Croatia Holidays: Soooo gooooood

Croatia's thousand-mile coastline, a glistening sea winds around stony coves, lap at pine-fringed beaches. Istrian ports bustle with fishermen while kids dive into the sparkling water. In Dalmatia, cities throb with nightlife amid ancient Roman ruins. So, it is time to plan for a 10-day holiday in Split

Yachts slide up the coast, movie stars cautiously arrange to buy one of Croatia's 1185 islands and no Mediterranean cruise is complete without a stop in Dubrovnik. The interior scenery is as enticing even though less visited. Soak in a thermal spa at Istarske Toplice in Istria. walk through untouched forests watered by mountain streams in the west. Let the waterfalls of Plitvice dampen your face. And then there's the customs. The people that endured Roman, Venetian, Italian and Austro-Hungarian power has a unique and slightly odd individuality. You'll find a solid central European flavour in the baroque structural design of Zagreb, and Italian dedication to the good life percolates up from the shore permeating Croatian cuisine and style. During holidays and festivals the country's Slavic character surfaces as flamboyantly costumed dancers whirl about to a traditional folk tune.

Croatians keep a strong connection to the land and customs that nourished the aspiration of independence for so long.