Lokanda Peskarija, Ribarnica, Dubrovnik

A large and bustling fish restaurant overlooking Dubrovnik's old port, Lokanda Peskarija is staffed by a small army of waiters in distinctive sailor-style blue and white hooped t-shirts. The menu is dominated by seafood, even eschewing standard side dishes, such as chips or potatoes. You can get salads and olives, but no meat. The seafood dishes, such as cuttlefish risotto and seafood risotto (both 99 kuna), is served in generous portions in black metal cooking pots. The small squid (99 kuna) has a pretty subtle flavour and isn't that exciting.  In general, the food is fresh and competently cooked, but isn't spectacular, while the service can be a little frazzled and haphazard. Still, the buzz and the view compensate. 7/10

Lovrjenac Fortress, Dubrovnik

Included in a ticket for walking the city walls is a visit to Dubrovnik's 11th century fortress, built on a rocky outcrop more than 100 feet above sea level. The higher ramparts offer fine views of the terracotta roofs of the old city and the surrounding coastline. Inside, the fortress is pretty much an empty stone shell, but it does host some plays and concerts.

The Golden Hour on The Stradun, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Early evening sunlight illuminates the Stradun - Dubrovnik's picture-perfect main drag. Rules forbidding conventional shop facades mean this pedestrianised street can feel like a giant film-set. The highly polished flagstones, worn down by generations of travellers, and the period lanterns outside each building add to the Stradun's captivating charm. 

Gradska Kavana Arsenal Taverna, Ul. Pred Dvorom, Dubrovnik, Croatia

A smart cafe-bar in an enviable location in the heart of Dubrovnik's old town, Gradska Kavana Arsenal Tavern has an elegant stone terrace where you can linger over a coffee (about 20 kuna) or hot chocolate (25 kuna) served by old-school waiters. But in August, it might be tough to be a table.

Banje Beach, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Crowded, stony and commercial, Banje Beach isn't Dubrovnik's best feature

Pizzeria Domenica, Ul. za Rokom, Dubrovnik

One of a cluster of pizza restaurants on this street running parallel to Dubrovnik's main drag, Pizzeria Domenica serves tasty toppings on light dough. The Greek salad, with a generous helping of feta, is also fresh and appealing. Although the food is a tad expensive by Croatia's standards (a pizza is about 90 kuna), in this tourist-packed city, the prices are reasonable enough and the service is warm and welcoming. A pint of local beer is slightly cheaper (38 kuna) here than in most of Dubrovnik's bars and restaurants, while the house white wine (24 kuna) is quite good. The outside tables also offer good people watching. Not a bad pit-stop. 7/10

City Walls, Dubrovnik, Croatia

It takes about an hour to walk around Dubrovnik's formidable medieval limestone walls, but the views of the sea and the city are so diverting you might want to take two hours to travel the 2km circuit. Try to go first thing in the morning or after 5pm in the evening, when the cruise ship passengers are back on board their vessels. As you work your way round, you'll scale numerous stone steps, visit watchtowers and peer down over the battlements at the jumble of terracotta roofs, elegant bell towers and opulent domes that form the Dubrovnik skyline. There are also a couple of bars where you can linger over an expensive beverage.  Highlights include the view down over the Stradun, the main drag, from above the Gate of Pile  - the primary entrance to this captivating city - and the extensive vistas of the coastline. Admission is free if you have bought a Dubrovnik Card, otherwise an adult ticket is 120 kuna (with a visit to Fort Lovrijenac included in the price), while children (aged 5-18) pay 30 kuna. 9/10

Medieval Walls, Ston, Pelješac Peninsula, Croatia

Criss-crossing the surrounding hillsides, Ston's fourteenth century walls were built by Dubrovnik to defend the Republic's northern frontier

Orebic, Pelješac Peninsula, Croatia

Restoran Castello, Žrnovska Banja, Korcula Island

With a great view of Žrnovska Banja's secluded bay, you would expect the tables on the poolside terrace of Restoran Castello to be packed in August. But it can be very quiet. Although the service can be temperamental, the food is quite good and comes in generous portions. The fish platter (130 kuna), featuring prawns, mussels and a white fish, is served with greasy vegetables: the flavour combinations can feel a little random. But the seafood spaghetti (110 kuna) is very impressive, while the mussels (80 kuna) are juicy and generous, and you can mop up the salty sauce with the decent bread. The seafood salad (68 kuna) is also well stocked with flavour. You can get some skinny greasy chips for 25 kuna, but you won’t really need them. A mediocre glass of wine costs just 16 kuna, while a pint of local beer is 25 kuna and a large bottle of water 20 kuna. If you are staying locally and don't want to make the hike into Korcula Town, Restoran Castello is worth checking out. 7/10

