CROATIA: ISLANDS & MOUNTAINS

Day 1
Fly to Zagreb. 3 hour transfer to island of Krk, our base for the first three nights. Krk is in the Kvarner Archipelago and is the largest island of the Adriatic Sea.

Day 2
Today we warm up with a walk on the island of Krk. After a short transfer to the village of Treskovac, we walk to Obzova peak. This is the highest point on the island at 568m, but is on a fascinating karst plateau rather than being a true summit. The landscape here is almost lunar with sparse grass and unusual dry stonewalls that fence off individual smallholdings. The views from here and the ridge leading to this area are excellent. The walk will take approximately 5 hours.

Day 3
In the morning we transfer to the town of Baska, on the southeast part of the island of Krk. From here we begin an excellent climb to the peak of Hlam (461 m), passing through the 'Moon Plateau'. This is a scenic plateau with moon-like rocks, situated at an altitude of around 330m. From here we continue to the peak of Hlam, with beautiful views of the areas around Baska, including many neighbouring islands and Velebit mountain on the mainland where we will head tomorrow. This walk doesn't have a lot of shade so you will need a sunhat, sun cream, sunglasses and plenty of water today. The walk will take approximately 4 hours. After the walk we return to our hotel in Krk.

Day 4
This morning we transfer for 2 hours from Krk to the Oltari pass on the mainland, within the North Velebit National Park. From here we climb over 700m to the Zavizan mountain hut at 1597m where we will spend the night. This is a long climb that takes approximately 3-4 hours, however it is optional as a road also accesses the hut. As well as being a refuge, Zavizan is also a National Meteorological station. From here a short walk takes you to the Velebit Botanical garden that was set up in 1969, with over 600 indigenous and 30 transplanted species of plant. Mountain Hut

Day 5
From Zavizan we walk the Premuziceva trail to the Alan mountain hut. This 6-hour walk is one of the most beautiful in Croatia through the unusually wild and rugged Rozanski Kukovi. This fantastic trail was built in 1930-31 and is a very steady route that enjoys changing views around every corner. Sometimes you find yourself looking out to sea, sometimes up at the angular crags above the trail or over steep sided cliffs to the valley floor. From the Alan hut we transfer for an hour and a half to Karlobag, a historic and picturesque seaside town on the Adriatic coast located underneath Velebit overlooking the island of Pag.

Day 6
After a short transfer to Baske Ostarije, we set off on a great 6-hour circular walk via the three valleys of Crni Dabar, Ravni Dabar and Dosen Dabar. This region is the realm of rock climbers who swarm here to tackle the many karst towers that extend in parallel to these valleys. Even without climbing to these summits, the views are fantastic. After the walk we transfer for an hour and a half to Starigrad, a charming town on the coast and gateway to the Paklenica National Park.

Day 7
Paklenica is home to the two impressive canyons of Velika and Mala Paklenica, vertically cut into the mountain where climbers from all across Europe ply their trade. In a relatively small area of the national park, there are several unusual karst forms, several caves, and extremely rich and varied flora and fauna. Our 6-hour walk takes us through the quietest areas of the park, passing the unusual Mirila graves, the village of Tomici and finishing in the main canyon itself. From here we transfer two hours to the UNESCO town of Trogir in time for dinner and a relaxing stroll around this lovely old walled town. Trogir is the best-preserved Romanesque-Gothic complex not only in the Adriatic but also in all of Central Europe.

Day 8
Bus transfer to Split airport. Fly to London.