The moment you arrive on Cres, your troubles back at home melt into the distant past. Scrub and olives contrast with white rock and give way to azure seas and blue skies. Somehow, Cres island has been relatively unscathed by the ravages of the tourist industry, leaving both its natural environment and its towns and villages just as they should be.
Cres town is today’s capital of the island. The gothic architecture you’ll find here owes much to the island’s long connection with Venice – it was annexed to the Venetian Republic for much of the period between the year 1000 and 1797. There are a number of fine churches and palaces, one of which houses the Cres museum (Ribarska 7, tel. +385 51 57 11 27) with its collection of sculptures, icons and prehistoric and Roman artefacts. The town’s main square has been renovated, and the atmosphere there is supremely relaxing. Cres town has a large marina and a string of shingle beaches, and although it’s largely unspoilt, retains an unpretentious feel.

A short drive or boat ride to the far side of the bay of Valun brings you to the hamlet of the same name, a collection of picturesque red-roofed houses straggling up the hillside away from the water, with a wide shingle beach that’s an absolute delight to bathe from. It was here that the Valun Tablet was found - thought to be the oldest Glagolitic inscription in Croatia. There’s a simple campsite and a couple of pleasant restaurants.

If you have the opportunity to tour at all (Cres is difficult to negotiate if you don’t have your own wheels), the town of Lubenice is something you should definitely not miss. This old village’s setting on a high cliff against the backdrop of the sea is absolutely spectacular. Hundreds of metres below you, the colour of the sea against the yellow shingle beach is incredibly inviting, but the idea of the climb back up the hillside is equally off-putting for all but the most determined pleasure-seekers. Lubenice is known for hosting exhibitions of photography and for its musical evenings.

Moving south again towards the point where a short road bridge connects Cres with the island of Lošinj, you pass by beautiful freshwater Lake Vransko. It’s fenced off since it ensures the islanders’ supply of drinking water. Finally, Osor town, which once used to be the administrative centre of the island, is now a quiet stone village basking in the sunlight and its reputation as an artists’ colony. You’ll see modern sculptures adorning the streets and squares, and if you’re lucky enough will catch the summertime Osor Music Evenings. The former town hall on the main square now houses the Archeological Collection of Osor.