12 August 2005

1,000-Plus Dalmatians

Guide to Croatia

St.Tropez: please, enough already. There’s a limit to how much Cristal you can spray over your friends (if that’s what you call them). And Club 55 is so OTT, you can’t get a table for lunch unless you’re in full Dior evening wear.

With more than 1,000 islands dotting its Adriatic coastline, Croatia offers reams of beauty and glamour without pretension (or the Ferraris parked outside the Caves du Roi). And the waters are clearer than Jennifer Aniston’s conscience.

Now’s the time to go. Start with Dubrovnik. Its summer festival is in full throttle until 25 August — watch a play or an opera on a cliff overlooking the sea. (You won’t get that in Bournemouth).

Wander the marble-paved streets of the Stradun in the cool of the evening, then wolf down a plate of octopus salad at Rozarij (Zlatarska 4; 385 20 321 257) or a couple of cevapcici (veal sausages) at Proto (Siroka Ulica 1; 385 20 323 234).

Knock back a little (or a lot) of prosec (the national wine) and slivovica (lethal plum brandy) at the city’s grooviest bar, Gradska Kavana (Pred Dvorem 2; 385 20 321 414), and boogie the night away at Labirint (Sv. Dominika 2).

You’ll have time for a few hours’ kip. Waking up to the sights of Gundulic Square at The Pucic Palace (Ulica Od Puca) will better any hangover. The Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik serves a mighty breakfast, but those who need  serious detoxification should head to the spa at Hotel Dubrovnik Palace.

After coffee and burek, take a ferry from the marina to the surrounding Dalmatian Islands. If you’re struck with instant yacht envy as you queue — or are simply rolling in it — rent your own from Heliyacht.

It’s hard to know which to visit first — Hvar, Brac and Milna are great, but beach junkies will like Korcula, home to Pupnatska Luka, the Gisele Bundchen of beaches. Prepare to get your kit off — this country favours nudism. If you want to keep your private parts private, rent your own villa through Cottages to Castles.

Sail north to Split to see the awesome Diocletian’s Palace, then to Istria, Croatia’s answer to Tuscany. There are countless places at which to stay all over the region, but the best are the Ivica Matosevic Winery and the Hotel Kamene Price, which has its own mini-theatre for jazz concerts and stand-up comedy.

Make your way to the southwest of the Kamenjak cape, near Pula, for dinner at The Safari Bar — it doesn’t really have an address, so you have to ask the locals. It’s worth finding; the place epitomizes the casual, newfound simplicity of Croatia. The pace is slow, the service laid back. The seafood is so fresh, it’s still gasping.

And not a pair of Dior hooker heels in sight.