Croatia Guide
The Kvarner Gulf
As the main road from Zagreb sweeps down to the Adriatic at Rijeka, the Kvarner Gulf – the large, deep bay which separates the Istrian peninsula to the north from Dalmatia to the south – is the first glimpse of Croatia's coastline for many visitors. It's a region which brings together many of the coast's most enticing features: grizzled coastal hills and mountains, an archipelago of ochre-grey islands, and fishing villages with narrow alleys and gardens groaning under the weight of subtropical plants.
Highlights
1 Lovran An Italianate, green-shuttered coastal town scattered with Habsburg-era villas.
2 Cres One of the more unspoiled Kvarner Gulf islands, its ancient villages hovering above a craggy, uncrowded coast.
3 Veli Lošinj An attractive little port with a warren of pastel-coloured houses strung tightly around a boat-filled harbour.
4 Paklenica National Park Staggeringly beautiful mountain landscape offering an enticing mixture of karst wilderness, deciduous forests and fir-clad slopes.
5 Rab Town Peninsula-hugging medieval town famous for its skyscraping church belfries.