The Best Balkan Islands to Explore This Summer

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Yippeeee, summer is here. If you are the process of planning your exact go-to spots for your Balkans summer vacation, and this post is for you!

If you haven’t decided where to go yet, this post will have you drooling over the entire Adriatic Sea. This sidearm of the Mediterranean is famous for its historic cities—Venice, Split, and Dubrovnik, just to name a few—but it’s also known for the extraordinarily beautiful coastline and islands.

Consider putting some of the following best Balkan islands to explore this summer on your itinerary.

Hvar, Croatia

Tips for Travel to Croatia: Hvar Island

Hvar

Some say that this is the very best island in the entire Adriatic, Hvar has pretty much everything. From historic towns and nightlife to secluded beaches and unique natural attractions, you find it all on this island.

The island has been inhabited for more than two millennia and its main hub is Hvar Town. There, you’ll find nearly all of the island’s party hotspots—you may even spot a celebrity! It’s also home to a gorgeous waterfront and numerous beautiful buildings. Other, smaller towns you should visit are Vrboska and Jelsa.

Besides these urban areas, Hvar Island boasts plenty of nature as well. The inner parts are covered with pine forests while beaches dot the coastline. Perhaps the island’s greatest natural attraction is the Stari Grad Plain, an ancient agricultural landscape that’s been designated as World Heritage by UNESCO.

Don’t forget to spend time in the little towns and explore more of Hvar, than just Hvar Town – we just you start with Jelsa.

Brac, Croatia

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Zlatini Rat. Photo Credit: Bol TZ

The island of Brac is one of the best day trip destinations from Split and it’s a rather large island.

Brac’s landscape consists of undulating hills, woods, and farms. There are two main towns on the island, Bol, and Supetar, both of which offer great restaurants and places to sleep and of course places to swim and relax.

Brac’s most famous highlight lies on the coast. Near the town of Bol, you’ll find Zlatni Rat, arguably the greatest beach in Croatia and definitely one of the best in Europe. Jutting out into the Adriatic Sea, this large sandy triangle deserves a visit.

Korcula, Croatia

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The sixth-largest island in Croatia, Korcula is one of the most visited. It’s included on pretty much every cruise trip and boating excursion itinerary to the Dalmatian islands. Its main features are its dense forests that are excellent for hiking and wonderfully historic Korcula Town.

Sometimes referred to as “little Dubrovnik”, Korcula has beautiful squares and lots of architectural highlights such as churches, houses, and palaces.

Besides Korcula, which you simply have to visit, Vela Luka is a town worth exploring as well—and also where you get off and on the ferry.

 

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Kornati, Croatia

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Kornati Islands

If you want to immerse yourself in nature, far away from the madding crowds, you should head to the Kornati Islands. This large archipelago lies off the northern Dalmatian coast, almost exactly between Zadar and Sibenik, it consists of many dozens of islands and islets.

The entire archipelago is, in fact, a national park — Kornati National Park. Although the islands themselves might not appear to be very interesting, consisting of barren hills, it’s the underwater world that makes this area so special.

It’s often said to be a “nautical paradise” because of the park’s numerous diving and snorkeling sites. Just be sure that you get the correct tickets to enter the area to enjoy the parks delights.

Mamula, Montenegro

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Mamula. Photo Credit: Vladimir Bazovic

While the Croatian islands receive all the attention, the islands in other countries on the Adriatic Sea often get overlooked. That’s definitely the case with Mamula, Montenegro.

This small uninhabited islet off the coast of southwestern Montenegro is home to a once mighty fortress. This bulwark takes up most of the island’s surface area and has a fascinating history. Constructed in 1853 by an Austro-Hungarian general, it was converted into a concentration camp by Benito Mussolini during the Second World War, a camp infamous for its cruelty and torture.

In 2016, the Montenegrin government approved plans to turn this former fortress and concentration camp into a luxury resort.

So now, this small and unique island is a luxurious seaside resort, complete with pools, solariums, palm trees, nightclubs, and beaches.

Our Lady of the Rocks, Montenegro

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Our Lady of the Rocks. Photo Credit: SarahTz

Beautiful islands aren’t always found out at sea. Sometimes, they lie in the middle of a lake or, in this case, in an awe-inspiring bay. In the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Bay of Kotor, you can visit Our Lady of the Rocks, a small rocky island just off the coast of Perast.

This is a man-made island, though, created by piling rocks on top of each other and even by sinking whole ships loaded with rocks. The island is named after its main feature—the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks. This historic church houses a museum while a gift shop and small lighthouse make up the island’s other attractions.

Our Lady of the Rocks is a tiny island and you don’t need more than about an hour to explore it. It is, however, a major highlight in the Bay of Kotor, which is one of the most breathtaking bays in all of Europe.

Bled Island, Slovenia

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Lake Bled. Photo Credit: Mark Gregory

Lake Bled is renowned for many things – people go there to explore the lake on its typical wooden boats—the only ones that are allowed—, to enjoy spectacular views of Bled Castle, to hike the trails and to visit Bled Island.

Bled Island, topped with an iconic church, is the subject of the quintessential picture of Lake Bled. You can get there on one of those wooden boats, known as

You can get there on one of those wooden boats, known as pletnas, that have been transporting visitors to the island for hundreds of years. After landing, you have to climb 99 steps up to the Assumption of Mary Church, the island’s centerpiece and one of Bled’s most famous buildings.

After landing, you have to climb 99 steps up to the Assumption of Mary Church, the island’s centerpiece and one of Bled’s most famous buildings – but trust us, it’ll be oh-so-worth it.

Ksamil Islands, Albania

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Ksamil Island, Albania. Photo Credit Canm01

These four small islands are located in southern Albania and so remote they can only be accessed by boat.

When we say small, we mean small, the Ksamili islands is just 17.5 acres, the perfect get away we think. 

To get there, head to Sarandë beach, which by the way is well-known not only for its blue water but also for the proximity to the archaeological site of Butrint, whose astonishing cultural heritage is protected by UNESCO, from there you can row out to the Ksamil Islands.

Have we convinced you to island hop through the Balkans yet?

Yippeeee, summer is here. If you are the process of planning your exact go-to spots for your Balkans summer vacation, here are the best Balkan Islands to explore.