The largest of the northern Dalmatian islands, Dugi Otok – which translates as Long Island – is… erm, long. 45km long to be precise, with a measly width of just 1 – 4km. Characterised by sheer cliffs and sandy beaches (the most famed is Sakuran), it’s a sliver of dramatic natural beauty, with its south-eastern […]
Pag is thin and 64 kilometres (40 miles) long, made up of two parallel mountain ranges. Settlements are mainly sleepy fishing villages, with two towns of any size, Novalja and Pag town. Novalja is a resort town that’s become party central. Zrće beach, a short bus ride away, is the biggest club hub in Croatia. By […]
You’ll find yourself frequently bowled over by beauty on Cres, an archetypal Croatian island: its northern hills are consumed by oaky forests; cliffs stand, majestic, along the coastline; and crumbling hilltop towns provide a dose of transportative antiquity. You’ll probably discover your inner ornithologist, too – Cres is known for its population of griffons, and […]
One of the most edenlike spots in the Dalmatian archipelago, Mljet is improbably green and salubriously lush, and is home to an expansive variety of sea creatures that swim (like the cast of Finding Nemo, we like to think) off the island’s coast. Two salted lakes – Veliko and Malo Jezero – lure swimmers into […]
A short ferry trip away from coastal city Split, Brač is the largest of the central Dalmatian Islands, with a population of 13,956, its own airport (Bol), and the highest mountain on any Adriatic island. It attracts a less glitzy crowd than Hvar, and its main offering is its rich history (it’s been inhabited since the […]
When the Greeks that originally set up camp on this island first landed, they were so struck by the dense, dark forests there that they called it Korkyra Melaina – Black Korčula. Now its famed for its white wine (the crispest, coolest kind made from its endemic posip grape) but those enchanting woodlands still exist, […]
Sitting just off the northern coast, nestled in the Kvaner Bay, Rab is 22 km of tranquillity that forks out into the Adriatic sea. Its first taste of the limelight came when King Edward VIII took his new wife Wallis Simpson to the island in 1936. He soon cast off his regal garments and threw […]
The standout attraction here is not the island itself – although, as we’ve come to expect from Croatia, it is something of a dreamy haven – but the blue cave of Biševo that lurks, Aladdin-like, off its shores. Vis itself is the furthest afloat from the Croatian mainland, and from 1950 until 1989 it served […]
You’ve probably already heard of Hvar. If you’re a yacht-owner, you’ve probably spent a few summers bobbing around on its sun-soaked shores. But despite its reputation as the swankiest of Croatian destinations, Hvar is much more than just a magnet for the reasonably famous and unreasonably rich – err from the money-soaked town centre and […]