Croatia Island Hopper

One of the country’s most famous cities, the magnificent walled city of Dubrovnik is poetically known as the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’. The gleaming baroque buildings and winding marble streets will charm the Renaissance pants off of any visitor, with a number of fascinating historical monuments dotted in and around the centre. Beyond the walls, the rising forested hills provide a stunning backdrop for the sparkling clear-blue waters and white beaches.

Centred around the ancient Diocletian’s Palace, an awe-inspiringly well-preserved Roman retirement home, Split is the largest city on the Dalmatian coast and also one of the oldest at 1,700 years. The city combines its stunning Roman artistic heritage with an exclusive, cosmopolitan feel along the coastal promenades. The many highlights include the underground caverns which house exhibition and craft stands and the magnificent St. Domnius Cathedral with great views from the top of the 13th century campanile.

A gorgeous and quaint historic harbor 10 miles from Split, Trogir was founded by Greek colonists in 3rd century BC and has experienced a chaotic history, razed to the ground by the Saracens before being occupied by the Austrians, French and Italians and finally Croatians. The best-preserved Romanesque complex in all of central Europe, the tiny town is also packed full of Baroque palaces, churches, and towers as well as a small island fortress dating from the 13th century.

Any trip to Croatia has to include a ferry across to one of the many islands, islets and reefs sprinkled across the Adriatic Sea. Hvar is the most populated of the Dalmatian islands, with a rich artistic heritage and cultural history, providing an escapist’s paradise of lavender fields, olive trees and secluded bays. The town of Hvar has a pretty marble plaza surrounded by bars and cafes serving local produce and provides a comprehensive bus service to other areas of interest inland, as well as a frequent connecting ferry service to Split.