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Croatia

Despite the hype, Croatia’s pleasures are more timeless than trendy. Along its 1778km coastline, a glistening sea winds around rocky coves, lapping at pine-fringed beaches. Istrian ports bustle with fishermen while children dive into the sparkling water. In Dalmatia, cities throb with nightlife amid ancient Roman ruins.

Yachts glide up the coast, movie stars discreetly arrange to buy one of Croatia’s 1185 islands and no Mediterranean cruise is complete without a stop in Dubrovnik. The interior landscape is as beguiling, even though less visited. Soak in a thermal spa at Istarske Toplice in Istria. Hike through pristine forests watered by mountain streams in the west. Let the waterfalls of Plitvice moisten your face. And then there's the culture.

Mapa de Croacia

Teatro Nacional Croata, Zagreb

Split

As the largest Croatian city on the Adriatic coast and a major transport hub, Split (‘Spalato’ in Italian) is more exciting than relaxing. With a massive port sending ferries out to the Dalmatian islands and beyond, Split is a nearly obligatory stop on a Dalmatian visit. Although ringed with apartment-block housing of stupefying ugliness, the remarkable Diocletian’s Palace (a World Heritage site) makes a visit to the city more than worthwhile.

In the centre of town, within the ancient walls of Diocletian’s Palace, rises the majestic cathedral surrounded by a tangle of marble streets containing shops and businesses. The entire western end of town is a vast, wooded mountain park with beaches below and pathways above. A refurbished harbourside promenade lined with cafés makes for a pleasant stroll, and the high coastal mountains set against the blue Adriatic provide a striking frame, best appreciated as your ferry heads into or out of the port.

Zadar

Zadar (ancient Zara), the main city of northern Dalmatia, is one of Croatia’s more underrated destinations. The marble, traffic-free streets follow the old Roman street plan and still contain some Roman ruins and several medieval churches. Massive 16th-century fortifications still shield the city on the landward side, with high walls running along the harbour.

The Old Town has been rebuilt many times, leaving it with a curious combination of traditional houses, boxy modern constructions and shapeless malls. By day, there are a number of intriguing museums to explore, and the tree-lined promenade along Obala Kralja Petra Krešimira IV is perfect for a lazy stroll. There are a few small beaches east of the Old Town and more to the west at Borik. By night, Zadar’s large student population pours into the town’s bars and cafés while their parents sample one of the town’s growing number of fine restaurants. For a break, everyone heads by boat either to the offshore island of Ugljan or further afield to Dugi Otok.

Dubrovnik, Croacia

Istria

Sometimes called the ‘new Tuscany’, Istria (Istra to Croatians) is the heart-shaped 3600-sq-km peninsula just south of Trieste, Italy, with a landscape of green rolling hills, drowned valleys and fertile plains. While the scenic interior is beginning to attract artists and artisans to its hilltop villages, the rugged and indented coastline is enormously popular with the sun ‘n’ sea set. Even though most beaches are rocky, there’s plenty of accommodation in the vast hotel complexes that line much of the coast.

Pazin, in the interior, is the administrative capital of the region, while coastal Pula, with its thriving shipyard and Roman amphitheatre, is the economic centre. Tourism along the coast centres on the fetching fishing village of Rovinj and the ancient Roman town of Poreč. The northern part of the peninsula belongs to Slovenia, while the Ćićarija mountains (an extension of the Dinaric Range) in the northeastern corner separate Istria from the contin­ental mainland. Just across the water is Italy, but the pervasive Italian influence makes it seem much closer. Istria’s historic ties to Italy are cemented by the floods of Italian tourists in summer, enchanted by the fresh seafood, excellent pasta and the fact that Italian is a second language in Istria. In a 1991 census, nearly 20% of the inhabitants declared their nationality as Istrian rather than Croatian and, although only 8% of the population is ethnic Italian, many Istrians have Italian passports.

Rovinj

Rovinj (Rovigno in Italian) is Istria’s star attraction. Yes, it’s touristy and residents are developing a sharp eye for maximising their profits, but Rovinj is one of the last of the true Mediterranean fishing ports. Fishermen haul their catch into the harbour in the early morning, followed by a horde of squawking gulls, and mend their nets before lunch. Prayers for a good catch are sent forth at the massive Cathedral of St Euphemia whose 60m-high tower punctuates the peninsula. Wooded hills and low-rise luxury hotels surround a town webbed by steep, cobbled streets. The 13 green, offshore islands of the Rovinj archi­pelago make for pleasant, varied views and you can swim from the rocks in the sparkling water below Hotel Rovinj.

Ruinas romanas - Split, Croacia

Dubrovnik

Lord Byron was not overstating the matter when he proclaimed Dubrovnik ‘the pearl of the Adriatic’. Dubrovnik is clearly special. A magnificent curtain of walls surrounds marble streets and baroque buildings that exude a pearly light in the Adriatic sun. The main pedestrian thoroughfare, Placa, is a melange of cafés and shops with outstanding monuments at either end. Churches, monasteries and museums ornamented with finely carved stone recall an eventful history and a vibrant artistic tradition. Beyond the city is a heavenly landscape of beaches, wooded peninsulas and a sea strewn with lush islands.

Zagreb

Too often overlooked by tourists making a beeline for the coast, Zagreb is a fascinating destination on its own, combining the best of Eastern and Western Europe. As the polit­ical, economic and cultural capital of Croatia, the city throbs with energy but has retained a good deal of old-world graciousness. The sober Austro-Hungarian buildings in the town centre house elegant restaurants and fashionable boutiques along with scruffy pubs and rowdy beer halls. A proliferation of galleries display the works of the artistic community, a parade of inter­national stars perform in the concert halls, and local DJs fill clubs with the latest sounds.

Spoiled by a coastline that lies only three hours away, Zagreb’s residents have a lively appreciation of the outdoors. Even in winter, the long, refreshing stretch of park that bisects the town centre is rarely empty. With the first breaths of spring, everyone heads to their favourite outdoor café to soak up the midday sun. On weekends, Maksimir Park in the east is a major destination for bikers, strollers and joggers. In the summer, everyone who doesn’t go to the coast scurries to Jarun Lake in the southwest to swim, boat and dance the night away in a lakeside disco. When Zagreb residents head for the hills, they don’t have far to go: Mt Medvednica is only a tram ride away and offers hiking, skiing and great views over the city.

No matter the weather, there’s a wealth of diversions in Zagreb. A proper pub-crawl could take weeks, and there’s an assortment of museums and galleries to explore, regular concerts for the culturally minded and enough fine shopping to max out a wallet-full of credit cards.