Konoba Komin, Korcula Town, Croatia

Located right on the headland, Konoba Komin Restaurant is embedded into Korcula Town's stone walls. With some tables on a terrace on the front and some in a kind of conservatory the other side of the road, this scenic spot is good for watching the steady flow of passerbys and the sun setting over the Croatian coastline. The tables in the small glasshouse are probably more comfortable than the outside berths, but the latter certainly have a better view. The food is fairly simple, but tasty enough. Served brown on the outside and pink on the inside, the big juicy rump steak (100 kuna) is only accompanied by a lettuce leaf and a slice of tomato.  You may also want to order side vegetables, which can be quite greasy, and the half-mashed potatoes, which are quite garlicy. The shrimps are also generous, while the risottos (about 60-70 kuna) are on the small side, but are infused with fresh seafood. The house white wine is more drinkable than most and the service is friendly and welcoming. In the tourist trap that is Korcula Town, Konoba Komin is one of the better options for dinner. 7/10

Fort Wellington, near Korcula Town, Korcula

A relic of the British occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, Fort Wellington is actually just a stumpy stone tower, but it does offer absorbing 360 degree views of the lush Korcula coastline and the Pelješac Peninsula. A short, stiff climb from Korcula Town,  the conical tower is reached by dozens of flights of steps that start in the suburbs. If the door to the tower is open, you can follow your nose up the staircases to the small roof terrace. You might find a chatty fire watcher on the stairs.

Cycling in Korcula, Croatia

You can hire a respectable mountain bike from Kaleta in Korcula Town for 50 kuna for three hours. It is a stiff climb into the interior of the island, but even in August you will find the roads fairly quiet. Travelling north to south is easy enough and it is a pleasant sojourn down to the beaches of Lumbarda, but riding east to west is tricky - the roads either peter out or wind all over the place. Wherever you go, you aren't far from the coastline or a fine view.

Postrana, Korcula, Croatia

A quiet village in the hilly interior of Korcula, Postrana is reached by climbing up broad stone steps from the D118. At the top, you will find a small stone church and wide-ranging views across this rugged island

Lumbarda Beach, Korcula, Croatia

One of the few patches of sand at the eastern end of Korcula island, Lumbarda Beach can get uncomfortably crowded. Although the shallow and calm bay is well-suited to small children and the surrounding development is pleasingly low-key, the terrain is pretty rough and the beach is a bit of a trek from Korcula Town.

Konoba Nautta, Ul. don Iva Matijace opata, Korcula Town, Croatia

A cramped restaurant tucked away in a narrow alley in Korcula Town, Konoba Nautta has a handful of tables outside and a few inside. A big party will have to straddle the dour dining room and the tables outside. Wherever you sit, it can be uncomfortable. Moreover, the catering is flaky. The sea food risotto is disappointing: the tomato sauce overwhelms the lacklustre prawns and mussels. The baked squid rings are also a bit stringy and lame, while the bland house white wine may not be fully chilled. Still, the Greek salad is fresh and tasty. 5/10

Split Waterfront, Croatia

Hvar, Croatia

Travellers throng in the early evening sunshine in Hvar harbour, photographed from the ferry from Split

Trilj, Croatia

A low-key outdoor tourist resort with lots of bars, Trilj sits on the banks of the picturesque Cetina river not too far from the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Hotel Sv. Mihovil, Trijl, Croatia

A waterside hotel dating from the former Yugoslavia, Hotel Sv. Mihovil is now a base for adventure holidays on the Cetina river. A white washed modernist building in various states of disrepair, the hotel has the air of a sanatorium despite the small pool, a dilapidated games room with a table tennis table and pool table, and an outside terrace from where you can admire the big graffiti sign on the opposite bank that reads "Hadjuk Split Ultras." In an effort to lift the mood, the hallways, landings and spacious rooms are dotted with large prints of people having fun white water rafting, canoeing and canyoning. Although they are quite big, the en-suite bedrooms are very basic. The walls are paper thin, while the furnishings are cheap and distressed. There can be a strange smell in the bathrooms and key items, such as bath plugs, may be missing. There may also be telephone wires protruding from the bathroom walls. The reception staff are friendly enough, but they seem to be able to do little about these wrinkles. Still, the setting on the river is a bit special and there are plenty of shops (including a supermarket), bars and restaurants nearby.