Simply stunning: Such is the pristine nature of Croatia's scenery

First, you are taken out by boat, to a floating platform, where they slice open fresh oysters and mussels, pulled straight from the water. Then you are ferried back to the jetty, where, beneath the dangling nets and ancient brick arches of the Bota Sare restaurant, you are served fish broth and Pošip, a white wine produced from grapes grown on nearby Korcula.

This is one of the 12 little-explored Elaphiti Islands, which, like so many of the spots around Dubrovnik, are both unspoilt and uninhabited (only three of them have a resident population). Somehow, then, this southernmost part of Croatia (it’s a seven-hour drive to the capital, Zagreb) has managed to avoid the excesses of over-development. Maybe the lack of sandy beaches has turned out to be a blessing.

Come nightfall, you can sit out at the Revelin Club cafe, overlooking the harbour, and the sounds coming up from the town are not those of amplified disco, but strains of a distant piano playing in one of the bars. That’s not to say that the 21st century doesn’t get a look in. The best view of the city is from the cable car that takes you from the historic, seven-foot-thick walls right up to the clifftop, where the enemy guns once stood. Recently a new breed of visitor has arrived, not to see the medieval frescos in the monastery, but to visit the locations where blockbuster TV series Game Of Thrones is filmed.

Local guide Lucija Podic not only works on the production, he also makes a living during the summer months, guiding fans around the key locations. The result, then, is a happy marriage of past and present, in a setting where the scars of war are now invisible, and the excesses of commercialism have yet to leave a mark. At least once the cruise ship crowds have left for the day.

Oznake: dubrovnik, elifati, Korčula

For Culturally Aware: Korčula

You can get to the island of Korčula by ferry from Split, Rijeka and Dubrovnik. Former name of island was ''Korkyra Melainia'' or “Black Korcula”, and it comes from the ancient Greeks because of its dense oak and pine forests. In Korčula, you can easily find a combination of urban chic with a natural beauty. The medieval old town of Korčula is located on a small peninsula, and its narrow cobbled streets leading to the sea, all of lovely square St. Mark where the cathedral and the museum are located.

In the evening, you can have a drink on the waterfront and look around the 48 islands that make up the Korčula archipelago. Be sure to visit the islands Badija and Vrnik to enjoy the beautiful vineyards. As far as food is concerned, we recommend restorants “U Maje i Tonke” and ''Planjak'' where you can enjoy traditional Dalmatian dishes. For best traditional sweets on the Dalmatian coast, if not the wider, head for an inevitable Cukarin. Best restaurant with an amazing wine list is LD Terrace (Lesic Dimitri Palace).

Oznake: Korčula, dubrovnik