PERFECT ISLANDS
MLJET, CROATIA
OPOPULATION 1,100
OSIZE 38 square miles
For anyone following coast
roads south through Croatia,
Mljet represents the grand
finale – one last big island,
before the Dalmatian
Archipelago fades out into the
Adriatic Sea. It’s a case of
saving the best until last, with
Mljet being one of the most
untouched islands in the
Mediterranean: all tumbledownterracotta-roofed villages (such
as Prožurska Luka, pictured),
quiet stone quays and low-
slung hills forested with
Aleppo pine. It’s equally perfect
whether you board one of the
sailing boats that bob beside
limestone rocks or cycle along
the solitary road that wriggles
its way across the interior.
Explorers from both sea and
land can visit the Odysseus
Cave – a sea tunnel rumoured tobe the spot where the Greek
sailor was imprisoned by the
nymph Calypso, and into
which brave swimmers set out
on their own mini-odyssey.
OGETTING THERE Connect from
Singapore or Kuala Lumpur to
Dubrovnik on British Airways with
one stop in London; most flights only
run in the warmer months. Continue
by ferry to Sobra port on Mljet in 1½
hours (from US$4.75; gv-line.hr).Best for Legends