Hvar is the number-one holder of Croatia’s superlatives. It’s the most luxurious island, the sunniest place in the country (2724 sunny hours each year) and, along with Dubrovnik, the most popular tourist destination. Hvar Town, the island’s capital, is all about swanky hotels, elegant restaurants, trendy bars and clubs, posh yachties and a general sense that, if you care about seeing and being seen, this is the place to be. The coastal towns of Stari Grad and Jelsa, the cultural and historical centers of the island, are the more serene and discerning spots.

Hvar is also famed for the lilac lavender fields that dot its interior, as well as for other aromatic plants such as rosemary and heather.

 The 13th-century walls surround beautifully ornamented Gothic palaces and traffic-free marble streets.