An expert guide to a coast of countless treasures

Things were never quite the same in the Adriatic after 1492. Until then, this now halfforgotten sea had been one of the geographic and economic pivots of the known world.

Trade flowed from the east to Venice, the greatest maritime power of its day, and through Trieste and Dubrovnik from the Balkans and heartlands of central Europe. Empires and invaders had long marked its shores, from Greeks and Illyrians, through Etruscans and Romans, to the Ottomans, Byzantines and Norman conquerors of southern Italy.

But when Columbus stumbled on the New World, the attention of kings and adventurers turned westward, bolstering the rise of countries such as Spain and Portugal that were well placed for imperial adventures across the Atlantic. Adriatic pre-eminence began to wane.

For such a major historical arena, the Adriatic is not large – about a fifth the size of the North Sea – and barely 500 miles (800km) long and 120 miles (200km) across at its widest point.

But beyond Venice, its most celebrated destination, and to a lesser extent Dubrovnik and Puglia, this is a region without obvious focus for visitors, and one whose variety makes it hard pin down.

Italy frames its western margins, for example, Croatia most of its eastern shores, but the sea is also bounded by Albania, Slovenia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Hercegovina.

These are countries whose borders have shifted across centuries, and whose cultures, languages, food, art and religion – Orthodox, Muslim and Catholic – have been jumbled and reshaped by centuries of conquest and strife.

So in Istria, in Croatia, you’ll find both pasta and goulash on menus, the legacy of a Venetian and then AustroHungarian past. On Italy’s more northerly Adriatic shore, Ravenna boasts some of Europe’s greatest Byzantine monuments, but in Puglia, further south, it is Spanish baroque and the Romanesque of the Normans that hold sway.

This is also a region of widely differing appearance – Italy’s Adriatic shores are largely flat or low-hilled, and edged with lagoons or long beaches, while much of Croatia and Montenegro’s coast is a medley of mountains, islands and inlets.

How, then, to visit such a varied region? We’ve looked at five aspects and approaches to the Adriatic, from cruising and sailing to the lures of culture, food and beaches, and identified the best options – and how to make the most of them – in each category. The Adriatic’s bounty of fish and seafood, along with the fruits of what is often a fertile hinterland, means that food and wine are features of many destinations in the region. Two areas, though, stand out. In Italy, Puglia’s distinctive cuisine – beyond its fish – includes pastas such as orecchiette (“little ears”, after their shape), fine cheeses (try canestrato pugliese), delicious breads, grilled meats and wonderful fruit and vegetables. Gourmet Puglia (0039 0831 342153; gourmetpuglia. com) offers a variety of food-related tours, while Flavours Holiday (0131 343 2500; flavours holidays.co.uk) and Italian Expressions (01392 441245; expressionsholidays.co.uk) offer Puglian cookery courses. Visit vinidipuglia.com for information on wine tours, estate visits and events. In Croatia, Istria is equally distinctive, thanks partly to its Austro-Italian heritage, with menus that combine dumplings with delicate pasta sauces. The region’s black truffles (visit karlictartufi.hr for truffle-hunting trips), olive oil and fine dry-cured ham (prsut) are also delicious. The region’s wines are improving too, notably the white Malvazija Yacht charter holidays are popular on the Adriatic, top; while food is feature of the region, left; Gargano, below; and the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, right Istarska, native reds such as Teran and the sweet Muskat Ruza and Malvazija, particularly from producers such as Kozlovic, Gerzinic, Giorgio Clai, Piquentum and Benvenuti.

Secret Dalmatia (00385 91 567 1604; secretdalmatia.com) can tailor-make wine, food and cookery holidays. Or visit istria-gourmet.com for ideas on food-related trips such as wine and olive roads, farm visits, and a calendar of events. eight- and 10-day cultural trips to Split (Oct 14–21, 2017; £2,795) and Dalmatia & Dubrovnik respectively (April 14–21, 2018; from £2,595). It also has tours to Puglia, Aquileia and Ravenna, including an option to be in Ravenna over Christmas (Dec 21–27; from £2,195). Prices are per person, including flights and full board. starcruises.com), which has an 11-day Gems of the Adriatic Sea cruise round-trip from Venice on August 7, 2018, visiting Zadar and Dubrovnik (Croatia), Piran (Slovenia), Bari and Brindisi (Italy), Corfu (Greece) and Kotor (Montenegro).

Variety Cruises (0030 210 691 9191; varietycruises.com) has four departures this year on its Dalmatian Coast and Montenegro cruise aboard the 49-berth M/S Panorama. The itinerary, round-trip from Dubrovnik, includes Split, Kotor, Hvar, Korcula, Sibenik and Rab, as well as scenic cruising in the Croatian archipelago.

Or combine music and culture on a 10-night itinerary with Noble Caledonia (020 7752 0000; noblecaledonia.co.uk), travelling with the London Festival Opera between Venice and Dubrovnik via Ravenna, Ancona (for Urbino), Lecce (Puglia), Kotor, Hvar and Korcula (departs October 21, 2017).

Wine is the emphasis on a small-ship cruise with Arblaster & Clarke (01730 263111; winetours.com) from Split to Dubrovnik via the islands of Korcula, Vis and Mljet (June 18–25, 2017).