Honeymoon Itinerary- Spain, Croatia, and/or Greece?

Well, a few things.... First, with just 16 days (a pretty short trip to Europe, IMHO), I'd actually say you only have time for one of your list (and how many full days do you really have in Europe, not counting your arrival or departure days?. Are you sure you mean the Canary Islands? Check a map... Personally, I think it's foolish to go to Europe looking for a great "beach experience" - yes, there are lots of beaches, and some of them are nice. But I think when most Americans dream of beaches, they want Hawaii, Cancun, or other broad stretches of fine, white powdery sand, with plenty of room to stretch out - which are all but nonexistent in Europe. European "beaches" are often pebbly, crowded, and rented by the chaise lounge. I think if you're dreaming of a great beach, go to a beach that matches your dreams (not in Europe). There's plenty of other things to see/do in Europe that you can't find elsewhere, and that's how I prefer to spend my time there. YMMV. BTW, planning for next August is NOT early - it's wise to plan your trips that far in advance. I sure hope you like the heat - any of these places in August would make most Seattle folks I know melt and long for a cool February drizzle. I would not go to any of these places in the full heat (and crowds) of August - not my idea of fun. Hope that helps - have fun!

Croatia: Last summer (a long time ago it seems), we did Vienna-Budapest-Croatia-Slovenia-Vienna. We went to Plitvice Lakes Park (a world heritage site, and one of the most beautiful places I have visited for many years), and Split. We didn't get to Dubrovnik. If you want a free sand beach, there is one in Split. Split is a fun town, but pretty touristy - not hugely expensive for the locale. I'd get a car and drive around.

If I was choosing 2, I'd pick Spain and Greece- but honestly, with that amount of time, as David says, I'd probably stick to one. Southern Spain has several really great cities- Granada, Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Jerez. And if you wanted to go to another country for a few days, there's either Portugal or Morocco. Both close at hand and won't take the best part of a day to travel there from S Spain.

First, I'll disagree somewhat with the other responses. You certainly can see two countries - IF you're willing to allow a full day as "shot" due to travel. However, I also agree that each of your options should have enough variety that you don't need to go "country hopping" for its own sake. Please clarify exactly what you mean by "We prefer to be by the water at every stop." For instance, Seville is inland; it has a river running by the center, but it's been designed to ignore its river, much as New York City has. It's hardly what most people would think of as "by the water." Would that be a problem? Do you mean you want to stay right on a beach, or just have water views from your room, or just that the town should be on water, or what? Whatever you want is fine, but it will help others to make suggestions if we know exactly what you had in mind. Do check the weather in August in your destinations, and remember that for any of the beach destinations you are favoring, it will be high season. So, it's not too early to plan, and make sure you want a "high season on a European beach" experience - or pick somewhere else. If you're looking for cooler climates with lots of water, Baltic destinations are great in the summer - long days, not too hot, and not nearly as crowded as the Mediterranean places. There are big cities, all built on water and highlighting this feature (Oslo, Bergen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Gdank...) as well as small islands. And, country hopping is easy, with frequent flights and ferries. If you need ideas, Rick Steves Scandinavia features many of these destinations, and would be a good start.

July and August will be stifling there. I went to Spain in September and it was over 100 every day!