One of the finest destinations of Adriatic coastline

If your Mediterranean fantasy involves balmy days on sandy beaches, beside sapphire waters, with views of medieval city walls, Croatia ticks all the boxes. The Adriatic Coast is dotted with sandy beaches, rocky headlands and famous walled cities from the height of the Venetian empire. It's the very vision of the Mediterranean, and many regions are so far unmarred by resort strips and villa developments.

Croatia's extraordinary island-speckled coastline is indisputably its main attraction. The first thing that strikes you is the remarkable clarity of the water. When it's set against a dazzling white pebbly beach, the water sparkles with a jewel-like intensity in shades of emerald and sapphire. Croatia is perfect for lazy days spent lounging and devouring trashy holiday novels. If that all sounds too relaxing, there are water-based activities at hand to lure you off your sun lounger – snorkeling, diving, kayaking, windsurfing, eating, just for starters.

KORNATI ISLANDS

Discover our natural and cultural heritage

Precariously poised between the Balkans and central Europe, this land has been passed between competing kingdoms, empires and republics for millennia. If there's an upside to this continual dislocation, it's in the rich cultural legacy that each has left behind. Venetian palaces snuggle up to Napoleonic forts, Roman columns protrude from early Slavic churches, and Viennese mansions face-off with Socialist Realist sculpture. Excellent museums showcase treasures that cover the gamut of European history, from prehistoric to post-communist, telling a story that is equal parts fascinating and horrifying.

Exploring and discovering the top historic attractions in Croatia, visiting one of many coastal centuries-old harbor towns with Roman-era stone buildings and defensive walls is also one part of your vacation. Visit Dubrovnik and know more about the Town Walls and the rich history of this small but very influential republic.

Serving the classic Dalmatian cocktail of historic towns, jewel-like waters, rugged limestone mountains, sun-kissed islands, gorgeous climate and Mediterranean cuisine, this region is a holidaymaker's dream. Yet it's the cities and islands further south that hog all the limelight, leaving Northern Dalmatia, if not quite undiscovered, then certainly less overrun. With Alfa Mario yacht you can sail between unpopulated islands without a shred of development, lost in dreams of the Mediterranean of old, while hikers can wander lonely trails where bears and wolves still dwell and explore three of Croatia's most impressive national parks, which shelter in the hinterland

Republic of Croatia

14 CENTURIES OF TRADITION

Croatia is land with over 1000 islands and over 4,500 kilometers of coastline in total. Croatia itinerary takes you to admirable Croatian islands and the Croatian coast filled with unspoiled coves and bays which conveniently are rounded by crystal clear turquoise waters of the Adriatic sea. Unspoiled nature and beauty of Croatia are well represented by two strict reserves and eleven nature parks and eight national parks: Brijuni, Kornati, Plitvice Lakes, Risnjak, Mljet, Krka and Northern Velebit national park whose pristine natural beauty takes over 8% of the entire country.

Croatia has been a major tourist destination in Europe since the mid-19th century, and one of the biggest reasons for Croatia being such a popular destination is the gorgeous coastline along the Adriatic Sea. Find out and explore the most gorgeous slices of Croatian coast and islands with Alfa Mario boat where you can discover the most beautiful beaches and vacation spots complemented with mesmerizing and picturesque landscapes of the Dalmatian coast.

Spread along the sparkling blue Adriatic Sea, Croatia constantly claws at travelers’ wanderlust with its pebbly coves, rolling green hills and historic yet vibrant cities, which play host to festivals and events throughout the year. Croatia’s high season in July and August offers guaranteed sun but also guaranteed crowds, due, in part, to European schools being on summer break. Shoulder season is a great time to visit the coast: the Adriatic is warm enough for swimming, the crowds are sparser and prices are lower. In spring and early summer, the maestral (strong, steady westerly wind) makes for great sailing.

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Split

Ancient Split is the second-largest city in Croatia, and one of its most captivating. It’s best known for its 4th-century Diocletian Palace, built as a retirement residence for the Roman emperor, a maze-like complex that makes up nearly half the historic center. Strolling the streets and alleyways you’ll discover influences from the Greeks, Romans, and Venetians, with the centuries-old buildings now housing unique boutiques, galleries, wine bars, and cafes. By climbing the nearly 200-foot-high bell tower at the Cathedral of Saint Dominus in the heart of the palace, you’ll get a view over it all and beyond.

Split deserves its popular acclaim. Experience life as it’s been lived for thousands of years in Diocletian’s Palace, one of the world’s most imposing Roman remains. The maze-like streets of the buzzing old town – the living heart and soul of Split – are chock-full of bars, shops and restaurants. Getting lost in the labyrinth of narrow streets, passageways and courtyards is one of Croatia’s most enchanting experiences – and it’s small enough for you to always find your way out again easily. Before you leave, escape the palace walls for a drink on the marble-paved, palm-fringed Riva along the water’s edge.

