Croatian island-hopping: sunny fun, history and bargains

An affordable alternative

Spanish beaches too overbuilt for you? Italy and Greece too crowded? French Riviera sound too expensive? Maybe it's time to go island-hopping in Croatia.

Located east of Italy across the Adriatic Sea, Croatia is drawing more Americans, about 200,000 in 2007, double what it got a few years ago. It also tied for the No. 2 hot destination this year in a survey by the U.S. Tour Operators.

And no wonder. The water is clean and clear, the sun constant, the crowds easy to ditch (except in Dubrovnik), the exchange rate kind. I usually snort at tourist-advertising slogans, but Croatia's new one — "The Mediterranean as it once was" — is right on the money.

It's been quite the turnaround from the four-year war that engulfed the country in the mid-1990s as Yugoslavia disintegrated. Croatia emerged with a 1,100-mile coast; the crown jewel, the walled city of Dubrovnik — a UNESCO heritage site; and enough islands (1,185) to make Greek tourism officials sweat.

Plus, unlike other European destinations (anyone been to London lately?), Americans can afford the trip.

The hourlong ferry ride from Split to Bol was $4. Our 45-minute bus trip from Split's airport to the port was $5.50. Renting a bike for the day was $13. A made-for-two fresh seafood platter was $46. An all-day (14-hour) ferry excursion from the island of Hvar to Dubrovnik and back, complete with meals, was $128.

You get the picture.

Seeing through Split

Any visit starts with a flight into Split and ebbs and flows with the ferries, whose summer schedules run June through September. In May and October, the weather is still lovely, but the ferries are more limited. Our trip ended with an overnight stay in Trogir, just north of Split, whose UNESCO-designated port was overflowing with 100-foot yachts (we counted 24) gearing up for a week of island-hopping with European tourists.

A warning — don't be horrified by Split. Yes, its outskirts are a testament to the very worst of Cold War architecture, with rows upon rows of crumbling cement towers. But the center of town holds Diocletian's Palace, built in A.D. 293 for the Roman emperor, a must-see stone-walled maze of narrow streets, tiny shops, bars and restaurants.

From Split, we headed out to Brac, Croatia's largest island, and the timeless, charming town of Bol. Croatia's most popular beach, Zlatni Rat, lies less than a mile to the west, an undulating collection of smooth pebbles that sticks straight out into the sea and shifts daily.

Seas are quiet in the morning, building to a hearty afternoon breeze that draws kite sailors like bees to honey. It's free entertainment: An experienced kite sailor can leave you mesmerized with his graceful flips; a novice can leave you in hysterics as his kite plunges repeatedly into the sea.

On rented bikes over a rutted road, we explored the coast to the west. At Murvica, a 15-minute hike down from the road brings you to your own private cove, nude sunbathing optional. More swimming sites lay to the east of Bol.

Ferry nice

Over to Hvar island by ferry, we were the only tourists at Jelsa's grubby bus station, yet a meandering trip to Stari Grad with chattering local teens proved a delightful surprise. Winding through four inland towns, our driver squeaked his aging bus over a hilly obstacle course that only optimists would call a one-lane road. Teens were dropped off at immaculately kept houses, next to fields bounded by stone walls straight out of the Roman era.

Another bus took us from Stari Grad — a lovely natural port close to where the massive, ambling car ferry from Split docks — over the hill to the yachting mecca of Hvar.

Hvar's hip crowd favors the pricey drinks and fabulous views of Carpe Diem, the restaurant-club at the end of its pier. We dined across the harbor at Gostionica Kod Kapetana, along with two dozen overall-clad construction workers working late on the Hotel Amfora reconstruction next door.

Despite the lack of fancy clothes, we feasted like royalty. After we ordered, the busboy walked 30 feet to the Hvar pier, hauled up a rope bag and brought in our mussels. On Brac, a young fisherman in oilskins returned to port about 9 p.m., piled a box of squid and fish onto his moped and made emergency deliveries to Bol's seafront restaurants.

From Hvar, boat and ferry trips go daily to a half a dozen islands: Vis, a hot spot for food and celebrities; Korcula, which our hotel manager insisted even put the darling Hvar to shame; Bisevo and the Blue Grotto, a popular snorkeling and diving spot; Brac and the beach at Zlatni Rat; even Dubrovnik, 3 ½ hours away, whose ancient streets and town walls are so beloved they can become unbearably crowded with summer cruise-ship tourists.