Field School Family Recs

Congratulations! You've officially signed yourself (and your children) up for a semester at The Field School Hvar. You're about to have one of the most magical experiences of your life…

…but first, let's talk logistics. Because paradise still requires packing cubes. If you read nothing else, read this short checklist — then dip into the chapters as you need them.

Packing

It helps to think in two lists: what to bring from home for the trip, and the small bag your child carries to camp each day.

Pack for the trip (in the suitcase):

• Sun-protective (UPF) clothing and a sunhat.
• Rash guards — one per child. The school notes these are hard to find on the island, so bring them.
• Sturdy sandals you can swim in (Keens, Natives, Tevas, Crocs).
• Reef-safe sunscreen — and bring plenty. It's about double the price here, or stock up at the DM in Stari Grad.
• Goggles.
• A plug-in nightlight — the Fontana rooms have no low lighting to leave on at night.
• An old phone with a physical SIM, to use as a hotspot. Cheaper than juggling eSIMs, and it worked all over the island.
• A packable quick-dry beach towel.
• A few small Tupperware-type containers, ziploc bags, and a reusable grocery bag — handy for meals in the room (you can also grab containers at Ribola).
• Your own spices, if you plan to cook — the markets don't carry much variety.

Your child's daily camp backpack (the school's own list):

• A daypack labelled with your child's name.
• High-factor sunscreen and a sunhat.
• A full, labelled water bottle.
• Snacks — every single day. Whatever amount you packed, double it.
• Lunch, unless you're buying one.
• Any essential medication (e.g. an EpiPen).
• A towel and a spare outfit in a plastic bag.
• For the water: a long-sleeve UV shirt and water sandals (Tevas or Crocs).

Getting in: Split Airport → Jelsa

Most families fly into Split Airport (SPU). From there:

• Option A — Uber + ferry (most popular): Uber from the airport to Split's ferry port (~€50, around 25 minutes). Then take the Krilo or Jadrolinija ferry to Jelsa — roughly 1–2 hours, about €10 per adult (kids are cheaper). Check current schedules at krilo.hr or jadrolinija.hr. The Jelsa ferry port is about a 30-minute walk from Fontana, mostly uphill, or ~€15 by taxi.
• Option B — private speedboat: Faros Boats — run by Carolyn's husband (Carolyn runs the Field School) — offers private transfers direct to Jelsa harbour (around €530–600 for the boat, which splits well among families). Fast, door-to-dock, zero connection stress.
• Option C — car ferry: Drive or taxi to Split's Stari Grad-bound car ferry (Jadrolinija). It lands at Stari Grad, then a ~15-minute taxi or bus to Jelsa. Slower, but works well if you're renting a car.

From the Field School's own field guide: how to get from Split airport to Jelsa.

Getting to Fontana

If you're arriving on the Split → Jelsa ferry (Krilo or Jadrolinija, roughly 1–2 hours, ~€10 per adult) and walking to Fontana…

Please learn from our mistakes.

Do NOT blindly follow Google Maps.

Google apparently thinks everyone arriving is training for the Tour de France. It sends you up what locals should honestly rename "The Stairway to Regret." Dragging three suitcases uphill in 90-degree heat is a core memory I never asked for.

Ferries & getting to Hvar Town

One thing that's easy to underestimate: Hvar Town is not next door.

• About 30 minutes by taxi (roughly €65–80).
• Buses run too — see the bus timetable under Getting around.

Stari Grad is only about 15 minutes away and has many more ferry departures to Split and the mainland. If you're planning trips, check departures from both Jelsa and Stari Grad — you'll have far more options. Jelsa's own sailings are limited (Krilo and Jadrolinija only), so for a return flight it's often easier to leave from Hvar Town or Stari Grad.

See also the Field School's own field guide.

Your First Day of Camp

The first afternoon has the most question marks, so here's the short version. Pack your child's daypack from the camp-backpack list under Packing — then it's all about finding the right room.

Getting your bearings — the building behind the Fontana pool. Almost everything school-related happens in the boomerang-shaped building just behind the pool. It's worth knowing the floors:

• Top floor — two big rooms: the Learning Center, where daily camp drop-off and pick-up happen and where orientation is held, and the coworking space, which also holds the lending library.
• Middle floor — the cafeteria. Worth trying once for the full Yugoslavian-nostalgia experience.
• Ground floor — the mini camp, the Fontana gym, and the pool bar.

School Hours

To dodge the blazing Croatian sun (and so parents can still pretend to work), camp runs Monday to Friday, 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Weekends are yours.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Your child will be tired. You will be tired. Everyone will question what time it actually is. If your family still believes in naps, now is your moment. Otherwise, embrace your new Mediterranean identity where dinner is at 10:00 PM and nobody is remotely concerned about it.

WiFi: A Beautiful Myth

The WiFi at Fontana is a bit like spotting the Loch Ness Monster. People swear they've seen it. Sometimes it appears. Sometimes it vanishes just as you're about to join a Zoom call.

Plan for no WiFi and celebrate if it exists.

Your survival kit:

• A local SIM or eSIM.
• Better yet: Starlink if you're working remotely.
• Request a room near reception where the WiFi is strongest.

If your phone keeps insisting it has "5G" while refusing to load a single webpage, try manually changing your Network Operator. These worked best:

• Hrvatski Telekom (HT)
• Telemach (TM)
• A1 worked… if your hobby is watching loading wheels.

