20 Stunning Photos That Will Inspire You To Visit Croatia NOW

Last updated on April 18th, 2025 at 01:19 pm

If you’re looking for inspiration to visit Croatia this summer, you are in the right place! Here’s 20 photos of Croatia from my all-time favourite places, a photo diary of the hotspots and tips for visiting!

Croatia is the perfect destination, if you’re searching for a dreamy European escape with good food, wine, adventure and authentic culture – Croatia is the country that has it all!

I have a HUGE soft spot for Croatia and have returned many times since I first ventured out to Dubrovnik in the summer of 2012 – the mix of crystal clear turquoise water, orange rooftops and attractive Mediterranean looks draws me back for repeat visits!

In Croatia, you’ll spend most of your time, dining by the turquoise sea, going on boat trips to hidden gem islands, swimming in the clearest white-pebble beaches and wandering around ancient towns with mountainous backdrops – sounds pretty good?

Truly, there are tens of stunning locations and sights that I could endlessly describe from each incredible place that I’ve visited in Croatia. But first, I should show you in colourful images!

So here are 20 of the best photos to inspire you to visit Croatia!

20 STUNNING PHOTOS OF CROATIA TO INSPIRE YOU

Are you thinking about spending a few days in Dubrovnik? Here’s my guide to the best things to do in Dubrovnik including my top tips!

Dreaming of Hvar? Discover my favourite things to see and do in Hvar!

LATEST CROATIA BLOG POSTS

Below you’ll find my latest Croatia blog posts from visiting Croatia in the past year, which include my personal stories and useful travel information to help you plan your own trip to Croatia and its most popular region of Dalmatia!

PLACES TO VISIT IN CROATIA

Croatia is an attractive and diverse country located in Southeast Europe. With its beautiful beaches, ancient cities, and rich culture, it’s a great destination for travellers looking for a summer holiday of sun, sea, and history.

Below, I’ve listed a few of my favourite places to visit in Croatia. After dozens of trips around the Dalmatia region, I’ve had plenty of time to explore it thoroughly and discover much of what it has to offer!

DUBROVNIK

Dubrovnik is one of the best places to visit in Croatia, a beautiful walled city in the Adriatic Sea with dramatic mountains, scenery and quintessential terracotta rooftops!

You’ll discover plenty of things to do in Dubrovnik including walking along the walls for epic views, enjoying lunch on an incredible panoramic terrace, swimming in crystal clear water beaches and exploring the cobbled old town – with a fantastic dining scene!

One of my favourite things to do is to head out and explore all the beaches and islands in the Adriatic Sea on a full-day boat trip from Dubrovnik’s old town harbour, including visiting an amazing place called Boka for seafood and private sun lounging on the edge of the water in a secret location!

For all of my Dubrovnik tips and my favourite spots, read my guide to the highlights of Dubrovnik here!

SPLIT

Split is another stunning city on Croatia’s Adriatic coastline with a gorgeous palm-tree lined riviera filled with tempting restaurant terraces and in the centre of everything an ancient palace, now the heart of the old town with many attractions within it.

Split is also a fantastic place to stay for a few days, it’s surrounded by lots of natural beauty from the Blue Lagoon to incredible national parks like Krka Waterfalls – a must visit.

The Harbour of Split is an important gateway to many islands including my favourite Hvar Town on Hvar Island just an hour’s boat ride away and the best thing is the harbour is within walking distance from Split’s old town!

Split is a fantastic starting point for any island-hopping journey, read my Complete Guide to Split and choose Where to Stay in Split from my hand-picked selection!

HVAR ISLAND

It’s no secret that upscale Hvar Island is my favourite island in Croatia, I’ve written about it countless times!

Hvar is idyllic, a postcard-perfect harbour town with a fortress, an ancient town with a beautiful square and pastel Venetian buildings and there’s dozens of beaches and boat trips to fill your days!

Hvar is a very exciting island, one of my favourite things to do is head up the stone steps for an amazing view of the Pakleni Islands, a group of small green islands almost in touching distance, it’s incredible!

You can explore them with private boat taxis and water boats straight from the harbour, I love Palmizana Island it has some fantastic sun lounging and glam beach bar areas like Laganini.

I reveal all my tips and tricks for Hvar Island in my Ultimate Guide To Hvar!

VIS ISLAND

Vis Island is a true hidden gem, a mysterious untouched little island an hour away from Hvar Island with two main picturesque towns and an epic mountainous landscape to marvel!

In Vis Island, the beauty is discovering all the white pebble and sandy beaches flanked by limestone cliffs, the authentic culture, the Venetian buildings of Vis Town harbour and its tranquil atmosphere.

I’ve written many posts on this low-key island, to piece together your own itinerary to Vis Island first read my popular guides on, how to get to Vis Island guide and what to see and do on Vis Island!!

