućuraj were the Illyria

Illyria

In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....

ns; their Queen Teuta had a home here in 3rd century BC. In the 7th and 8th century the Croats who lived here till today colonized Sućuraj. Sućuraj has fallen under a myriad of flags in its history, including the Illyrians, Romans, Croats, Venetians, French, Austrians, and Italians. In the 20th century alone, Sućuraj was a part of six different countries.

The oldest building in Sućuraj is the Augustan (today Franciscan

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

) monastery

Monastery

Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

. Its original construction date is not known, but it was first rebuilt in 1309 and most recently in 1994. Sućuraj got its name from the Church of St. George, which is mentioned in the Statue of Hvar from 1331. That church was destroyed at the end of the 19th century, and a new one was built. Most of the inhabitants of Sućuraj came from the coast in the 15th century, fleeing from the Turks

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

. From that time till today the church of St. Anthony (built in 1663) has also survived. An old Venetian fortress (fortica) built in 1613 also still stands, although not in its original condition.