Croatia has officially been named the new Greece, which is a Godsend to people not wanting to go to the country that is losing more money by the second. It is also cleaner and cheaper due to the tourist population not being that high yet. When I went there last summer, the weather could not have been any better and the beaches were sandy and the sea blue. It was idyllic and a week was just not enough. We stayed in the small coastal town of Rovinj which sits on a steep hill over looking the sea out to Italy which also was fun to ride bikes down! In the days, lying on the clean beaches was the only option and then in the evenings we sampled the towns many restaurants.
Because Croatia is so near to Italy, it shares a lot of its culture with this country. I had the best pizza outside of Rome when I stayed here. Croatia also makes its own wines and oils and these can be bought cheaply for you to take home. You can also see Italian influences in the architecture all over the country, making Croatia the perfect place to take a holiday as tourist numbers are kept down. While staying there, if you wanted to take a trip up to Italy, then why not take an organised boat trip to Venice which is the closest port.
The best way to see Croatia is by cycling around its coastal paths which offer perfect views of the sea. You can easily rent bikes at the seaside towns and then spend a day riding to the next town and seeing the sites there. All can be done cheaply and on a budget. I would recommend Croatia to anyone who wants a break from the typical tourist holidays like Greece and Italy. It really is a sun, sea and sand holiday.