5 BEST ISLANDS OF CROATIA - Little Wanderblog

Dreaming of island hopping in Croatia? Given the chance, I would go in a heartbeat, the islands of the Adriatic coastline are absolutely stunning!

Every summer, visitors flock to explore the clear turquoise water and pretty heritage village backdrops in their thousands, BUT the key to having the best experience possible is all in the planning! Having spent weeks slowly criss-crossing my way around the country I have a fair idea of what the perfect island hopping itinerary should look like!

Want to know more? Save this guide for your bucket list!

5 BUCKET LIST ISLANDS OF CROATIA

Starting in Dubrovnik and finishing in Split, here’s the perfect route – packed with hidden gems and highlights of Croatia’s 5 best islands!

MLJET ISLAND

Mljet is the place to go if you want to be surrounded by natural beauty! It’s biggest attraction is Mljet National Park, which dominates most of the island – and the cherry on top are the two clear turquoise salt water lakes, bordered by dense pine forest.

Beyond the National Park you’ll find an island of tranquility with quaint villages, white pebble beaches, lots of Adriatic views and hiking opportunities. Mljet island is undoubtedly stunning and unlike any of the other islands in the Dalmatia region. Leaving from Dubrovnik I spent a blissful day walking along the white chalk paths and hopped on a boat to visit the Monastery which floats in the middle of the largest lake.

National Park entry 125Kuna including Monastery boat ticket.

MLJET TRAVEL INFORMATION:

To travel independently to Mljet from Dubrovnik you simply take the G&V line from Gruz Harbour – reached by bus or taxi from Dubrovnik Pile Gate. The Nona Ana catamaran is the one to book onto, heading to Polace.

Visiting from Korcula Island, you can either book the Jadrolinija to continue your Croatia Island hopping journey or alternatively if you’re wanting to see more in a short space of time, hop on a small group day trip and have everything taken care of.

This is an island not to be missed! You can visit as a day trip from Dubrovnik with a guide by booking this tour: MLJET ISLAND DAY TRIP

WHERE TO STAY ON MLJET ISLAND

KORCULA ISLAND

Korcula is a charming island known for it’s vineyards, forests, beautiful caves and gorgeous old town. It’s the island that surprised me the most as it doesn’t demand tourist attraction like some of the others, so I knew little about it before heading there. But let me tell you Korcula is a stunner and very reminiscent of Dubrovnik with it’s familiar fortified walls, cool mountainous backdrops and enviable position – right on the coast!

The old town is a great place to stay for a couple of days or more, you will love strolling up and down the pretty tree-lined strip of terraces and wandering the old town. If you have time I would also recommend a visit to the opposite side of the island to see Vela Luka (and cave). One of the best things I experienced was an afternoon bike and vineyard tour with amazing scenery all the way and tasty wine straight from the vineyard!

Short on time? It’s possible to visit as a day trip from Dubrovnik and experience the culture and vineyards in one go. Check out this trip by Get Your Guide – a company I have used and rate highly!

KORCULA HIGHLIGHTS

BIKE AND WINE TOUR: Cycle from the old town to the vineyards – a day of culture local wine tasting and Mediterranean sharing boards with plenty of scenery.

EXPLORE OTHER PARTS OF THE ISLAND: There are gorgeous beach coves and villages dotted around the island, some of the best to visit are; Lumbarda, Vela Luka and little Medvinjak.

DRINK & EAT IN THE OLD TOWN: Hangout in the charming old town filled with terraces along the waters’ edge and nice drink places such as Massimo cocktail roof terrace, chilled Maksimilijan Garden Bar or traditional atmospheric Bokar Wine Bar.

WHERE TO STAY ON KORCULA ISLAND

VIS ISLAND

Vis is Croatia’s mysterious island with a rich navel history and recent Hollywood connection since the filming of Mama Mia: Here We Go Again! Vis is worth the effort to get to if not to see the film’s stunning backdrop locations, but to visit some of it’s great beaches such as Stiniva beach surrounded by dramatic white chalk cliffs and attractive stone houses.

Nearby is Bisevo Island known for its famous blue cave – a natural beautiful grotto that turns blue when the sun’s at its peak. The two islands can easily be combined if you only want to visit for the day, the best place to take a day trip is from Hvar Island as it’s the nearest. Otherwise you can reach the island via catamaran (from Brac and Hvar) if you’d like a few days there.

RECOMMENDED: HVAR – BLUE CAVE, VIS & PAKLENI

VIS HIGHLIGHTS

BLUE AND GREEN CAVES: A popular day trip to the nearby Blue and Green caves.

STINIVA BEACH: A beautiful shallow bay with large bright white pebbles, a beach bar and James Bond like cliffs.

MAMA MIA LOCATIONS: Vis old town holds all the iconic Mama Mia location hot-spots and cute stone house villages. You can google the most well-known ones.

WHERE TO STAY ON VIS ISLAND

HVAR ISLAND

Hvar is the most special of all the Croatian islands, not only is it the sunniest, but its also the most fun! For this reason I would put it high on your priority list – a day trip would not do this island justice. Its a big island but the liveliest part is Hvar Town, best known for the super yacht-lined harbour, cathedral square, crumbly old town and high above it all – the Spanish Fortress! All are worth exploring as well as the famous beach bars and clubs.

One of the best day trips from Hvar Town is a boat ride out to the small group of Pakleni Islands and if you’re staying for a few days it might be worth exploring the rest of the island such as the unique lavender fields, vineyards and Stari Grad.

