Picture this: you’re sipping a cappuccino on the sunbaked wooden deck of a ferry steaming between idyllic islands. A pair of dolphins chase at the stern, and two yachts — their blue and white sails puffed out pompously — race towards your wash. Otherwise, the water is as smooth as a satin sheet. The Seychelles? Southeast Asia? Absolutely not. The ship is called Dubrovnik, and this is island- hopping Croatian-style.

Croatia has attracted all manner of tags and accolades recently, from “the new Greece” to “the post-war paradise”. Believe the hype. The country’s islands are about to hit the big time — again. Before war tore up the Balkans, Yugoslavia welcomed more Brits and Irish than anywhere except Spain. When the country split, Croatia won the lion’s share of the coast, and today, tourism is its most important industry. About 150,000 of us holidayed there in 2003, and this year there will be more direct flights from Britain than ever before.

Aside from Dubrovnik, it’s the islands that people come for: 1,185 of them in all, speckling the Adriatic coastline like green ink flicked across a turquoise page. Just 66 are inhabited. There are three main clusters: the northern Kvarner group, including Krk, Cres and Rab; the central islands, notably the Kornati archipelago; and the popular, easy-access southern Dalmatian group between Split and Dubrovnik.

While harder to pigeonhole than others in the Med, the islands are starting to develop their own characters. Here is our choice of 10 of the best.

• Unless otherwise stated, all package prices are per person, based on two sharing, and include flights from London. A wide range of regional departures is available — for further details, see Getting to your island or ask your tour operator

  BRAC

  The activity island After Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon in 2001, 300,000 Croatians turned out to welcome him home. Even today, a mere mention of the former champion’s name elicits a wistful look from his countrymen. Tennis is big in Croatia, and on Brac, a hive of offshore activity holidays, and Goran’s summer home, it is biggest of all.

  A largish, oval island, Brac has a pine-fringed coast and an arid interior. Farming has always been hard here, and for many years the island’s biggest export was its white stone: Washington’s White House was one beneficiary.

  People visit Brac, though, not for its rock-strewn interior, but for its wonderfully accessible coast. Goran chose the island because it is close to his home town of Split — and with hourly ferries from there and regular flights from Zagreb, Brac is the best-connected of all the central Dalmatian islands. It’s hugely popular with weekending Croats in search of a quick burst of sporting R&R. Given the island’s popularity with mainland city-dwellers — people who like other people — it is unsurprising that a single town has become the focal point for Brac’s fun. Bol is on Brac’s southern shore and offers plenty of sporting diversions.

  Every May, the town’s tennis centre hosts a pre-Wimbledon tournament; and at other times, its 22 clay courts are open for hire. “Centre court” costs £6 an hour — then you just need to find 2,000 friends to cheer from the stands (for free).

  Bol is also a popular windsurfing centre: reliable breezes mean the island attracts surfers from across Europe. Four-day courses with Orca-Sport (00 385-98 286600, www.orca-sport.com) cost £75. Diving, too, is an attraction — there are some excellent caves close to shore (21 635367, www.nautic-center-bol.com).

  Brac is the highest island in the Croatian Adriatic, and a two-hour uphill climb will bring you to the Vidova Gora peak, with stunning views back towards the mainland and south over Hvar and Vis.

  King of coves here is the postcard- perfect Zlatni Rat, a mile from the centre of Bol. A spit of land juts into the sea like a curving horn, and there’s a double- triangle wedge of trees and pebble-beach. Zlatni Rat gets packed in summer, but remains the place to relax after a day living life to the max.

  Staying: Hotel Kastil (21 635995, www.kastil.hr; doubles from £36) has lovely rooms, all with sea views. Or to book rooms in guesthouses and private homes, try Bol Tours (21 635694, www.bondtours.com)

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