Croatia's tourist board promises 'The Mediterranean as it once was' and many of the best places to stay in Croatia would certainly back this up. However, whilst this takes into account the spectacularly glittery sea and pockets of authentic architecture and culture protected from over development, it doesn't really do Croatia's glamour justice.

Croatia's wonderful stretch of coastline, with a thousand or so islands, has glitz, glamour, snazzy resorts and stylish locals aplenty. Fancy yachts cruise amongst the islands and Dubrovnik and Hvar especially, are great for star spotting. This is the bit referred to when people call Croatia 'The jewel of the Adriatic'.

Continental Croatia's pristine farmland and spectacular wildernesses definitely offer a slice of the old country as well as the new. Tucked into the farmland are agro-tourisms - some of the best places to stay if you’re here to experience ‘old Croatia’ - and outfits offering to support your biking, hiking, rafting or canoeing expedition against this beautiful backdrop.

This tale of two Croatias, the coastline and the interior, is probably a good dividing line for visitors too.

Some of our Croatian Collections:

• Best hotels on the Dalmatian Coast
• Best hotels on the Dalmatian Islands
• Top Beach Resorts in Croatia

If you want to sail the sunny, sparkling Dalmatian Coast it’s useful to know that Northern Dalmatia is best known for its scenery and pristine national parks where you'll find the less built up islands - like Pasman and Uglijan. Southern Dalmatia sprouts the palm trees and olive groves and magical Dubrovnik. During the seventies Dubrovnik's gorgeous red-tinted Old Town and shimmering seas were a Hollywood playground - a favourite of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. But by the nineties the only cameras here were recording the conflict. Today Dubrovnik is back to its beautiful, buzzy best. The architecture has been restored, the museums to the conflict have added to the town's historic soulfulness and Michelin chefs are moving in keen to work with locally sourced flavours.

Split is the Dalmatian region's largest city and an obvious base. The Dioclean's Palace is incredible. Zadar and Trogir are also well positioned to explore the coastline and if you want to island hop you've Brac, Hvar, Vis and Korcula. Solta is well developed and very visitor-friendly; Brac is lush with pines and figs and known for clear waters. Hvar has the fertile vineyards, gorgeous beaches and medieval towns. beautiful Pag has some of the region's best sandy beaches. Vis has more of those lovely, sandy bays and beaches and Korcula, the largest, is loved by cyclists.

If you are looking for rural or historic treasures, or even the countries vibrant capital then you’ll need to head inland. Zagreb is less touristy than Dubrovnik, but it's lively, with a rich cultural life - this is where you’ll find the ‘Museum of Broken Relationships’, and a reputation for excellent cuisine.

The Dinaric Alps, which stretch all the way from Italy on one side of Croatia to Albania on the other, are a craggy wonderland of sharp peaks, caverns and canyons, waterfalls and ‘v’ shaped lakes.

What not to Miss

Beyond the highlights above it’s worth considering:

• The turquoise waters and mineral rich caves of the Plitcive Lakes are a watery, inland paradise.
• Istria, the heart shaped peninsula south of Italy is oft referred to as 'the new Tuscany' because of its rolling green hills, but it’s also has a beautiful riviera-feeling coastline.
• The Kopacki Rit Nature Park is one of the largest wetlands in Europe and home to almost three hundred different bird species.
• Tribalj is a charming village of some 600 souls on the Vinodol coastal area of Northern Croatia. It lies in the hinterland of Crikevenica and dates back to Roman times. Tribalj is also a paragliding centre, and attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. It is a great place to simply come and enjoy walking, hiking and cycling in the lush Mediterranean landscape.
• And if you want mountains there are those of the Paklenica National Park, which provide a dividing line of peaks between the coast and continental Croatia.
• One of Dubrovnik's oldest and most original attractions is the Pharmacy in the Franciscan Monastery - here they sell hand creams and other toiletries made using ancient recipes. It has been in operation since the construction of the monastery until now, so there must be something in the products to keep people coming back.

With such a contrast across the country finding a space in one of the best places to stay in Croatia should not be a problem. The only problem is where to start.