Hvar

Croatia may claim over 1,000 islands but none have the fame and status of Hvar, the sunniest place in the country and the summertime haunt of celebrities and yachties, who come to sip cocktails at its waterfront bars.

The island’s capital, Hvar Town, is one of the best-preserved historic towns in the Adriatic. Sprawled around a sheltered harbour packed with yachts, it boasts a vast paved piazza with a Baroque cathedral at its centre, a palm-lined seafront promenade, a hilltop castle and a maze of cobbled alleyways hiding chic seafood restaurants, trendy cocktail bars and boutiques stocking handmade jewellery and designer swimwear.

But there’s more to Hvar than just its glamorous veneer. The verdant interior is scented by lavender fields and aromatic herbs. And the coast is awash with hidden coves and pretty beaches. Of particular note are the Pakleni Islands, a gorgeous chain of wooded islets in front of Hvar Town, surrounded by sapphire waters and littered with lovely restaurants.