Croatia has a stunning coastline with some beautiful islands. Each island is unique with amazing activities and things to see. Here are the best islands in Croatia.
No visit to Croatia is complete without visiting some of the islands along the Dalmatian Coast. Croatia’s islands are stunning, with lovely scenery, cute towns and fun party destinations. There’s something for everyone on Croatia’s islands. So here are the best islands in Croatia for different types of travellers: families, couples, beach-lovers, nature-lovers and party-goers.
You can get to most of Croatia’s main islands easily by ferry. There are ferry routes from some of the mainland towns and cities like Dubrovnik and Split. There are also ferries between the islands, which are perfect for an island-hopping adventure.
Many of Croatia’s ferries run a limited timetable in the winter, or don’t run at all in the winter. So it’s best to explore Croatia’s islands in the late spring, summer, or early autumn. June and September can be ideal times to visit Croatia’s islands, where you’ll get fewer crowds than the peak months of July and August. But you can have a great time visiting the best islands in Croatia at any time in the warmer months.
One of the best ways to see lots of the best islands in Croatia without having to deal with ferries is to take a sailing holiday in Croatia. Check out my guide to sailing in Croatia if this interests you! And keep reading for my guides to the best islands in Croatia and the type of traveller each island can appeal to.
Korcula Island, Croatia: The best island in Croatia for couples and for beaches
For the best island in Croatia for couples, visit Korcula Island. Korcula Island in Croatia is also the best island in Croatia for beaches.
Korcula Old Town
The highlight of visiting Korcula Island in Croatia is Korcula Old Town. This small town on Korcula Island is the perfect place for a relaxing walk. It’s a great place for couples to spend a day, or more.
Korcula Old Town is nowhere near as busy or hectic as Dubrovnik. But it’s just as beautiful, with historic streets and lots of cute bars and restaurants.The view of Korcula Town from the water is lovely. You can see the old city walls and get a sense of the beauty of the place.
Korcula Old Town is a lovely place to walk around. In the mornings, you can enjoy a peaceful meander around the streets and the shops. And later in the day, you can sit at one of the cute bars for a drink. There are some wine-tasting bars as well, where you can try some local Croatian wines. Wine tasting on Korcula Island definitely makes Korcula Island one of the best islands in Croatia for couples.
One of the highlights of visiting Korcula Old Town is the chance to visit some of the cafes and restaurants that have stunning views. You can get a table at a restaurant that’s right next to the water. It’s the perfect place for couples, where you can sit for breakfast with a view. You can also enjoy some sunset restaurants as well, where you can sit with drinks and dinner and watch the sunset over the sea.
Korcula Island is also the best island in Croatia for beaches. There’s a lovely sandy beach at Lumbarda, about 10 minutes away from Korcula Town. This beach on Korcula Island is a great place to visit if you want to visit a sandy beach. So many beaches in Croatia are rocky, so it’s nice to visit Korcula Island for a sandy beach.
The beach at Lumbarda on Korcula Island has a great beach bar with a great range of cocktails. It’s a great place to relax with a Pina Colado on a sunny afternoon.
Hvar Island, Croatia: The best island in Croatia for nightlife
If you’re looking for a party holiday with good nightlife, Hvar Island in Croatia is the best island in Croatia for nightlife and partying.
The main town on Hvar Island is called Hvar Town, and it’s the best place for nightlife in Croatia. Hvar Town comes alive in the warm, summer evenings. There’s a wide range of bars and nightclubs, with the nightlife continuing into the early hours of the morning.
Even if you’re not into nightlife, you can still enjoy a visit to Hvar Town. There are plenty of more relaxed bars in the city where you can sit with a drink in the evening before the town gets too lively. Hvar Town is a really pretty town, so you can also just enjoy walking around the town even if you don’t want to party all night. The nightlife in Hvar Town is fun, but don’t let the nightlife put you off visiting if you don’t enjoy late night parties. There’s still more to enjoy in Hvar Town aside from the nightlife.
Mljet Island, Croatia: The most beautiful island in Croatia for nature-lovers
Mljet Island in Croatia is the most beautiful island in Croatia. It’s my favourite island, with amazing scenery. Mljet Island in Croatia is perfect for nature-lovers, and for travellers looking for stunning scenery. Mljet Island in Croatia is also the best island in Croatia for travellers looking for a more active holiday, with activities like cycling, hiking and cliff diving.