TROGIR

Trogir is another wonderful ancient town on the shoreline of Croatia, just an hour from Split, Trogir is a beautiful place filled with charm and cobblestoned squares and there’s also very attractive Riviera to stroll!

I’ve been to Trogir many times, either as a day trip from Split or for a few nights stay, one of my favourite things to do is have a few drinks at restaurant and bar Dionysus on the Riviera front watching the yachts, people and palm trees, it’s bliss.

I also love going to the island opposite called Ciovo to chill at a fantastic little beach club – Lagannini with luxury white sunbeds, fab cocktails and dreamy sea views!

Read more about my day trip from Split to Trogir here!

KORCULA

Finally Korcula, this island is definitely worth staying for a few nights if you’re looking for a beautiful island with plenty of vineyards, beaches and mountain views!

Korcula is a very special island and another one of my favourite places in Croatia, it offers more scenery, if you can believe it! I was stunned when I first visited in Korcula old town and have visited a few times since!

I’ve enjoyed bike rides around the vineyards, boat hopping to the beaches including my favourite beach club on Moro Island and wandering the atmospheric old town and prom, where there are tonnes of fantastic waterside restaurants to choose from, Korcula is a top place to stay!

Read more about Korcula in my travel guide to Korcula here!

WHEN TO VISIT CROATIA

When is the best time to visit Croatia? Croatia is very seasonal, it enjoys warm Springs, hot summers, mild Autumns – and in winter it can snow!

For the best weather and things to do, I highly recommend visiting May-June or September, if possible avoid July and August as the temperatures reach the 40’s and everywhere will be unbearably busy and expensive!!

In Spring (let’s call it April!!) things start to open up a bit more, but the weather and rain can be hit-and-miss until May 1st. Usually, early May is when the boat excursions, beach clubs and bars finally open, but in the evening you may still need a warmer top and trousers.

If you’re holidaying in the low season, late October to March be aware that the islands are almost completely closed including taxi boats and restaurants, (I’ve seen beach bars vanish!!). So it’s best to time your visit around what you want to see and experience!

If you’re looking for more helpful tips for visiting Croatia, check out my guide to the top tips for travelling in Croatia – you don’t want to miss this vital info!

HOW TO GET AROUND CROATIA

Getting around Croatia is easy and efficient as there are various transportation options available, the most popular way to get around is by ferry, private boat transfer, car rental or coach.

FERRY

Travelling around the islands via catamaran is very common, the catamarans in Croatia are comfortable and smart! The seats are unnumbered and you can sit with an eye on your luggage as you embark at seat level – the crew is also helpful with organising in my experience!

You can check the Jadrolinja and getbyferry websites for routes and bookings as some routes do not operate daily. You can then plan your itinerary in advance, which is useful for island-hopping in Croatia.

PRIVATE BOAT TRANSFER

For those who want a guaranteed, quick and more luxurious transfer to the islands, You might also want to consider speedboat private transfers, especially between Split Airport to Hvar Island the most frequently travelled journey!

CAR RENTAL

Rental cars are also a great choice if you want more flexibility when exploring smaller towns, hidden beaches or driving along coastal roads. You can usually get a small car for around €30 per day with basic insurance with Discover Cars, which is my go-to rental company for Croatia!

PRIVATE DRIVER

For those who don’t want the hassle of driving or navigating unfamiliar roads, hiring a private driver is another option many travellers choose for getting around Croatia.

Private drivers can be travelled from Split to Dubrovnik and vice versa, cutting the travel time to 3 hours, which is amazing!

COACH

Coaches are frequent and run up and down the coast and near to the National Parks further inland, they are usually on time in my experience and comfortable, but sometimes the journey is longer than expected!

For example between Split and Dubrovnik the journey was almost 7 hours due to driver stops – you can check routes and book here.

Tip! In the summer months, you should be fine-tuning your itinerary and book your transport and day trips weeks in advance.

READY TO PLAN YOUR CROATIAN TRIP?

Booking.com

Booking .com is my top choice for booking hotels and private apartments, it is the easiest-to-use accommodation booking engine and often has the best options, hotel prices and flexible options for Croatia.

Get Your Guide

Get Your Guide is my go-to website for booking tours around Europe. Get-Your-Guide offers a huge range of skip-the-line tickets and tours, including private boat trips, transfers and more, my favourite boat trip in Dubrovnik is exclusive to Get Your Guide with a secure 24-hr cancellation policy.

Discover Cars

Discover Cars is the best car rental company for independent travel around Croatia, this car rental company searches across all the main car rental sites and finds the best deal. Opt for full insurance coverage for peace of mind and enjoy the freedom of a car!

Welcome Pickups

I recommend Welcome Pickups for seamless transfers and airport pickups in the major cities in Croatia, including Split and Dubrovnik – hassle-free journeys so you can relax on your way to your hotel!

Plan your itinerary with my complete guides to Croatia here, or for more tips read my helpful tips for travelling in Croatia, which includes expert Croatia travel advice – for first-time visitors in mind!

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