Hvar

Hvar Town is must-see while you are in Croatia and if you care about seeing and being seen, this is the place to be. Rubbing shoulders with the posh yachties are hundreds of young partygoers, dancing on tables at the town's legendary beach bars. Hvar's interior hides abandoned ancient hamlets, craggy peaks, vineyards and the lavender fields that the island is famous for. This region is worth exploring on a day trip, as is the island's southern coast, which has some of Hvar’s most beautiful and isolated coves.

Hvar Town is estimated to draw around 20,000 people a day in the high season. It’s amazing that they can all fit in the small bay town, where 13th-century walls surround beautifully ornamented Gothic palaces and traffic-free marble streets but fit they do. Hvar town is home to the Spanish Fortress, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and a Franciscan monastery. After exploring the town on foot, you can go on a boat ride to the nearby Pakleni Islands or make your way to the blue and green caves for more adventure.

Brac

Brac Island is the longest and most elevated island in Croatia. The island is known for its fishing and agricultural products with locals producing good wine, olive oil, figs, nectarines and other fruits. But the main export is, and has been from ancient times, the famous Brac stone. From this, many famous buildings in the world have been built, including the White House in Washington D.C., Berlin’s Reichstag, and the Catholic cathedral in Liverpool. Closer to home, Diocletian’s Palace in Split and the cathedral in Trogir, have also been constructed from this material.

The main resorts are Supetar, Bol – home to one of the most famous beaches in the Adriatic, the Golden Horn (Zlatni Rat) – Supetar, Sutivan, Milna, and Sumartin. Pebble cape stretches into the open sea like a finger whose tip changes form according to the direction of the wind and waves. A mile-long promenade shaded by pines links Zlatni Rat beach with Bol harbor making a particularly pleasant walk.

Dubrovnik

While it appears on every “thing to do in Croatia” list, visiting the Old Town of Dubrovnik is one of the top Croatia activities, and for good reason. The city of Dubrovnik is simply stunning – there are so many museums, alleyways, and restaurants to check out, and there is so much history here to uncover. The buildings in the old city are made of white limestone that shines bright against the terracotta roofs of the Old Town and the deep blue of the Adriatic Sea below.

Medieval Dubrovnik, known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” has become one of the world’s top destinations. Its walled Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, filled with magnificent architectural wonders and marble-paved streets. Visitors can marvel at buildings like the 15th-century Rector’s Palace and explore the remarkable Franciscan monastery complex which holds one of Europe’s oldest pharmacies, founded in 1317. It’s also possible to walk atop the ancient city walls, enjoying a few of the Adriatic and nearby islands on one side, and the red-tiled roofs of the historic center on the other.

Despite being relentlessly shelled in the 1990s during Croatia’s Homeland War, its mighty walls, sturdy towers, medieval monasteries, baroque churches, graceful squares and fascinating residential quarters all look magnificent again. For an unrivaled perspective of this Adriatic pearl, take the cable car up Srđ, the city's craggy backdrop. For a more intimate glimpse, circle the city walls and peer into hidden gardens and ancient lanes strung with laundry.

Vis

The island of Vis is the farthest-flung of the main Dalmatian islands. It’s a magical place, with only a couple of small towns, a sparsely populated interior and a shoreline indented with isolated coves. The most strikingly beautiful of them is Stiniva, surrounded by a near-circle of rocky cliffs, with only a narrow opening to the sea. It can be reached by an extremely rough track leading down from a remote backroad, but it’s much easier to get here by boat.

In 2016, Stiniva beach on the island of Vis has named the best beach in Europe. One of Croatia’s top beaches, Stiniva, is well hidden from the sea and not the easiest beach to access. From our yacht swim through to the sheltered white-pebble beach where a lone cafe serves cold drinks, snacks and ice creams to the determined souls who make it here.

Kornati

Composed of 140 uninhabited islands, islets and reefs covering 300 sq km, the Kornatis are the largest and densest archipelago in the Adriatic. Due to the typically karstic terrain, the islands are riddled with cracks, caves, grottoes and rugged cliffs. Since there are no sources of fresh water they are mostly barren. The evergreens and holm oaks that used to be found here were long ago burned down. Far from stripping the islands of their beauty, the deforestation has highlighted startling rock formations, whose stark whiteness against the deep-blue Adriatic is an eerie and wonderful sight.

The Kornati Islands form four groups running northwest to southeast. The first two groups of islands lie closer to the mainland and are known locally as Gornji Kornat. The largest of these islands is Žut. There are about 300 buildings on the Kornati Islands, mostly clustered on the southwestern coast of Kornat. ornati National Park shelters part of the largest and densest archipelago in the Adriatic. Due to the typically karstic terrain, the islands are riddled with cracks, caves, grottoes and rugged cliffs. The evergreens and holm oaks that used to be found here were long ago burned down. Far from stripping the islands of their beauty, the deforestation has highlighted startling rock formations, whose stark whiteness against the deep-blue Adriatic is an eerie and wonderful sight.