The island of Sipan (below), one of the Elaphiti Islands off the coast of Dubrovnik, remains one of Dalmatia’s best kept secrets. Once the summer retreat for noblemen from the mainland, visitors ...

Hidden Croatia Marine (www.hiddencroatiamarine.com, 00 385 20 478 880) offers a fast boat service between Dubrovnik and the Elafiti Islands and a waterbased excursion programme.

The three main islands, Sipan, Kolocep and Lopud, have a total population of less than 1,000 people, and are mostly car-free, forested and surrounded by tranquil seas.

For property owners on islands the problem usually is getting there. Croatia's islands, however, are genuinely accessible. It has 1,000 islands hugging its coast, 47 of them inhabited and almost all ...

Island hopping and walking in Croatia. Walking holidays company Walks Worldwide has an eight-day, self-guided itinerary to Croatia entitled Dubrovnik & Marco Polo Island.