Dalmatia is the Mediterranean's great island labyrinth: more than a thousand islands strung along the Croatian coast, with Venetian stone towns, pine-backed anchorages and water of startling clarity.
The classic passage runs from Split south to Dubrovnik: Hvar for the scene, Vis for the authenticity, Korčula for the old town, Mljet for the national park lakes. Each island is a day's easy sail from the last, which is the coast's genius.
The practical notes: the bora can arrive fast from the northeast, so watch the forecasts and keep a harbour bolt-hole in mind. Town quays fill early in high season; the anchorages never do.
The verdict: the best value cruising in the Mediterranean, and the most varied. Dalmatia rewards the curious.
Photography: acediscovery, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