The best place to enjoy nature on the most beautiful island in Croatia is at Mljet National Park. This National Park is beautifully green, with clear turquoise water. You can hire bikes at the Mljet National Park and go cycling. There are some hills so it’s not the easiest place to cycle, but it’s easily manageable for anyone with a decent level of fitness. You can cycle through the Mljet National Park to the lake in the middle. It’s a beautiful lake, with a monastery on a small island in the middle of the lake.
Hiking is another popular activity on Mljet Island in Croatia. Hiking through the stunning scenery means you can really appreciate the most beautiful island in Croatia. The views from the highest points of the island are just stunning. If the weather is hot, make sure you set off early to hike in the cooler morning hours. It can get really hot climbing up the steep hills in the summer heat, so take plenty of water and avoid hiking in the hottest part of the day.
Mljet Island has even more hidden gems. It really is the best island in Croatia for scenery. You can hike to Odysseus Cave, which gives even more stunning views of the scenery.
If you’re looking for some adrenaline-filled activity in Croatia, you can go cliff jumping at Odysseus Cave. It’s a popular spot to jump from the cliffs into the clear blue water and go swimming. The water is cool and refreshing after hiking to get here.
You can also swim through the cave itself. It’s a magical experience, where the water looks even more blue from the sunlight reflecting within the cave.
Mljet Island in Croatia really is the most beautiful island in Croatia. It’s the best island in Croatia for nature-lovers and anyone looking for a more active holiday that involves hiking, cycling, cliff jumping and swimming.
Bisevo Island: The best island in Croatia for Instagram photos
Bisevo Island in Croatia is the most Instagrammable island in Croatia because of its top attraction: The Blue Cave. This stunning cave is perfect for Instagram photos.
Most people visit Bisevo Island from the nearby island of Vis. You can get a speedboat from Vis over to Bisevo Island, and the trip takes about 20 minutes. It’s a great way to start your Instagram-photo-worthy day, as well as get an adrenaline rush as the speedboat bounces over the waves.
The Blue Cave in Croatia is the best place for Instagram photos in Croatia. After getting off the speedboat, you transfer into a smaller boat to go inside the cave. The reflection of the sunlight makes the cave look so blue. It’s amazing.
You only get a few minutes in the Blue Cave, so you’ll need to be quick to take the best Instagram photos. But it’s a beautiful place, and a really memorable experience. Visiting the Blue Cave on Bisevo Island in Croatia was amazing and definitely makes this the best island in Croatia for Instagram photos.
Vis Island, Croatia: The best island in Croatia for history-lovers
Travellers who enjoy learning about history will love visiting Vis Island in Croatia. Vis Island is the best island in Croatia for history. You can take a history tour of the island, led by a local person who lives on Vis Island. The history tour will take you around the island and teach you about the military history of the island and of Croatia. You can learn about the important role that Vis Island played in World War Two and also the more recent war between Croatia and Serbia.
The historical tour of Vis Island also takes you to some viewpoints, so you can get great views over Vis Island. Vis Island has a lot of vineyards and olives, so you can also learn about food production and wine making on this island.
Solta Island, Croatia: The best island in Croatia for food-lovers
So many of Croatia’s islands have amazing food, so it’s hard to choose the best island in Croatia for food-lovers. Many of the islands have amazing seafood restaurants where you can eat fresh seafood. But my favourite meal in Croatia was on Solta Island. This smaller island in Croatia had the best food in Croatia.
I visited an agri-turismo on Solta Island. It was set on a farm and vineyard. The owners hosted people for lunch, and you could try the local foods that they produce on their farm. The olive oil was a highlight of the meal. There were also anchovies, sardines, cured meats, cheeses, bread, and so much more. You can check out the agriturismo here.
The amazing food on Solta Island made this the best island in Croatia for food-lovers. It was really special to be able to eat food that you could see where it was grown and made on the farm. And the wine from the farm’s own vineyard was amazing as well.
Hope you enjoy visiting the best islands in Croatia! The best way to explore Croatia’s best islands is by sailing, so check out my guide to sailing in Croatia, and also my guide to one week in Croatia where you can visit all the best islands. No trip to Croatia is complete without visiting the famous city of Dubrovnik as well – check out the top things to do in Dubrovnik.
