18 of the best Croatian islands to visit

Times

17 hours ago

Somewhere along Croatia's long coastline, you'll find an island that will make the ideal getaway. That's not so hard considering that of its 1,244 islands, islets and reefs strung out in the Adriatic only a mere 48 are inhabited, and all benefit from an Adriatic microclimate that provides nearly 3,000 annual sunshine hours. You can lose yourself in nature among olive groves, pine forests and lavender fields, or kick back in smart beach clubs by the water's edge. Hike and cycle through wooded trails, swim and snorkel in incredibly clear waters off pebbly coves and long sandy beaches and dine on freshly caught fish and homegrown food. Explore beautiful Venetian towns and villages, and find rustic hideaways where life takes on its own pace. Read on to discover the best Croatian islands to visit, and where to stay.
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Best for that castaway feelingThe sailing set and day-trippers from Hvar will know about this little archipelago in full view of Hvar Town. Clubbers in particular will be on the taxi boats going to and from the island outpost of Carpe Diem club on Marinkovac, one of 16 islands in this archipelago. The biggest is Sveti Klement, home to a handful of hotels and holiday rentals, secluded coves and a patchwork of olive groves and vineyards. Follow rocky footpaths to bijou harbours and waterside restaurants serving just-off-the-boat fish.
Choose one of four luxurious suites — all with their own pools and/or hot tubs — at Zori Timeless Hotel, in a sheltered bay in Sveti Klement.
• Read our full guide to CroatiaBest for car-free daysTake the 30-minute ferry from Sibenik and you're in Zlarin's three square miles of laid-back loveliness. No cars are allowed here, just two feet and two wheels. It's the place to wander through olive groves, orchards of figs and almonds, and cypress-studded slopes. Hike up to its highest point, Klepac, at about 169m (550ft), to admire the views of the Sibenik archipelago and the hovering Velebit mountains. Rent a kayak or paddleboard for a leisurely exploration of the island's hidden coves. For a change of scenery, take the little ferry that shuttles across to neighbouring Prvic, which is even more laid-back.
Stay in Zlarin village at the self-catering House AnaDora, which has its own pool hidden behind a stone wall. There's one bedroom plus a sofa bed in the lounge.
Best for wineAll those lovely things that are summoned up by thoughts of Adriatic coast holidays — sun glare, beaches, sapphire seas, crisp white wine — come together on Croatia's Lumbarda peninsula. Vela Przina beach is 365m of biscuit-coloured sand and blue shallows. Behind it grows a unique grape from antiquity: grk. Flit between the beach and tastings of dry white in informal family vineyards — Bire and Zure are excellent.
Enjoy views of Korcula old town from the pool, huge terraces and bathing platforms of Aminess Younique Liburna Hotel, which is about a ten-minute walk away.Best for sleepy villages and pebbly covesQuite how visitors manage to miss this island that sits directly in front of Split, yet is often ignored in favour of Hvar and Brac, is a bit of a mystery. With its sleepy fishing villages, craggy coastline, pebbly coves and acres of olive groves and vineyards, Solta gives a delicious flavour of slow-paced Dalmatian island life. Make your way from Maslinica on the west coast via the ferry port of Rogac, and end up in Stomorska's harbour, facing a giant plate of seafood at one of the rustic waterside restaurants.
Soak up the history of the Heritage Hotel Martinis Marchi, a 300-year-old former palace in the pretty port of Maslinica with a pool and gorgeous gardens.Best for the feelgood factorWhen the 19th-century Habsburg emperor Franz Joseph inhaled the herb-scented air of Losinj, he fell in love with this long thin island in the Kvarner Gulf. Losinj is as relaxing and healing as ever, with the fragrance of wild thyme, pine, rosemary, juniper and helichrysum inducing a welcome sense of bliss. Wander past the baroque sea captains' houses of the main village, Mali Losinj, and its Venetian-style near neighbour, Veli Losinj, before going for a swim in the emperor's favourite Cikat Bay. Feast on lamb from the neighbouring island of Cres on the waterside terrace of Lanterna Grill after a bike ride on the pine-scented footpath that rings parts of the island.
You'll be in the heart of beautiful Ciktat Bay when you stay at the regal Hotel Bellevue, with its large swimming platform and enormous spa.Best for silver screen momentsThe cast of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again danced and sang on Vis's beaches. Now it's your turn, and my, my, how can you resist Stiniva? It's a natural amphitheatre formed by cliffs, with just a narrow channel open to the sea. The pebbles are smooth, the air clear, the water calm, and lunch is octopus salad in a fisherman's shack. Boat tours from Hvar pull up by noon, so arrive early. Or go exploring — thanks to Vis's indented coast, endless dreamy wild coves wait to be discovered.
