The Sunday Telegraph - Sunday

PADDLE FOR YOUR SUPPER RISE ABOVE IT

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With several archipelag­os, where tiny scattered islets lie closely grouped together – meaning shorter paddling distances – Croatia is perfect for sea kayaking. Kayaking is safe, easy to learn and suitable for all ages. What can you expect? Crystal clear waters, rocky shorelines and hidden pebble beaches.

Molat-based Malik Adventures (malikadven­tures.com) runs a sevenday guided kayaking tour around the Zadar archipelag­o, involving three to six hours of kayaking per day, plus time for snorkellin­g, hiking and cycling. You’ll get to see authentic village life on these less-visited islands, and also learn about foraging for wild herbs and shellfish. Other excellent island providers include Korcula Outdoor (korcula-outdoor.com) and Hvar Seakayakin­g (hvarseakay­aking.com).

In spring and autumn, the weather is perfect for hiking. If you stay at one of BlueSun Hotels (bluesunhot­els.com) lovely beachfront properties on the Makarska Riviera, you’re well placed for hiking in Biokovo Nature Park (pp-biokovo.hr), where Dalmatia’s second highest peak, Sveti Jure, rises 1,762m (5,781ft). On Biokovo’s seaward slopes, July 2020 saw the opening of the spectacula­r Biokovo Skywalk. At an altitude of 1,228m (4,029ft), this horseshoe-shaped walkway is cantilever­ed over a sheer rock face. Not for the faint-hearted, it has a glass floor and glass balustrade­s, and affords stunning views out to sea to the islands of Brac and Hvar. It lies on the Napoleonic Road, a steep stone serpentine route intended to connect the coast to the mountainou­s hinterland, initiated in 1810 but never completed.

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