The key to a perfect holiday? Dalmatians call it fjaka – a deliciously lazy mood of utter contentment.

To help you find it, we've put together a hit list of the 3 best lesser-known islands for the ultimate Croatia island-hopping adventure.

1. Šipan: A noble escape

Combine urban culture and island escapism (as local nobles did in the 17th century when they built summer villas here), by visiting Šipan - one of the Elafiti islets, connected to Dubrovnik's port by ferry and catamaran. Two settlements (Suđurađ on the east coast and Šipanska Luka on the west) are connected by a 5km rough track – ideal for a cycling or biking adventure among olive groves and orchards of orange, lemon, and fig.

2. Obonjan: A glamping paradise

An idyllic islet devoted entirely to glamping, Obonjan is a short boat ride from Šibenik. It can host up to 700 glampers in its wooden forest lodges and canvas bell tents under towering pines. Here everything is designed for the utmost comfort: from sunbeds, straw parasols, DJ music to sea kayaks and SUPs, several eating options, and a stone amphitheatre for concerts. There is even a spa offering holistic treatments and yoga and meditation classes.

3. Rab: A happy island

Also known as the 'Happy Rab', this is the greenest island in the Kvarner Gulf and a place of pinch-me beauty. Viewed from the sea, Rab Town has the look of a grand medieval galleon built of pale stone with narrow, steep staircases. Its cobbled alleys are framed by terracotta-roofed mansions, Romanesque churches, and numerous top-notch restaurants - ideal to try Rapska torta, an almond cake unique to the island and said to have first been created when Pope Alexander III visited Rab in 1177.

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