Boutique hotels in Croatia

Croatia stretches along more than a thousand islands and a long Adriatic coast, and its small hotels have grown up in the old stone buildings of its harbor towns. Venetian palaces, Roman and Diocletian-era walls, and fishermen's houses have been converted into heritage hotels, usually with fewer than forty rooms and rooftop terraces over the water.

Dalmatia and the islands

Dubrovnik and Split lead our ranking, one inside massive medieval walls and the other inside the remains of a Roman emperor's palace. Hvar, Korčula, Vis and Brač have a slower pace, with stone villages, vineyards and coves reached by ferry. Further north, Zadar and Šibenik are quieter coastal towns with a good restaurant scene and access to national parks.

Istria and the north

Istria is Croatia's Tuscany, with truffle-hunting hill towns such as Motovun and Grožnjan, and seaside Rovinj, a Venetian-looking harbor on a peninsula. Zagreb, the capital, has Austro-Hungarian cafés, museums and a small group of design hotels, while Opatija is a Habsburg-era seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf.

When to go

May, June and September are warm and uncrowded. July and August bring heat and crowds, especially in Dubrovnik and on Hvar, and many island hotels close from November to March.