DISCOVER THE OTHER RIVIERA...

We’re happy to bet that someone you know has eulogised about a summer holiday in Croatia. Nearly every cove shelters a beach more dazzling than the last, while family run taverns beckon you into shady terraces with the promise of sparklingly fresh platters of seafood. The pound’s strength against the kuna has been a key reason for its surge in popularity and this continues to be the case, even in the uncertain post-Brexit financial climate.

Dubrovnik and Zagreb are familiar destinations and their rising prices suggest as much, yet the mainland’s rural coastline is often overlooked and offers great value. One of its most beautiful and undiscovered stretches has to be the Makarska Riviera. The 60km stretch from Brela to Gradac is gloriously wild. Towering limestone cliffs plunge into the topaz Adriatic, the medieval villages maintain a sleepy rhythm and world-class beaches are fringed by fragrant pine forests. Punta Rata’s sandy entrance is as soft as sugar under foot, while Nugal offers excellent swimming (clothing optional) thanks to the springs that surface just off shore.

The pretty little port town of Makarska (pictured) tumbles down the foothills of Mount Biokovo. Fishing, viniculture and olive farming are the backbone of the local economy and tables at all the cheerful cafés on Kacic Square in the atmospheric old town groan under a wealth of delicious produce.

Accommodation is well priced, even in June. Hotel Osejava’s airy, minimalist rooms have stunning sea views and cost just £84 per night. With Thomson offering excellent-value new flight routes from London Stansted and East Midlands to Split – which is only 90km from Makarska – there has never been a better time to discover this secret seaside haven for yourself.