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4 spectacular Croatian islands you must visit

CroatiaÂ’s Adriatic coast glistens with natural jewels, from the crystal-clear jade and turquoise sea to the beautiful island-speckled landscape, blessed with luscious green rolling hills and stark white pebbles. The variety of island scenery is incredible. There are lavender scented interiors, world heritage towns and lively harbours framed with plush terraces and champagne glamour. Even the most well-heeled traveller cannot fail to be impressed by the sheer amount of un-spoilt luxury found along DalmatiaÂ’s stunning coastline. Here are 4 spectacular islands you must visit. Hvar Hvar is the glitziest of all the islands and its capital, Hvar Town, has the most captivating super-yacht lined harbour on the entire Croatian coast. Prepare to be amazed by the shiny marble promenade, beautifully preserved 15th century historical square and stunning medieval walled fortress that sweeps over the entire scene. Comparisons can easily be drawn to that of Dubrovnik, including the Venetian architecture, gothic cathedral and restaurant filled old town, yet itÂ’s most famous for the lavish clubs and non-stop parties. Hvar boasts the sunniest climate – and the best nightlife in all of Croatia. A winning combination for an early sun downer cocktail along the curvy watersÂ’ edge or short speedboat ride to magical Palmizana, where there are cool coves with crisp white day beds balanced against giant rocks and sofas perched high on tree tops – perfect for celeb-spotting opportunities while listening to the DJ mix Balearic beats in the background. hvar-island-croatia Korcula Marco Polo was the first to leave his stamp on this fascinating and wonderfully romantic island. Even now his name forms a part of ancient cultural sights as well as integrated on the signs above doorways leading to cafés and restaurants found along the winding streets of the old town. The romance continues through to the outer fort walls and grand southern gated entrance with alluring stone carved steps, archway and imposing tower. The views from the towers and cathedrals are some of the best in Croatia as is the wine from the olive groves and rolling vineyards, seen from the lookout points. A wine tasting trip either organised or self-directed is one of the main luxuries of visiting this island and taking a speedboat to a peaceful sun-soaked cove to sleep off the after effects is the other. korcula-island-croatia Mljet Mljet has the good fortune of being both beautiful seductive island and one of CroatiaÂ’s most treasured national parks. Rich pine forest covers more than half of the island and running through the tranquil green interior are two pristine salt water lakes. The larger lake contains a small picturesque island featuring a former monastery, thatÂ’s now a very lovely and much appreciated terraced restaurant, serving Italian-inspired ice cream among other delights. A full day is needed to meander around via slow boat and stroll along the narrow paths that circle the shoreline, were there are plenty of secluded natural bays for a private swim in the exceptionally clear water. Other charming sights can be found on the wilder routes taking you up to the scattered hilltop villages, renowned for their grilled seafood and rewarding views. mljet-island-croatia Vis Mysterious far-away Vis attracts the fast island hopping yachts spilling over from the likes of Brac and Hvar aiming to explore some of the best cove scenery along this stretch of the Dalmatia coast. There are two stand-out beauty spots, each with its own unique appearance that gather the most attention. Stiniva cove is set back against high craggy cliffs and has irresistible ‘secret lagoonÂ’ qualities with smooth chalky white pebbles and a cute bar offering mostly crowd pleasing bottled beer, while nearby Bisevo ‘blue grottoÂ’ is a small cave, famous for the blue light that shines through its core from the sunÂ’s rays at noon – and getting your feet wet in such a glimmering spectacle is most definitely the thing to do when visiting the region. Elsewhere, Vis remains relatively untouched from the Greek and Roman era, were stone houses, fishermanÂ’s villages and traditions are still very much intact. vis-island-croatia Chartering a private yacht or speedboat is the way to go for finding heavenly coves, fancy isolated restaurants, wine bars and spectacular view points. If all the jumping around gets too much there are plenty of other relaxing luxuries to be had. The favourite is snapping up the best positioned sunbed draped with unblemished white sheets along the swanky beach bar front and do nothing other than watch the beautiful bustling ocean.

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6 Comments

  1. Hi Sidney. In reply; I have been to Brac, very family orientated island. Vis, Korcula, Hvar and Mjlet are far more flash and luxurious and suited to the luxury traveller in what this 4 spectacular Croatian island article is aimed at – on A Luxury Travel Blog.

  2. Ha ha, a good point I think was made by Michelle. For me, at least as a father of two, getting away from the kids was always a luxury, though now they are grown up.

  3. Love these island recommendations! Any recommendations on yachts or small luxury cruise lines for seeing Croatia??

  4. Hi there Chritine, yes all great islands and will be returning to Hvar again this summer for a few weeks. To be honest I only travelled by taxi speed boat and the Jardolina Catamaran – both available to organise the day before easily enough (Jardolina now bookable on-line). There are lots of private yachts to hire for groups – it depends how big you want to go! I have no doubt there will be write-ups on the internet as this part of the world is the ocean island hopping capital. Good luck and I hope you have an amazing trip.

  5. You sold these beautiful islands to me with that great first paragraph. It was a lovely piece of writing which tempted me to read on.

    Over the last few years more of my friends have been to Croatia and spoken of the stunning coastline but not many of them have visited the islands. Taking in all four would make for a great 10 day holiday.

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