croatia honeymoon island hopping

Hi beavo

With only two weeks up your sleeve, Dubrovnik might be a good town to have as your base. Although other towns on the Croatian mainland and islands - such as Hvar town, Makarska and Rovinj - have their attractions, Dubrovnik pretty much has all the things you're looking for: a mix of natural and man-made beauty interspersed with good restaurants and cafes, sightseeing tours and other activities, and transportation links with other parts of the country and beyond. You could maybe spend a week in Dubrovnik - say, three days exploring the old town, day trips to some of the nearby islands (i.e. Sipan, Lopud and Kolocep) and, if you've still got time, a day or two on the island of Mljet - which has a picturesque national park - or a visit to Korcula town on the island of Korcula.

As far as diving and other similar activities are concerned, I was going to suggest Komiza, a small town on the island of Vis (about a two-and-a-half ferry ride from Split), but this isn't exactly close to Dubrovnik. That being said, you could maybe spend, as suggested, a week in the Dubrovnik area and then, after catching a bus or a ferry to Split, spend, say, three days in Komiza (including a day trip to the nearby island of Bisevo, where you'll find the 'Modra Spilja' (i.e. 'Blue Cave'), a cave that is illuminated with an electric blue colour between certain hours of the day - when I was in Komiza several years ago, there was an agency named 'Alter Natura' that specialised in paragliding, kayaking and the like (www.alternatura.hr)... don't know if they're still around but they'd be worth checking out) and maybe several days in the Split area - for example, exploring the old town of Split, day trips to other islands such as Brac ('Zlatni Rat' beach in the town of Bol is nice) and maybe a day trip to Plitvice National Park (Although it's about a three hour bus trip from Split each way, the beauty and tranquility of this national park will definitely make the trip worthwhile!).

Anyhow, these are just suggestions... hope they help and wherever you go, have fun!

DG

I second Mljet, it's amazingly serene.

I also second Plitvice National Park. It is not that easy to reach, but it is one of the most beautiful places I have visited and I would go back in a heartbeat.

If you have the budget for it, the best way to see the Dalmatian coast is from a private yacht. :)
As far as the islands go, my personal recommendation is Vis. It's the farthest island from the mainland, very quiet, with relatively few tourists. There are a few small cruise ships that dock in town occasionally, but you can easily avoid them by driving your rental car or scooter to the isolated beaches on the other side of the island.

My husband and I stayed at Nautic Apartments in Vis last June and I highly recommend it. The rooms were clean and lovely, and the owners were friendly without being intrusive. It's right on the water with beautiful views!

http://nautic-apartments.com/eng/about_l.htm

Hi

first of all congratulations :)

June is the best moment to go to Croatia in my opinion, great weather but milder compared to the summer (I had between 25 and 28 degrees daily when I went a few years back).

My itinerary was Split-Korcula-Hvar-Dubrovnik-Mljet in 10 days and it was perfect. Since you have 2 weeks you can stay longer around Split and take a day trip to places like Plitvice and other cities (Trogir, Sibenik, Zadar...)

You can go to Mljet on a day trip from Dubrovnik, taking the boat in the morning and coming back in the afternoon/evening. We rented bycicles there and it was very pleasant

In both Korcula and Hvar we rented a scooter to drive around the island and it was worth it. We could also reach some empty beaches with very clear waters

Because you really can't go wrong with the islands, and because you have specific interests (diving, etc.), my suggestion is to search for diving centers and kayak tour operators and construct your itinerary around that.
Ive seen kayak tours around Dubrovnik and read about them in the Kornati islands. Or, check out some pages like this: http://www.diving.hr/index.php

I second the suggestion of Vis, and I recall seeing ads for a diving center on the island's homepage:
http://www.tz-vis.hr/Default.aspx
It looks like they just redesigned this page and the english is not working yet.

Lastovo is another island appropriate for getting off the beaten path, but note you can do that outside of the main towns on even Hvar.
Rest assured you can rent apartments with amazing views -- that is one of my favorite parts about traveling there.

You have to charter a sailing yacht from Split or one way Dubrovnik-Split with a skipper and that is definitely the best way for your honeymoon. Yes, the island of Vis is perfect.
I strongly recommend a boat. Contact me privatly and i can recommend some options.
I used to work as a skipper but i am not recommending sailing because of that. I am positive that is the best way to experience Croatian islands and especialy honeymoon

Just want to say thanks to everybody so far who has provided advice. We have almost decided on our full itinerary and accommodation thanks to the help from you guys!

Hello beavo1, just wondered if you would mind sharing your itinerary with me? We are going on honeymoon after we get married on 7th July and were hoping to do exactly the same.

Hi Beavo1, I would be really interested in your itinerary too, would you be able to share it with me also? I am not actually going for a honeymoon, but I am going for 2 weeks with my boyfriend and hoping to do a similar thing.
Thanks!