This island-hopping bicycle adventure of Croatia's Dalmatian Coast begins at one World Heritage city, Split, and ends in another, Dubrovnik. Bike within pristine conditions through coastal island towns and discover local charm, delectable seafood outstanding wines. It quickly becomes abundantly clear why Croatia has become the rising star in travel.

Peace was settled in 1995 and ever since Croatia has made a determined effort to regain its prominence as a premier international travel destination (our first tour here was in 2000 ). The seas are still crystal clear, the islands lush and the fishing villages unspoiled as ever. As you bike within these pristine conditions and through its coastal towns and islands you also discover a land rich cultural heritage.

The many palaces, temples, and amphitheaters from the Roman Empire evidence to this, as do the remains of its forts, fishing villages and fortified towns from the Venetian realm. This Central Dalmatian island-hoping bicycle adventure begins at one World Heritage city, Split, and ends in another, Dubrovnik, and is sure to make clear to you the differences between tourism and travel.

You should arrive a day early to acclimate and explore Split, which rose to fame in the year 245 AD due to the Roman Emperor Diocletian building his retirement palace here, which is not far from the town from where he was born. This UNESCO World Heritage town was founded by Greeks at the end of 3rd c BC then the Roman and Byzantine Empires ruled. Within the wide waterfront promenade that encloses a maze of marble streets are featured gothic and renaissance palaces and an atmosphere that makes travel so sensory.

We embark a ferry early morning for the Island of Brac and get comfortable with our bikes during a short warm-up loop that offers incredible views of the mainland coast as we make our way through the tiny villages known for fishing, wine making, stone carving and handicrafts.

The ferry is boarded for Hvar Island, often referred to as the Madeira of the Adriatic. Covered in color of luxuriant green, brilliant patches of lavender, and sun-drenched golden limestone alongside a cobalt blue sea warrants the comparison of scenery nothing short of eye candy. After we explore the colorful port of Stari Grad we cycle into Hvar Town via a quiet road that commands the magnificence of the surrounding islands. We arrive at the waterfront and 4-star hotel we stay for two nights with enough time to enjoy a swim, browse the shops and relax. Our second day here we enjoy a loop that passes through the many wine making villages of the island and then drops down to the coast where we go for a swim and before our stop for a wine a tasting and tour at a private wine maker's residence. This is not your typical wine tour. Mile's cellar is to be experienced and not for sale at your local wine shop. 

Just as the day before there is plenty of time to enjoy Hvar Town’s many offerings. The last day on the island we offer several options including a ride along a high ridge to the island other half.

Lodging: We stay in medieval Hvar Town where the 13th c walls hide the gothic palaces within its narrow back streets. A long seaside promenade winds along the sea and the car free marble streets of Hvar have an air of Venice without the crowds. 2 nights in a 4-star on the waterfront in Hvar Town

Today we take the 10' ferry ride over to Korcula and explore this exquisite jewel claimed to be the home of Marco Polo. Korcula, an island with caves of prehistoric origin and a rich cultural history that started with Greek settlements from the 6th c BC. Today the island is rich in vineyards, olive groves, small villages and hamlets with medieval walled town centers. Korcula also produces more wine than any other region in Croatia . Our ride crisscrosses the 47km long & 5 to 8km wide island. We end our day with a city tour that explains the history of the island and the connection to Marco Polo.

Lodging: 2-nights at a beautiful 4-star hotel along the sea in Orebic with outstanding views of the islands dotting the waters.

As if you haven't seen enough incredible scenery, the quite road we ride has to be the most dramatic coastal stretch we have discovered on any tour; and that is saying something. As we ride down the Peljesac Peninsula we stop to sample the wine that eventually made its way to California. The origin of the Zin grape was unknown until recent times, when it was determined that this Peninsula was a strain of the original... which like California Zin comes from a varietal originating near Split, Croatia. We stop to sample this fine wine en route then make our way past the islands largest salt flats and into the villages of Ston and Mali Ston. Ston is known to have the longest medieval city walls in Europe and if you like we can try oysters and mussels from the well-known Ston oyster beds. Our day ends at the World Heritage UNESCO site of Dubrovnik where we will enjoy a night of five star luxury and a short walk to the medieval center of town where we experience a private city tour before our grand farewell feast.

Lodging: Along the waterfront, a 5-star hotel with extremely friendly staff.