Heading west from Hvar's harbourfront is a coastal path that threads its way along the rocky shore, passing agaves, prickly pears and pines along the way. With the scent of the sea on one side and aromatic Mediterranean vegetation on the other, it's a stirring place for a stroll. The path runs past the so-called 'rotonda ', a semi-circular stone bench on the site of a long-demolished defensive tower. It has preserved unusual acoustic properties, in that you can sit on one end of the bench and pick up whispers uttered on the other. Further on, the path runs past villas, hotels and the odd beach bar, before arriving opposite the Podstine beach at the western end of town.