I'm a Croatia expert – this small-ship cruise shows you the best of the country

Independent

a day ago

Goodness knows I've eaten enough oysters in my time. But going on a boat to a rocky islet in Mali Ston Bay, and being fed oyster after oyster on a shaded terrace was definitely out of the ordinary. It was the first day of our seven-night, small-ship cruise in Croatia, and this culinary treat set the scene for the week to come.
Dozens of visits haven't blunted my appetite for Croatia and its cuisine, so this Cruise Croatia journey, with its focus on food and wine, got me excited. I also wanted to find lesser-known spots for our evening meals on this half-board cruise: places that showed the breadth of Croatian gastronomy without having to spend a fortune.
Even before we set off from Dubrovnik, the anticipation was building. We sat on our terrace at Rixos Premium Dubrovnik, already feeling as if we were at sea. Handy for both the Old Town and Gruž cruise port, classy Rixos itself resembled a stately cruise liner built into the hillside, complete with its pool terrace, enormous spa and two waterside restaurants.
Our Cruise Croatia trip was going to be a more intimate affair. With only 36 passengers, the elegant My Wish would give us a luxurious way to explore Dalmatia. It's immensely comfortable, too, with more than half of its 18 cabins featuring balconies. After sailing around Dubrovnik's city walls, we docked in the small port of Slano, before being driven to Mali Ston. This was shellfish central, home to beds of delicately sweet Ston oysters and plump mussels. It's where members of the Šare family, who run the popular Bota Šare group of restaurants, take guests to dine. Utter heaven.
At Korčula, we had our daily swim stop. This was a highlight of each day, when Ante the skipper would find a secluded cove so we could jump into the gloriously clear blue-green sea. Some guests snorkelled; others paddleboarded, kayaked or bobbed in the water on a foam noodle. It was usually followed by a spot of sunbathing on one of the decks, perhaps a soak in the hot tub, then a three-course lunch in the stylish dining room. This was a routine I could get stuck into.
When we arrived in the exquisite, walled, Korčula Town, I reacquainted myself with its narrow lanes before nipping down to the nearby village of Lumbarda. I was meeting Ivan and Marko Batistić of Zure Winery, along with their father Bartul, who have been making award-winning wines for nearly 20 years. Their crisp white grk – indigenous only to this village – is among Europe's top whites, and a personal favourite. Two days later, the brothers found out they had won a Decanter gold award for this wine. Frankly, I think they should have won platinum, but never mind.
Back in Korčula Town, the scent of truffles wafted along a tiny stone passageway, where the equally tiny Fundamentum was serving homemade pasta topped with prawns. A dapper elderly gent played a mandolin at the sort of volume you wish all restaurant musicians would adopt; later, a group of women sang a Dalmatian folk song outside St Mark's Cathedral in spellbinding harmony, just for the sheer joy of it. Sounds of the summer in the Adriatic are always seductive.
Our next stop was the pretty village of Jelsa on Hvar island, its tiny port lined with fishing boats. As part of the itinerary, the people at Vina Tomić winery were waiting for us in their vaulted cellar with plates of meats and cheeses, plus glasses of white belec (made from local pošip and bogdanuša grapes) and the star of Dalmatia's reds: the full-bodied plavac mali.
Appetites nicely whetted, we were driven to Hvar Town. In contrast to Hvar's chic beach bars, Alviž was in an unprepossessing area near the bus stop, with a rustic garden terrace and an absurdly affordable menu – think a litre of house wine for €18 (£15) and mains for €20 (£17). If booked in advance, they also do peka dishes – lamb, veal or, in my case, octopus – cooked in a bell-shaped iron pot under embers for hours, resulting in off-the-scale succulence.
Sailing to Brač, Dalmatia's largest island, we docked for a morning swim at Zlatni Rat. It's easily Croatia's most eye-catching beach. The best view is from above, and it gets rammed in high season, but on this quiet morning under the pines it was wonderfully peaceful.
The My Wish kitchen staff had been feeding us splendidly all this time – the sea bream en papillote stands out – and as we sailed towards the northern Brač village of Pučišća they treated us to a massive barbecue buffet heaped with every Croatian grilled meat, prawn and vegetable going. I had to save room for that evening's dinner in the impossibly romantic, 15th-century Puteus Palace Heritage Hotel, where chunks of monkfish and roasted cauliflower were served with a lemon-spiked cream.
It was our last island meal before returning to the mainland at Split, where I was pleased I had booked my favourite pizzeria in the city, Bokamorra. People were enjoying the balmy air in the Riva's waterfront cafés, listening to singers under the stone columns of the Diocletian's Palace or clubbing in Bačvice Beach.
From spirited Split we sailed towards the vivid greenery and tumbling waterfalls of Krka National Park. Our last port of call was Šibenik and its maze of narrow avenues, leading to restaurant-filled squares – and my last supper. On Konoba Nostalgija 's relaxed terrace, sea bass came served on a bed of the creamy mash and blitzed chard. For a final flourish, I had the dessert version of my beloved Croatian chocolate, Bajadera. Layers of chocolate, hazelnut and almond nougat has been baked into cake form. As with everything else during this blissful week, it hit the sweet spot.
How to get there
Flights to Split from London with Jet2 take two and a half hours and cost from £128.
What to book
Cruise Croatia offers seven-night small-ship cruises, including the Luxury Dalmatian Wonders Cruise from Dubrovnik from £1,761pp, including breakfast, lunch, two dinners, private transfers, all excursions and Wi-Fi. Flights are extra.
Where to stay
Rixos Premium Dubrovnik has doubles from £304, including breakfast.