The family-run Hotel San Giorgio in Vis Town is just a few yards from the waterfront, and has a delightful courtyard garden and restaurant surrounded by greenery.Best for golden sand Rab is an island of sand in a country of shingle. Stuff that's fine enough for making castles lies all along the bays of the Lopar peninsula in the north of the island. Rajska beach is over a mile long and has shallow seas and a lot of snack bars. The name means paradise, but unless your version includes children you'll prefer Livacina (cooler, livelier) around the bay, or Sahara (wilder, nuder and only accessible on foot).
Arbiana Heritage Hotel in Rab Town is an elegant 1924 villa with a lovely outdoor pool terrace and fabulous sea views.Best for postcard-perfect picturesThe finger of golden shingle framed by cerulean shallows that you've seen on countless tourism posters? That's Zlatni Rat, a Croatian cape near Bol on the island of Brac. This pin-up of Croatian beaches is beautiful, obviously, but also busy: crowds are heavy in peak season and the prices high. Unless you've come to windsurf, sort out your tan at Murvica beach, wedged between trees two and a half miles to the west. Babin Laz, on the north coast near Supetar, is another stunner. Hikers can follow the rocky trails that lead to Vidova Gora, which, at 780m (2,559ft), is the highest peak on the Adriatic islands.
The adults-only Hotel Milna Osam is in the laid-back port of Milna, with superb views of the harbour from its outdoor pool and sprawling swimming platforms. Best for partyingUnlike most destinations in Croatia, for nine months the island of Pag is as silent and magical as a desert. Then from mid-June until late August, Zrce beach in Novalja morphs into a Croatian Ibiza with tunes from the nightspots Aquarius, Kalypso, Noa and Papaya and beautiful people sipping cocktails at beach bars. The action starts at about 4pm, before which you'll be stretched out on the beach. But there's also the quiet side of the island — Pag Town is a completely different world, with a family-friendly beach and a string of waterside restaurants.
If you want a change from party-mad Novalja, chill out in Pag Town at Hotel Plaza which has an infinity pool and terrace overlooking two beaches.
Best for a time capsuleThe protected marine Eden of Telascica Nature Park, little more than two hours by ferry from Zadar, is a living time capsule. Among 25 coves and six inlets dangling on the claw-like southern edge of the island of Dugi Otok, you'll find evidence of human habitation dating back beyond the Romans — who built lavish villas and planted olive trees and grapevines on the hillsides — to the earliest humans who left flint tools scattered about the place. Today visitors come for much the same reason: to feel the sun on their face, listen to the breeze stir the branches of Aleppo pines and holm oaks, and to plunge into the vivid waters of the saltwater lake Mir, meaning 'peace'.
Surrounded by olive groves and with dreamy sea views from the pool, the ultra-luxurious Villa Nai 3.3 has eight suites dug into the hillside à la James Bond films.
• Best hotels in Zadar• Best places to visit in Croatia
Best for greeneryThere's something about Mljet's luscious greenery that instantly puts you in a mellow mood. Almost half of Croatia's greenest island is home to Mljet National Park, where you can wander or cycle through pine forests past two saltwater lakes and up into the surrounding peaks. Take the dinky little boat that chugs across the larger of the two lakes to the monastery on St Mary's Island. Afterwards, head to the southern side of the island and join the locals jumping off the limestone cliffs into the blue depths of the Odysseus Cave — if you're brave enough.
The immensely stylish PineTree Boutique Apartments overlook Saplunara Bay and its sandy beaches. There's also a pool and one of Mljet's best restaurants, Kod Ante.Best for hedonistic funPartygoers in search of throbbing beach clubs descend on Hvar Town, turning the ancient streets into another Croatian version of Ibiza. But if you prefer peace to partying, there's so much more to the island. Stroll through the laid-back Venetian streets and cobbled squares of Stari Grad, and breathe in the heady scents from the lavender fields that cover so much of the island. Step back into ancient history just outside the town, where the Unesco-listed Stari Grad Plain still has the vineyards and olive groves created by the Greeks more than 2,000 years ago. Carry on eastwards if you want to kick back in the relaxed villages of Jelsa and Vrboska, where pebbly beaches are backed by cooling pines.
In a prime harbourfront spot in Hvar Town, Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel has one of the area's best people-watching restaurant terraces and a rooftop pool.
