La Belle Vie
La Belle VieArt Lifestyle Design
C R OAT I A
Croatia is one of the most popular summer
yachting destinations. Connecting the Balkans
with Central Europe, in the east of the Adriatic
Sea, it has a thousand beautiful islands and a long,
jagged coastline. The most intriguing stretch of this
seemingly boundless coastline lies between Split
and Dubrovnik, including Hvar, Vis, Korčula, Mljet
and Brač.Hvar
Hvar is one of the best known and most beautiful
islands of the Dalmatians. It is an incredibly popluar
destination and the nightlife is great. Hvar is coveredin vast fields of lavender, ancient olive trees and
vineyard and surrounded by crystal blue waters and
beautiful beaches. The ancient town of Stari Grad
is worht a visit and make sure to visit the smaller
islands surrounding Hvar such Rabo with its secluded
beaches and Palmizana which has no cars.Vis
The unspoiled beauty of Vis is breathtaking. As
an army base in former Yugoslavia, Vis Island never
developed a tourist industry. When it opened for
business in 1989, visitors were pleased to discover
that its natural beauty remained intact. Many of the
remaining structures were repurposed for civilian
needs. Vis is now a sleepy island. The disregarded Cold
War-era installations and the island’s more ancient
features such as the classical artifacts displayed in the
island’s central museum (itself housed in a disused
base) are worth a visit.Korcula
The island of Korcula is one of the greenest in the
Adriatic sea. It has many secluded beaches and bays
and offers amazing views. The island is steeped in
history. Its main town, Korcula, is a medieval walled
town and has a cluster of houses with red roofs. It isalso believed that Marco Polo was born here. Korucla
is also known for its renowned sword dance, called
Moreska, which is performed only on this island.Mljet
The idyllic Mljet is not only teeming with underwater
sea life, it is also renowned for olive grows, white
and red wine as well as goat cheese. Veliko and
Malo Jazero are two salt lakes situated north on the
island, with an old Benedictine monastery located in
the middle.Brac
Brac Island is the longest and most elevated island
in central Dalmatia. Brač is famous for two things: its
radiant white stone, used to build Diocletian’s Palace
in Split and the White House in Washington, DC and
Zlatni Rat, the long pebbly beach at Bol that extends
lasciviously into the Adriatic and adorns 90% of
Croatia’s tourism posters.Dubrovnik
Nicknamed the pearl of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik is
Croatia’s most prized city. Take the cable car from the
city walls up to Mt Srd which takes under 4 minutes.
At 405m high the panoramic views extend from the
old town rooftops to the distant Elafiti Islands. Escape
UNESCO listed Dubrovnik to your own island paradise
at Lopud. his tiny island is less than 5km round, it has
only two hundred residents and no cars. Walk from
the pretty harbour along the palm and cypress-lined
track to Sunj, a pine-ringed cove with a horseshoe of
sand on the other side of the island.©Istockphoto©Unsplash©Unsplash©Unsplash©ShutterstockYI28_pp52-58 EAST MED HIGHLIGHTS v5 NB.indd 58 09/06/2018 00:18