Things to do in Croatia

Croatia is a coastline with a country attached. The Adriatic side holds more than a thousand islands and almost all of the tourism. Inland is a different place entirely, greener and quieter.

How the country divides

• Dalmatia. The long southern coast — Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar — with the islands offshore and the Roman remains on land.
• Istria. The northern peninsula, closer to Venice than to Belgrade in food and dialect, with truffles and quiet coves.
• Continental Croatia. Zagreb and the lakes at Plitvice, where the sea stops mattering.

Days that leave the country

Croatia is narrow, and three borders sit within a day's drive. That shapes the catalogue more than anything else.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mostar and the Kravice waterfalls, often together, from both Split and Dubrovnik.
• Montenegro. Kotor and Perast in the bay, a common full day out of Dubrovnik.
• Slovenia. Reachable from Istria and Zagreb, though less often sold.

Islands, and how many

The count usually given is 1,244 islands, islets and reefs. About fifty are inhabited. Only a handful carry a real tourist offer, and they are the ones the boats go to.

What the offer looks like

Boats dominate the coast. Half of what is sold from Split and Dubrovnik floats: island runs, cave trips, sunset cruises, party boats.

On land it is a car with a driver. The coast road is slow, and distances are longer than they look on a map.

Practical

• Currency. The euro since 2023. Older guidance about the kuna is out of date.
• Borders. Croatia joined Schengen in 2023, but Bosnia and Montenegro are outside it. Those day trips need a passport and can queue.
• Season. June to September for the sea. Boat schedules thin sharply in October and many island services stop.
• Cruise days. Dubrovnik and Split fill and empty with the ships. Mornings before nine are a different city.
• Driving. The coastal road is scenic and slow. The A1 motorway inland is faster and tolled.
• Islands without a car. Most inhabited islands are reached by ferry from Split, Zadar or Dubrovnik, and foot passengers rarely need to book.
• Tipping. Round up in a bar, ten per cent in a restaurant if service was good.