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If you’re planning a trip to Croatia in the near future, chances are it’s places like Dubrovnik, Split, and Hvar Island that are at the top of your wishlist.

I’ve been to Croatia a few times myself, and listen, those are all great, from the historical coastal ramparts, to the millennia-old Roman palaces hosting residential homes, and every scenic pebbly stretch hugged by turquoise seas in between.

There’s just one caveat:

Try walking Dubrovnik’s 300-meter Stradun at noon, when the cruise hordes have already descended upon the town, and you can barely admire the gorgeous architecture around you through that indiscernible mass of sweaty bodies.

With Croatia’s 3 leading summer hotspots, you either wake up at 5 a.m. for a brief, peaceful stroll while the Old Town is still asleep and the tourists haven’t yet landed, or you’re looking at your own personal hell with Disney-level crowds.

Nah, did that once, and I’m not exactly keen on doing it again.

If I were to return to Croatia this summer, here are 5 hidden gems I’d hit up instead:

PLUS: We’ve created an interactive quiz for you at the end of this article to find out which one is your perfect match!

Makarska

Sitting on the namesake riviera, Makarska is that laid-back Croatian coastal town, far removed from the mid-size city buzz of neighboring Split, wedged between the dramatic Biokovo mountains and the turquoise Adriatic Sea.

The mix of sea and peaks is genuinely breathtaking, but that’s far from being the only must-see here.

The Old Town, with its stone houses, quaint squares that barely see outside visitors before 9 am, and stunning Romanesque churches, gives it that classic Dalmatian vibe without the usual cruise crowds. But wait, there’s more:

This is no average snooze fest town you just pass through on your way somewhere.

Yes, it’s surprisingly quiet in the daytime, but it packs a punch after sunset hours with its lively waterfront, lined with bars and seaside cafés, and a plethora of seafood spots.

For fresh catch only and local wine in a rustic atmosphere, check out Tavern Kalalarga, probably one of my favorite dinner spots in all of Dalmatia.

If you’re going to Croatia or Europe in the next few months, make sure you check the latest Entry Requirements affecting American passport holders, as Europe is planning on a major overhaul of its border rules: mandatory fingerprinting, Electronic Travel Authorization, you name it.

Kicking in any time now.

Rovinj

Did you have any idea Croatia had its own Venice? Well, minus the winding canals and gondolas, but the picturesque harborfront and the colorful buildings are definitely there.

Welcome to Rovinj (pronounced Rovini), the town that’s basically a coastal fairytale.

Think cobbled streets bordered by skinny townhouses that come in every imaginable pastel hue, classic tavern-style restaurants tucked away in secret courtyards, and that soaring bell tower.

That would be St. Euphemia, a hilltop church rising above the red tiles of the Old Town to offer panoramic views of the sea, and in case you’re wondering why the whole scene feels distinctly…

Italian, hem, at one point, Rovinj was closely associated with the neighbor across the Adriatic.

Once part of the Maritime Republic of Venice, it incorporated much of the culture, from navigation-savviness to the architecture, and the pasta-heavy cuisine.

Rovinj is truly the closest you can feel to being in Italy on this part of the Balkans, except you get none of La Serenissima‘s tourist chaos. It can get pretty busy, particularly in July and August, but it feels manageable.

Still nowhere near Dubrovnik’s crush of crowds.

Korčula Island

Speaking of King’s Landing, what if we told you you don’t need to splurge on a matchbox Dubrovnik Old Town room, nor spend upwards of $40 on a pasta and wine dish with views of historic ramparts to experience that Croatian medieval glory?

Korčula Town, on Korčula Island, is called ‘Little Dubrovnik’ for a reason. The alleged birthplace of THE Marco Polo, it has the old walls encircling the maze of stone-paved alleys, the ocher-colored buildings that are probably centuries older than the country you call home, and the coastal vibes.

Oh, and you guessed it, none of good old Ragusa’s swarm of cruise daytrippers.

Korčula has beautiful pebble beaches, hidden coves,a nd lush forests that are ideal for cycling, and if you’re a devoted oenophile, you’ll be glad to learn this is where Croatia’s award-winning whites Pošip and Grk originated.

Make sure you swing by Vitis Winery for some sampling with a dash of local history.

Over in Vela Luka, the largest town on the west side, you’ll find nightlife spots and that busy port town vibe. My favorite pit stop, though, has to be Lumbarda: traditional stone houses, small family-run eateries, and… wait for it.. practically-untouched sandy beaches!

A much-welcome sight in a rugged Croatia.

Cres Island

All of the options above have smaller crowds. Cres is where you go for practically zero tourist sightings and that inebriating sense of tranquility.

It’s one of the most remote and wild Croatian islands, a 1–2 ferry hop from Rijeka or Pula, and it’s pretty much covered in dense forest, a unique feature in an otherwise rugged archipelago, and dotted with turquoise bays and sleepy coastal villages.

The nature here is so lush and verdant it even harbors freshwater lakes. Lake Vrana, in the literal center of the island, is the largest on the Croatian islands, supplying water to much of Cres. Your hair and skin will thank you for a soak in this pure, mineral-rich water.

If you’ve ever washed your hair in Croatia before, and watched in despair as it grew thinner, more brittle, and frizzier every passing day, you know the struggle. Here, Lake Vrana feels like a little miracle for your strands.

But anyway, I digress.

Cres Town is the main reason why you’d go out of your way to visit: a Venetian tower, old churches, and winding streets that look like a living postcard. It didn’t exactly play a huge role in regional politics like Dubrovnik or Split did, nor does it have a famous historical celebrity like Korčula, but I simply find it lowkey prettier than all of those combined.

Also, that high-alert state you must maintain in most beach hotspots around Europe simply doesn’t apply here. Cres is as peaceful as they come.

This may not be the case for that glitzy, French Riviera resort town, though: before you fly out to Europe, double-check the security situation on the ground at your exact destination here.

Varaždin

Croatia’s not all Adriatic beaches and Mediterranean flair. In fact, there’s a huge chunk of the country, northeast of an underrated-already national capital Zagreb, that feels firmly planted in Central Europe instead.

Out with the Italian-esque belfries and Venetian architecture, in with the stately edifices and Austro-Hungarian charm:

Varaždin is that dreamy European getaway full of Baroque palaces, Neo-Gothic churches richly-decorated à la Habsburg, with ornate main portals, intricate stuccowork, and elaborate altars, and soft-pastel townhouses with gabled roofs.

The Old Town is as pretty as they come, with the cobbled lanes, picture-ready squares, ringed by coffeeshops, and with an imposing Varaždin Castle as backdrop: the main attraction here, it is a striking, chalk-white medieval citadel surrounded by a moat.

By the way, Varaždin used to be Croatia’s capital before Zagreb took up the mantle, so it’s no wonder it feels so noble and culturally relevant still.

My favorite part? This is probably one of the safest destinations in the entire continent: none of your usual knife-wielding mugs, or even scammers anywhere in sight. Croatia as a whole is pretty safe, but Varaždin in particular really takes the cake.

Now take this quiz to find your perfect Croatia match!

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.