Croatia's Islands

Croatia boasts a stunning 1,185 islands, reefs and islets, though just 67 are inhabited. Only a handful are tourist meccas so it’s not hard to avoid the crowds – you can even rent an island to yourself in the Kornati archipelago if it’s real solitude you’re after. Must-sees include Korčula, with its picture-postcard old town, moreška dancers, and Marco Polo’s birthplace (maybe); Hvar, where super-rich Italians mingle with yachting types in one of the most attractive of all Dalmatian towns; the twin islands of Cres and Lošinj, where you’ll find dolphins in the sea, griffon vultures in the north and the gorgeous painted façades of Mali and ...

Croatia boasts a stunning 1,185 islands, reefs and islets, though just 67 are inhabited. Only a handful are tourist meccas so it’s not hard to avoid the crowds – you can even rent an island to yourself in the Kornati archipelago if it’s real solitude you’re after. Must-sees include Korčula, with its picture-postcard old town, moreška dancers, and Marco Polo’s birthplace (maybe); Hvar, where super-rich Italians mingle with yachting types in one of the most attractive of all Dalmatian towns; the twin islands of Cres and Lošinj, where you’ll find dolphins in the sea, griffon vultures in the north and the gorgeous painted façades of Mali and Veli Lošinj in the south; Vis, with its famous "blue cave" on the islet of Biševo; and Mljet, home to mongooses and one of the most attractive islands in the whole Adriatic – complete with a former monastery on an island on a lake, deep within the Mljet National Park. If that’s not enough, then head to Krk in the north, Rab in the center, or the Elaphites, handily offshore from Dubrovnik, in the south.

About the Expert

Piers Letcher is the author of Croatia: the Bradt Travel Guide, Dubrovnik: the Bradt City Guide, and coauthor of Zagreb: the Bradt City Guide.