Just returned from 12 days in Croatia and was incredibly impressed. Gorgeous Medieval towns nestled on the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea. This was a great trip that stacks up against all of my European vacations.
Four days in Dubrovnik (reached via airport)
2 days on the island of Korcula (via ferry)
2 days on the island of Hvar (via ferry)
4 days in Split (via ferry)
It felt like we had the right amount of time everywhere. Random thoughts:
Dubrovnik is incredibly beautiful. We stayed inside the city walls, which is really a must. We walked the city walls, of course. Had a drink at the Buza bar. Spent a day at the nearby island of Lokrum (a 10-minute boat ride), and took a private tour to the Bay of Kotor. Also saw two concerts as part of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. ... Very hot and crowded in August, but we swam a lot to cool off.
Korcula and Hvar were also gorgeous beyond my explanation. If you go during high season, be sure to book your ferry tickets in advance. Stay in a guest room or an apartment for the best value. Our room in Hvar with a sea-view balcony was 60 euros a night.
Split has a reputation as a transit town, but we very much enjoyed our four nights here. Highly recommended is Banica Apartments, located inside Diocletian's Palace a stone's throw from one of the prettiest Roman plazas you will ever see. From here, a daytrip to Krka National Park with Portal Day Tours was a huge highlight. This is a great tour agency.
The wine and olive oil are fantastic. And the house wines largely stack up against the bottles. I do have a bias here, but my favorite meals in Croatia were pizzas. They're just as good as Italy's.
The tap water is perfectly fine to drink.
Ideally, I think June or late September would be the ideal time to visit here, but we loved being able to jump in the water from all of these places. Just find a rock or a ladder and jump or climb in. For us, this is much preferable to having to trudge through sand.