The Best Croatian Islands, and Which One Is for You

Croatia has more than a thousand islands, and only a few dozen are lived on year round. That still leaves a lot to choose from, and the mistake most people make is picking by name recognition. The best Croatian islands are not the same for everyone. A couple who want long lunches and quiet coves will hate the island their friends loved for its beach clubs. So here is each of the well known ones, honestly matched to the kind of trip it suits.

Most of these are reached from Split, with Dubrovnik and Rijeka covering the far ends. Car ferries and fast catamarans link them all in summer.

Hvar: for people who want a bit of everything

Hvar is the famous one, and Hvar Town in July is exactly what you have heard: yachts in the harbour, beach clubs, late nights. But the island is long, and it changes the further you get from that harbour. Stari Grad, on the north coast, is one of the oldest towns in Europe, and the Stari Grad Plain behind it is a UNESCO site of ancient Greek field boundaries still farmed today. Jelsa and Vrboska are calm, local and lovely in the evening.

In early summer the lavender is out on the inland hills. Go in June or September and you get the island without the crush.

Brač: for beaches and families

Brač is the closest big island to Split, which makes it easy. It is famous for Zlatni Rat near Bol, a spit of fine pebbles that shifts its tip with the wind and currents. It is also the island of white stone: quarried here for centuries and carved by the stonemasons of Pučišća. Drive up to Vidova Gora, the highest point of the Adriatic islands, for a view straight down over Bol and across to Hvar.

Vis: for food and quiet

Vis was a closed military base until the end of the 1980s, so it skipped the first wave of tourism, and it shows. There are no big hotels, just two small towns, Vis and Komiža, a lot of vineyards and some of the best cooking in Dalmatia. Order Viška pogača, a flat pie of salted fish and onion, and a glass of the local white, Vugava.

Boats from Komiža go to the Blue Cave on the islet of Biševo, where at the right hour sunlight comes up through the water and turns the cave a glowing blue. Book early and go in the late morning for the best light. On the south coast, Stiniva is a cove closed in by tall cliffs, reached on foot or by boat. It is as good as the photos.

Korčula: for culture and wine

Korčula Town sits on a small peninsula with walls, towers and a herringbone street plan designed so the wind cools the lanes in summer. It claims to be the birthplace of Marco Polo, a claim historians debate but locals do not. In summer you may catch the Moreška, a sword dance performed here for centuries.

Korčula is serious wine country. The village of Lumbarda grows Grk, an unusual dry white found almost nowhere else, and the vineyards around Smokvica and Čara are known for Pošip.

Pick your island by the evening you want, not the photo you saw.

Mljet: for nature lovers

The western third of Mljet is a national park, wrapped around two saltwater lakes linked to the sea. You can swim in them, cycle around them, and take a small boat to the islet of St Mary, where a Benedictine monastery stands in the middle of the larger lake. Mljet is green, forested and very quiet. It is an easy trip from Dubrovnik, and staying a night is better than a day trip.

Lošinj and the Kvarner islands: for slow, green summers

In the north, Lošinj has a long history as a place for health and fresh air, with pine forests and planted gardens that smell of herbs in the heat. Mali Lošinj is a pretty harbour town, and the surrounding sea is home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins. Next door, Cres is wilder, with sheep, stone walls and a rescue centre for griffon vultures. Krk is linked to the mainland by bridge, which makes it the easy choice for a road trip.

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Good to know

• Ferries are run mostly by Jadrolinija, with private catamaran operators on some routes. Timetables change between seasons, so check the Jadrolinija site before you plan.
• Book car ferries ahead in July and August. Foot passengers have it easier.
• June and September are the sweet spot: warm sea, open restaurants, far fewer people.
• Croatia uses the euro and is in the Schengen area. Check entry rules for your passport on official government sites.
• Two islands is plenty for a week. Three or more and you spend your holiday on boats.

If you want one answer: first timers who want variety should pick Hvar, food people should pick Vis, and anyone tired of crowds should go straight to Mljet. Then come back and try another.