The wooden jetty at the Hotel Bellevue on the island of the Lošinj (the Adriatic, the pine trees, the sun-lounger at the end, the water that is the 25°C in the August, and the silence that is the not the silence but the cicadas), is the essential Croatian honeymoon scene. The Croatia is the best honeymoon destination in the Mediterranean: the sea that is the clearest in Europe, the 1,244 islands (the 48 inhabited), the coast that is the 1,777 km, the old towns (the Dubrovnik, the Split, the Hvar, the Venetian, the stone, the most beautiful old towns in Europe), and the value that is the better than the Italy or the Greece. Here is how to set sail for the perfect honeymoon.

Set Sail for Your Honeymoon in Croatia

• The essential Croatian honeymoon islands: The Hvar, the most glamorous: the island of the lavender, the 2,724 hours of the sun a year (the sunniest in the Croatia), the Hvar Town (the St Stephen’s Square, the largest piazza in the Dalmatia, the Arsenal, the fortress, the 40 minutes up the path, and the best view in the Dalmatia), the Pakleni Islands (the boat taxi, the €10, the 15 minutes, and the best beaches of the Hvar), the restaurants (the Gariful, the fish, the terrace, the €100 for the 2, and the essential honeymoon dinner), the nightlife (the Carpe Diem, the beach club, the €50 for the cocktail, and the essential Hvar night). The essential Hvar honeymoon hotel: the Adriana (the 5-star, the rooftop, the spa, and the best honeymoon hotel in the Hvar. ~€400/night in the August). The essential strategy: the May, the June, and the September, the Hvar is the quieter, the warmer, and the €250/night. The Korčula, the mini-Dubrovnik: the walled medieval town on the peninsula, the most beautiful old town in the Croatia after the Dubrovnik, the Marco Polo (the claimed birthplace, the Korčulans say the he was born on the Korčula, and the Venetian historians say the Venice, the museum, the €5). The essential Korčula honeymoon: the Lesić Dimitri Palace (the 18th-century bishop’s palace, the 6 suites, the Michelin, the €600/night, and the best hotel in the Croatia). The essential budget Korčula: the Apartments Depolo (the 3-star, the €120/night for the sea view, and the best value on the Korčula). More Croatia →
• The practicalities, the sailing and the essential honeymoon itinerary: The sailing honeymoon: the Croatia is the best sailing destination in Europe: the charter a yacht (the SkipperClub, the BoatBookings, the 40-foot sailing yacht, the 2 cabins, the skipper, the €1,500–3,000/week in the June, the €2,500–5,000/week in the August. The essential: the 7-day itinerary from the Split: the Split to the Hvar (the 3 hours), the Hvar to the Korčula (the 3 hours), the Korčula to the Mljet (the 3 hours, the Mljet National Park, the 2 saltwater lakes, the 12th-century Benedictine monastery on the island in the lake, and the most romantic place in the Croatia. ~€20), the Mljet to the Dubrovnik (the 5 hours, the arrive by the sea at the Dubrovnik is the essential Croatian experience), the 2 days in the Dubrovnik (see #803 for the walls and the essential). The essential alternative: the gulet, the traditional wooden sailboat, the crewed, the €5,000–10,000/week for the 4–6 cabins, and the best group honeymoon (the family and the friends). The essential honeymoon itinerary (the land-based, the 10 days): the 3 nights in the Dubrovnik (the old town, the hotel within the walls: the Villa Dubrovnik, the €400/night, the essential budget: the Apartment in the old town, the €150/night), the 3 nights in the Hvar (the island, the beach, the wine, the Plavac Mali, the best red in the Croatia, and the essential visit to the Tomic winery in the Jelsa), the 2 nights in the Korčula, the 2 nights in the Split (the Diocletian’s Palace, see #1223)