• More of the best hotels in Hvar
Best for room to roamCres is tied with its Kvarner Gulf neighbour Krk as Croatia's largest island, but with more sheep than people there's plenty of space to go round this long, strangely shaped island. And with all those sheep, it's not surprising that you'll find some of the best lamb in Croatia. The biggest settlement is Cres Town, a pretty little place of Venetian houses sheltered in a deep harbour with laid-back waterfront restaurants. If you want quiet, pebbly beaches, you're in luck. Some, such as Kruscica on the eastern coast, need a bit of effort to get to, but Lubenice and Valun are easier to reach. Pop into the tiny wildlife sanctuary near the village of Beli and catch glimpses of rare griffon vultures.
The Isolano, Cres, Autograph Collection is a luxuriously chic addition to the otherwise sleepy Cres Town, with an infinity pool, spa, excellent restaurant and direct beach access.
• Best luxury villas in Croatia• Best beaches in CroatiaBest for charming villagesIt's easy to reach Krk, thanks to the bridge that attaches the island to the Croatian mainland. Most visitors head to the south to Baska beach — lots of sunloungers, water sports and beach cafés — along with slightly quieter spots including Stara Baska. Get a sense of the island's long history by strolling around Krk Town's Venetian-style marble alleyways past medieval fortified towers. If you like your wine crisp and white, visit the charming village of Vrbnik, which produces the indigenous zlahtina wine from its neighbouring vineyards. Vrbnik also has the dubious distinction of having one of the narrowest streets in the world, Klancic, which at just over 40cm wide is probably best avoided after a heavy lunch.
The family-run Hotel Villa Margaret is on Malinska's waterfront on the northern coast, and features a pool, spa, bathing platforms and home-grown produce in the restaurant.Best for seclusionBy the time you reach far-flung Lastovo, you're practically on your way to Italy. It's actually on a regular ferry route from Split and Korcula, but this small island does make you feel as if you have pitched up in the back of beyond, in the most agreeable way. Home to fewer than 1,000 people, the entire island, along with its archipelago, is a nature park. The idea here is to walk the forested trails around the island, stopping at small coves for a refreshing dip, maybe hiring a kayak and going over to one of the scattered islands for a bit of snorkelling. It's barren but beautiful, a rugged place where tiny mountain restaurants will serve you peka — meat and vegetables cooked for hours over flames in a pot with a bell-shaped pan lid — while waterside cafés offer local lobster.
The guesthouse Augusta Insula has smart rooms and apartments in the yachtie hotspot of Zaklopatica Bay, where there's a pool, large terrace, wonderful views and a restaurant.Best for lazy ramblesWhile day-trippers from Dubrovnik pile into boat trips that cram in all three of the inhabited Elaphiti islands in a day, visitors in less of a hurry will stick to just one and feel time slow down for a while. That's what you get on Sipan: although it's the largest of the trio and the only one that allows cars, life here is hardly rushed. Hire a bike to cover the three miles between the two villages of Sudurad and Sipanska Luka, passing olive groves and vineyards. You should spot some of the ruins of the 15th-century palaces built by Dubrovnik nobility in search of an island bolt hole. They had the right idea.
Set into a pine-covered slope near Sudurad's ferry port is Hotel Bozica, whose outdoor pool and restaurant overlook the sea and swimming platforms.Best for boat tripsIf you've been paying attention to Croatia's dance music festivals over the past couple of decades, you'll have seen the Garden Tisno pop up regularly as the host of everything from SunćeBeat to Defected Croatia. But cross the little bridge from the festival site and you'll come to the chilled-out island of Murter. Away from the dance crowds you'll find cute little villages and pebbly beaches, as well as a museum revealing Murter's proud heritage as an island of shipbuilders. It's no surprise, then, that it's a popular launching point for visits to the mesmerising islands of the Kornati National Park.
Ultra-modern Zakan's five apartments are stacked like white cubes opposite Bettina harbour. All have terraces and sea views, and the penthouse has its own hot tub.Best for beachesLopud island, an easy ferry ride from Dubrovnik, is home to some of the finest beaches in Croatia, which considering that the country has a coastline about 3,700 miles long, is no mean feat. The serene arc of Sunj to the south of this peaceful island rivals the wild sands of Nin near Zadar for beauty and peace.
RMH Lopud Lafodia rises like twin cruise ships divided by cascading gardens and is a 20-minute walk from Sunj beach. Pools, a huge spa, bathing platforms and five restaurants and bars will keep you entertained.
Mary Novakovich is the author of My Family and Other Enemies: Life and Travels in Croatia's Hinterland (£8.99; bradtguides.com)
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