Continuing our series on Europe’s most seductive seaside towns, Telegraph Travel’s Croatia expert reveals her favourite spots. Previous articles reveal the highlights of Portugal, France and Spain.

1. Rovinj, Istria

Venetian-era facades in yellow ochre, burnt sienna and terracotta red curve around a deep horse-shoe harbour, backed by a hilltop church with an elegant 17th-century bell-tower. Feast on Adriatic seafood, pungent Istrian truffle dishes and ruby red Teran wine at a waterside eatery; visit the Batana Eco-Museum, celebrating Rovinj's traditional wooden fishing boats; and sleep at a designer hideaway - Rovinj has Croatia's second highest concentration of luxury hotels, after Dubrovnik.

Nearest airport: Pula (24 mi)

Stay: Hotel Adriatic

2. Mali Lošinj, Island of Lošinj

Sitting in a long narrow sheltered bay, Mali Lošinj owes its wealth to ship building and naval trading – in the 19th century, it had 11 shipyards, and the town’s elegant villas, set in walled gardens, date thence. Nowadays Lošinj dubs itself the "island of vitality" – sunbathe on pebble beaches backed by pinewoods in Čikat Bay, wander among fragrant Mediterranean herbs at the Lošinj Aromatic Garden, and join a dolphin-spotting boat trip with the Blue World Institute.

Mali Losinj can found on Losinj in the northern Adriatic Credit: getty

Nearest airport: Rijeka (50 mi). Mali Lošinj is served by catamaran from Rijeka

Stay: Boutique Hotel Alhambra

3. Rab Town, Island of Rab

Resembling a huge ship when seen from afar, Rab Town rises high above the sea, perched upon a long narrow peninsula, with four eye-catching bell towers piercing the skyline. Explore its Romanesque churches and Renaissance mansions, lining three parallel streets, linked by steep stone stairways. Then hop on a taxi-boat to Kadarola Bay - in 1936, Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson bathed naked in its turquoise waters, making it the birthplace of nudism in Croatia.

Rab boasts four eye-catching bell towers Credit: getty

Nearest airport: Rijeka (31 mi). Rab Town is served by catamaran from Rijeka

Stay: Grand Hotel Imperial

4. Zadar, North Dalmatia

Named Iadera by the Romans in 59 BC, Zadar's old town still centres on its ancient forum, now the main square. Occupying a fortified peninsula, its narrow alleys open onto paved piazzas overlooked by Romanesque churches and grand Venetian-era palazzi. Attend a glass-blowing demonstration at the Museum of Ancient Glass, hear the haunting pipes of the Sea Organ and watch the lighting display that is the Greeting to the Sun (both contemporary installations on the seafront promenade).

Zadar was christened Iadera by the Romans Credit: istock

Nearest airport: Zadar (5 mi)

Stay: Almayer Art & Heritage Hotel

5. Šibenik, Central Dalmatia

Built into a hillside overlooking a sheltered sea channel, Šibenik was founded by the Slavs in 1066, and is now probably Dalmatia's most up-and-coming destination. Check out its splendid Unesco-listed Cathedral, dine on contemporary Dalmatian fare at Michelin-starred Pelegrini, and attend an open-air concert at St Michael's Fortress (Roisin Murphy and Bryan Ferry played here in 2018). For an out-of-town trip, catch a boat to Krka National Park to bathe in thundering waterfalls.

Sibenik was built onto a steep hillside Credit: istock

Nearest airport: Zadar (43 mi) or Split (31 mi)

Stay: Life Palace Heritage Hotel

6. Split, Central Dalmatia

Split's magnificent old town lies within the Roman walls of a vast third-century palace, built by Emperor Diocletian. Its ancient stone alleys are filled with noble Renaissance buildings, though their beauty is currently jeopardised by fast food outlets and countless fluorescent yellow ATMs (despite being Unesco-listed). Come during the Summer Festival for open-air opera on the Roman peristyle, shop for seasonal fruit at the pazar (open-air market), then catch a white-and-blue Jadrolinija ferry to a nearby Dalmatian island.

Nearest airport: Split (12 mi)

Stay: Hotel Park

7. Hvar Town, Island of Hvar

Built around three sides of a sheltered bay, surveyed by a hilltop castle, Hvar Town centres on a vast paved piazza, overlooked by a Baroque cathedral and centuries-old mansions. Nearby stands the arch-fronted arsenal, where the Venetians repaired their galleys. With its fancy restaurants and bars, Hvar's a magnet for yachties, celebrities (Beyonce and Jay-Z love it) and backpackers. The pine-scented Pakleni islets (served by taxi-boats from the harbour) host beach clubs and occasional all-night parties.

Hvar has developed a reputation as a party town Credit: getty

Nearest airport: Split (51 mi). Hvar Town is served by catamaran from Split

Stay: Hotel Adriana

8. Korčula Town, Island of Korčula

The supposed birthplace of Marco Polo, medieval Korčula Town sits on a tiny fortified peninsula, with buildings laid out on a herring-bone plan. British author Rebecca West, who visited in 1937, described the stone as "the colour of crumbling shortbread" - the cathedral and defensive towers are all of golden limestone. Watch an evening performance of the moreška, a spectacular medieval sword dance, unique to Korčula, then drive into the hills behind town to dine at a rustic agrotourism eatery.

'The colour of crumbling shortbread' Credit: getty

Nearest airport: Split (81 mi) or Dubrovnik (87 mi). Korčula Town is served by catamarans from both Split and Dubrovnik

Stay: Lešić Dimitri Palace

9. Dubrovnik, South Dalmatia

Everyone wants to taste Dubrovnik's magic – this former city-republic, enclosed within sturdy medieval fortifications, is packed with Baroque churches and noble palazzi. Overtourism is a challenge, making the old town practically unliveable for locals, though the city council says it is tackling the problem. Visitors like to walk a circuit of the walls, visit the museums and monasteries, and ride the cable-car up Mt Srđ, to take photos of the proud walled city from above.

Dubrovnik is trying to tackle its crowding issues Credit: getty

Nearest airport: Dubrovnik (12 mi)

Stay: Hotel Stari Grad

10. Cavtat, South Dalmatia

Cavtat predates Dubrovnik, having been founded by the Ancient Greeks in the fourth-century BC. The pace of life is slower here, with fewer crowds – dine at an open-air restaurant on the palm-lined seafront promenade, check out 19th-century oil paintings by Vlaho Bukovac in his former home, and see the elegant 1920s Račić Mausoleum, decorated with art nouveaux carvings by sculptor Ivan Meštrović. You can also visit Dubrovnik – it's connected by regular excursion boats.

Cavtat is a less crowded alternative to Dubrovnik Credit: istock

Nearest airport: Dubrovnik (4 mi)

Stay: Hotel Villa Pattiera

Read more about Croatia's most beautiful islands, and the best hotels in which to stay.