Northern Dalmatia

Found Vinjerac by chance when browsing for a new place in Croatia to visit and explore. (Starting to run out of options!) The village is surprisingly isolated and undeveloped, given its proximity to Zadar, but this only adds to its charm. Three or four restaurants, two bars, one tiny shop and no cash points. Make sure you have a hire car... Slightly overdid it with the sunset photos, perhaps, but I think it can be forgiven!

Nearby Novigrad is a beautiful little working fishing port steeped in history. Stopped there for a morning and could have stayed and explored for longer. Maslenica is another lovely little coastal town, just under the bridge that joins northern Croatia to Dalmatia. Inland, the river Zrmanja has a stunning canyon gouged out from the limestone. You can go up or down it by boat between Obrovac and the Novigradsko More, which makes for an unforgettable couple of hours.

Not many tourists seem to venture into this particular corner of the Adriatic coast, so there's plenty of space to find your own quiet sunbathing and snorkelling spots.