Croatia's admirable intracoastal ferry system, Jadrolinija, has taken me to the most charming islands I've ever known. And, of course, I remember the crunching of pebbles underfoot as I gingerly eased my way across a baking beach to enter the chill and translucent Adriatic. Its rich burden of salt enabled it to take on another burden-me, floating effortlessly on my back and looking up at the looming gray heights of the Biokovo Mountains. The Makarska Riviera and the resort town of Donja Brela beckon to those who simply want to loaf on spectacular beaches while groves of aleppo pine offer nearby shelter from the aggressive sun. As might be expected in an area with a long maritime tradition, nautical tourism is well developed all up and down the coast.
Sailors can choose among forty-two modern marinas.
Many Italian yacht owners berth their vessels in Croatia because they prefer sailing among the islands to sailing up and down the relatively unaccented Italian coast. The crown jewel of the Adriatic Coast is Dubrovnik. Once a rival of Venice, Dubrovnik started in 1272 to build the wall that today still encircles the old city with massive curvilinear majesty. Its glowing white limestone is ice cream to the eyes. In places the walls are twenty feet thick, and they are more than eighty feet tall with towers that rise even higher.