Around the apartment we averaged about 60–70 Mbps down and 30–50 Mbps up. The coworking space was roughly twice as fast.

And because we like to look at the glass half full: consider this your opportunity to unplug when the kids are out of school, and condense your work hours to the coworking space when they're in.

Laundry

Laundry exists.

You can ask for a room with a washer included (dryers do not exist because they would put the sun out of business).

Only some of the Fontana units have a washing machine. If yours doesn't, find out who does and make friends with them. These are the most valuable friendships you will form on the island.

Bring fewer white clothes than you think you need. Children seem magnetically attracted to olives, dirt, gelato, and mystery stains unique to Croatia.

Amenities at Fontana

Fontana has a small kids' club and a kids' pool — perfect for a low-key morning that burns off approximately 8% of your child's energy without completely depleting them before school.

There is also an amazing swap table. Forgot water shoes? Need swim goggles? Wondering why you packed seven dinosaur shirts and zero socks? The swap table has your back.

Fitness

If carrying backpacks, scooters, beach toys, and overtired children isn't enough exercise… there's:

• A small gym at Fontana.
• A larger gym at the rowing club where you can even hire a trainer.

Honestly though, walking up the hills in Jelsa with groceries is basically CrossFit.

Junior Guides

Also sent from heaven: the Junior Guides.

They'll be helping the guides, entertaining kids, and somehow maintaining order in situations that should, by all logic, descend into complete chaos. It is also, quite possibly, the most effective birth control program ever created.

Please remember: they are volunteers working full 8-hour days — sometimes without so much as a lunch break while chasing children in every direction. By the time school wraps at 9:00 PM they've given everything they have. They need to eat (genuinely, pack them something — they will eat it), unwind, and sleep. Some don't surface until noon, and honestly, they've earned it.

Dance Class

Never did I think I would witness something cuter than five children earnestly learning choreography together.

Their teacher, Alisa, is the patron saint of patience, possesses the reflexes of a ninja, and the optimism of someone who willingly teaches small children dance moves. We suspect she was sent directly from heaven.

Taxi

Find Marko. Everyone eventually finds Marko. Marko somehow knows everyone, everything, and probably where your missing water bottle went.

Day trips: cars, ATVs & boats

For exploring the island beyond the bus and Marko:

• Cars and ATVs — the easiest option is to hire straight from Fontana reception, which rents both. No need to sort it before you arrive.
• Boat trips — for Zečevo and island-hopping, families work with Mirela Heritage Sail (based in nearby Vrboska) and Vlado Matijević. Taxi Boat Jelsa also runs water-taxi trips for around €15 per person.

Buses & the timetable

Local buses (Cazmatrans) link Jelsa with Hvar Town, Stari Grad and Vrboska. Tickets are bought on the bus (cash); the stop is next to Ribola, and the timetable is posted behind it.

Beaches, food & shops are on the map

Every beach, restaurant, bakery, gelato stop, and supermarket we'd recommend is pinned on the interactive map — filterable by category, each with directions and opening hours.

The Field School's field guide also covers groceries & home cooking on Hvar.

What's On This Summer

A quick rundown of recurring events and festivals worth knowing about. Dates for most things aren't locked in far ahead — check visitjelsa.hr and visithvar.hr for confirmed times closer to the date.

Celebrating a birthday

If there's a birthday during your stay, there's a local baker, Marina Duboković, who makes lovely custom cakes — generous with the frosting, and happy to do colours and themes on request. Ask in the parents' group for her contact.

A Word on the Local Wildlife

If you've got a bug-phobic kid, a quick reassurance: the little creatures around Fontana are harmless and mostly helpful. The geckos and wall lizards are on your side — they eat the bugs you don't want and have zero interest in your food. Earthworms keep the dense island soil alive. Millipedes are only objectionable if you squish one (so don't). And after dark, look closely at the shaded rock walls along the Fontana footpaths — you may spot a glow-worm or two lit up like tiny lanterns.

Final Thoughts

Part of the beauty of travel — and probably why you signed up for this whole adventure — is that it forces you out of your comfort zone. Things might not be exactly like home. They may not have your beloved coffee maker, your perfectly broken-in Tempur-Pedic pillow, or that one oddly specific kitchen utensil you swear you can't live without.

Spoiler alert: you can.

You might discover a tiny café that makes the best coffee you've ever had, fall asleep to the sound of crickets instead of white noise, or simply gain a whole new appreciation for your own bed when you get home. It's a win either way.

Travel has a funny way of stretching you. You'll get lost (probably literally), figure things out, laugh at the chaos, and make memories that somehow become your favorite stories. And the best part? You'll watch your kids become more adventurous, more independent, and more confident — usually about five minutes after insisting they were absolutely, positively not getting into the Adriatic because "it's too cold." Or that they could never walk up the hill because it's "too long" (tip: make it a treasure hunt).

You'll all come home a little saltier, a little sweatier, a little more tired… and a whole lot bigger on the inside.

And somewhere between the lavender fields, crystal-clear water, ferry rides, and watching your kids come home sun-kissed, salty, and completely exhausted…

You'll realize you'd happily do it all again.

(Although maybe next time you'll pack one less stuffed animal.)