- Pregnant Beyonce Back on Hvar - Radar-Bbspears
The island of Hvar's celebrity summer continued on September 6 2011, as Beyonce and Jay-Z moored up on their yacht, Odessa, according to reports in the Croatian media. The couple, who are expecting their first child next year, arrived on the 40-metre yacht on their second trip to the Adriatic coast, having visited Croatia two years ago.
Pregnant Beyonce: Bump on Display
The pop diva, fresh from celebrating her 30th birthday in Venice, went walkabout in a white two-piece outfit which did not cover her emerging bump. The couple headed for trendy beach bar Hula Hula, one of Hvar Town's top chilling zones, enjoying the sun, sea and cocktails (although 4-months pregnant Beyonce was not drinking alcohol). From there they proceeded to Palmizana on the Pakleni Islands opposite Hvar Town.
Some amateur footage of the couple was captured by local daily, Slobodna Dalmacija. Having been snapped with famous pal Gwyneth Paltrow (who has also visited Hvar) in Venice, Beyonce has chosen to spend her holiday with sister Solange and Jay-Z.
Celebrity Hvar: From Prince Harry to Beyonce
Media interest in the island of Hvar has only just subsided after the controversial visit of British royal, Prince Harry, who made global headlines by jumping fully clothed into a pool at top nightclub Veneranda, before almost becoming involved in a fracas on the way back to luxury yacht O'Khalila.
The island, regarded by many as Croatia's premier island and top destination after Dubrovnik, has a long history of exclusive tourism and celebrity magnet. It boasts the oldest organised tourism in Europe with the founding of the Hvar Health Society in 1868 offering recuperative holidays to the elite from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Hvar Island: Privacy for Celebrities
Famed for its excellent climate, stunning old stone towns and pristine beaches, Hvar is emerging as a top destination in the Adriatic for celebrities. One of its undoubted attractions for the rich and famous is the relaxed attitude locals take to their celebrity visitors. Far from encouraging the paparazzi, the local tourist board does not comment on celebrity visitors until after they have left, thereby affording them more privacy to enjoy their holiday.
The harbour in Hvar Town is the place to visit to see how the other half live, with the opulent yachts of the likes of Bill Gates, Roman Abramovich and Bernie Ecclestone moored up. Abramovich's former yacht, the 86-metre Ecstasea was in port last month, as a British captain pressed the wrong button on a neighbouring yacht, thrusting it forward and damaging five yachts in the process.
Paul Bradbury - Author of Hvar: An Insider's Guide to Croatia's Premier Island, and Lebanese Nuns Don't Ski
