Brela, within easy striking range of Split, has a portfolio of gorgeous white-pebble beaches backed by a fringe of pines, with watersports on the main strand and a coast path that leads to some smaller, quieter neighbours. If you want to up the tempo, walk to the tad-livelier Baska Voda, or hop on a bus to the full-on Makarska, where clubbing teens will love Grotta, set in a beachside cave with a glass dancefloor. Stay at the three-star Marina hotel, above the beach, for £579 (£450 per child under-12 sharing), half-board, with Bond Tours (01372 745300, www.bondtours.com).

On a budget? Consider camping. Canvas (01383 629000, www.canvasholidays.com) has introduced Croatia for 2005, and features Bi Village, a modern site on the Istrian coast near Pula. It costs £810 for a family of two adults and up to four children in a tent, or £1,055 in a mobile home, including ferry crossings with car. For other camping options, contact Eurocamp (0870 333 8338, www.eurocamp.co.uk).

Page 2: Croatia for families
Page 3: more family holidays
Page 4: Just for grown-ups
Page 5: travel brief and Tom Cruise's holiday

()COUNTRYSIDE

Although families invariably focus on the coast, inland Istria is well worth considering, especially since nowhere is more than a short drive from the Adriatic. The rolling green countryside and hilltop towns are reminiscent of Umbria, and there’s a good stock of self-catering properties where families can combine life by the pool with forays to the delightful resorts of Porec and Rovinj.

Go independent: the pink-stone Casa Cristina, in Barat, has its own pool and is just 12 miles from the coast, with rustic restaurants close by. It sleeps 12 — ideal for two families sharing (though the outdoor stairs to some bedrooms are not too toddler-friendly) — and costs £2,395, villa- only, through Vintage Travel (0845 344 0460, www.vintagetravel.co.uk). Flights and car hire can be arranged for you.

Also ideal for a tribal gathering is Villa Dvori, near the village of Podobuce on the wine-growing Peljesac Peninsula. It’s profoundly rural, but has sea views, and sleeps 10 for £2,180, villa-only, through Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, www.croatianaffair.com).

Go packaged: for the two-plus-two family, Rina’s is ideal: a two-bedroom converted stone farmhouse owned by a family who make their own merlot wines. It’s in the small hamlet of Ruzici, on the Istrian Peninsula, and costs £515 for four with Simply Travel (020 8541 2214, www.simplytravel.com), including car hire.

ACTIVITIES

Croatia does not have screaming thrill rides or mega waterparks. Your nearest bet for that kind of action is the Makarska Riviera, once the Gold Coast of Yugoslav tourism. But there are many more interesting ways to inject a little adrenaline into your Croatian family holiday.

Go independent: island- hopping is always an adventure for children, and in Croatia a wide choice of reliable services makes it surprisingly stress-free for parents. Arriving ferries are usually met by locals offering digs. On the whole, independent travellers should ignore the big hotels, because their business is geared to tour operators and they charge silly rack rates: perhaps £50pp per night for a grim three-star.

Families with older children should check out the action-packed website for Huck Finn (00 385 1 618 3333, www.huck-finn.hr), a locally owned company that focuses on rafting, kayaking, cycling, sailing and hiking. On its Country of Clear Rivers trip, you’ll go canoeing and rafting on the Una River, along the Bosnian border. The company has several bases, and a week costs £299 if you stay in a hotel, or £259 in a tent, with a small discount for children aged between 10 (minimum age) and 14 when sharing.

Go packaged: Activities Abroad (0870 444 5320, www.activitiesabroad.com) has a two-week Adriatic Adventure itinerary, beginning with a week at the Hotel Fontana, on Hvar, where you’ll spend your days swimming, snorkelling, scuba-diving, trekking, climbing, biking and kayaking across to the Pakleni Otoci (Hell’s Islands). Week two, at the Hotel Gadja, in Baska Voda, on the mainland, is for white-water rafting, canyoning and canoeing on the Cetina River. All this, and a sea-kayak trip around the walls of Dubrovnik, for £1,320, half-board (children up to 12 £1,065), including all activities. You’ll pay about £225/£200 extra for flights.

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