It’s a little confusing when people talk about Croatia as a Mediterranean country, when map lovers know it to be on the Adriatic. So to clarify -the Adriatic separates the long finger of the Croatian coast from the long leg of the Italian coast, but it is also, technically, the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean. In other words, there is a lot of water here. And beaches. And it is greedy on the island front too, with over a thousand of them. The other question is Istria or Dalmatia? Quite simply Istria is the mini Italy of the North and Dalmatia refers to the coastline heading south. But where there is no confusion is inland. A plethora of national parks protecting mountains, rivers, waterfalls and lakes, all still relatively unknown. As is its capital, Zagreb. Just an hour from the mountains for skiing and hiking. Who knew?