HVAR HIGHLIGHTS

PAKLENI ISLANDS: A small group of islands you can see from the town, hop-on a water taxi, scheduled or private boat right from the harbour front – don’t miss luxury hotspot Laganini Beach Club on pretty Palmizana Island.

HVAR FORTRESS: Walk up to the top for great panoramic views over the old town and scattered islands. Grab a drink on the restaurant’s terrace.

EXPLORE THE OLD TOWN: Wander through the hidden passages and crumbly steps, finding bars and boutiques, see the Cathedral and huge square, enjoy the harbour and nightlife.

WHERE TO STAY ON HVAR ISLAND

Read: 10 Best things to do in Hvar Town | Hvar Travel Guide: What to see, do & eat

BRAC ISLAND

Brac is quite the antidote to Hvar, its super relaxing and sees far fewer tourists, yet very easy to get to from either Split or Hvar and very doable as a day trip from either. Brac’s the 3rd largest island in Croatia and is home to the most photographed beach, Zlatini Rat otherwise known as ‘The Golden Horn’ as pictured below – it’s probably the busiest spot on the island!

The main town is Bol, you can walk from here to the Golden Horn, past restaurants, bars and a scenic tree-lined path, if your staying without transport, this is a good location! Across the island are lesser known beaches and other lovely villages such as Pucisc and plenty of olive trees!

Short on time? If you want to see Bol and the golden horn beach, Hvar Town runs frequent day trips to this area. It’s just 20 minutes walk from the drop off point at the harbour of Bol.

BRAC HIGHLIGHTS

VISIT BOL & THE GOLDEN HORN BEACH: A cute square with restaurants leading to the famous beach where you’ll find sunbeds and a few beach bars.

WHERE TO STAY ON BRAC ISLAND

CROATIA ISLAND HOPPING | THE ESSENTIALS

Travelling between the islands is easy and affordable! The ferry system works incredibly well and serves all islands from the major travel hubs of Dubrovnik and Split – and the best thing is there’s only two hours at the most of cruising time from one island to the next!

You might wonder where to start your island hopping adventure?! Below are a the most popular routes that can also be taken in reverse, but I would suggest, especially for Croatian first timers to start your trip with a 3-4 day stay in Dubrovnik – Croatia’s pearl of the Adriatic!

All journeys are bookable online using the Jadrolinija catamaran service as a foot passenger – be sure to book in advance in the summer months!

CROATIA ISLAND HOPPING | ROUTE PLANNER

DUBROVNIK | HVAR | SPLIT: A whirlwind tour taking in the main iconic attractions and most beautiful island – with lots of options to visit nearby islands as day trips. (Doable by car as well)

DUBROVNIK | MLJET | HVAR | SPLIT: To visit the best of Croatia including the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’, lush national park and most glamourous island.

DUBROVNIK | KORCULA | HVAR |SPLIT: The most popular route to take in the top picturesque heritage towns and fortified walls along the Adriatic.

20 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOU TO VISIT CROATIA

WHEN TO VISIT CROATIA?

Summer time is a must when visiting the islands of Croatia! You’ll want to swim in the sea, dine alfresco and enjoy long balmy nights on the terrace! The best months to travel are June and September when the weather is still delightfully hot, the vibe lively, but not overbearingly so and the prices a little lower!

HOW LONG TO STAY IN CROATIA?

If it’s your first visit to the Coastline of Croatia, Island hopping is really the only way to see the highlights! On my very first trip I stopped in four spots taking two weeks in total and explored many more areas as day trips – it’s all so irresistible!

Dubrovnik – the queen of Croatia is always a good place to start, then providing you have the time (10 days or more) I would plan for at least three full days exploring the larger more established islands of Hvar, Brac and Korcula (TIP! Pick the vibe and style you want from the descriptions above!) and finish your trip in the vibrant port city of Split.

HOW TO TRAVEL AROUND THE ISLANDS?

There are many ways to travel around the islands from taxi boats, hiring a charter to a catamaran cruise and as we’ve established the Croatian ferry service! Taxi boats are common place to explore the smaller islands such as the scattering group of Pakleni islands from Hvar Town and the most popular way to travel to the main islands is the Jadrolinija catamaran passenger service, of which I have lots of good experiences and can recommend especially if travelling solo!

Airport shuttles are reliable and regular at Dubrovnik and Split airports with local buses serving surrounding areas and sometimes shuttle boats, which you will find a lot of in Dubrovnik to reach places like Lokrum Island and Cavtat. Croatia isn’t big on trains, but coaches run up and down the coast and between regions.

TIP! For short distances: avoid the waiting taxis – order an Uber instead and you’ll save ££££

Planning a trip soon? Read more about Croatia HERE.

GOOD TO KNOW

There are many great reasons to visit the Croatia Islands in summer: the culture, the dazzling blue sea, the alfresco dining, the adorable heritage towns – if you’re heading that way, be sure to book your accommodation as early as possible to maximize availability and keep the costs reasonable.

Croatia is fast becoming one of the most expensive spots in the Mediterranean, which means you’ll be paying premium if you’re travelling to the Dalmatian Coast in July/August compared to June or September, but the good news is the standard of accommodation has also risen significantly!

Check out my recommended areas to stay with a run-down of the best boutiques and apartments along the Dalmatian Coast HERE.

LIKED THIS POST? PIN IT!

This post contains affiliate links and I earn a small commission when you make a purchase using the link. This is at no extra cost to you and it allows the site to keep running.

5 Wonderful Islands To Visit In Croatia