Holiday houses & apartments in Croatia

Holiday homes in Croatia offer pristine beaches and ancient cities

Your holiday home in Croatia locates you close to clear waters overlooked by castles that also seem to have grown, crystal-like from dramatic cliffs. There are perfect beaches on your doorstep, which means diving, snorkelling, kayaking and sailing are on your itinerary. Forests scented with honey and pine beckon you to cooling rambles culminating with waterfalls. Discover a cultural polyglot where Roman columns snuggle against Venetian palaces and socialist structures nestle with Slavic churches. The museums are vast reservoirs of European history, while Croatia's vaunting Dinaric Alps boast caverns and secluded lakes. A holiday home with TUI Villas also lets you embrace a feast of local flavours, from world class olive oils to equally famous wines.

Live in Croatia like a local with TUI Villas

TUI Villas let you enjoy Croatia at your own pace and in your own style. Airy, spacious and poolside holiday homes in Croatia make a serene base for excursions to waterfall-marbled parks, ancient ruins and glittering islands.

Discover Dubrovnik

A walled city of ancient, labyrinthine streets polished to a shine by hundreds of years of footfall, Dubrovnik has its own remarkable magic. Your holiday home in Croatia offers you the freedom to explore this remarkable city like a local. During the Summer Festival, the Renaissance Rector's Palace turned Cultural History Museum is a thrilling concert venue. Children go wild at the playground beside Pile Gate Bridge. For an aerial perspective, climb up to the Minčeta tower (which featured in Game of Thrones) on the city's walls, and look out over the terracotta roofs of the Old Town. See the city from the water and sail across to lush, forested Lokrum island for a swim and a look around the monastery.

Relax in peaceful Plitviče

Holiday homes and apartments in Croatia equal tranquil days spent outside. Come to the Plitviče Lakes National Park, a secret Croatians prefer to keep to themselves, to unearth the real country. Verdant valleys are bejewelled by turquoise, mineral-dense lakes spilling into one another with waterfalls. Butterflies flutter lazily about as you hike through this paradise. There are boats to take you to Veliki Slap, a grandiose 78 metre high waterfall, if you don't feel like walking. It takes about six hours to hike through the lakes, making this the perfect day trip from your Croatian holiday home. Swimming is not allowed, but Instagram is so at least you'll be the envy of your friendship circle.

Escape to Mijet Island

The legend goes that Mljet Island was the very isle that so captivated Odysseus on his return from Troy that he lingered here, under its spell, for seven whole years. With a holiday home in Croatia, you'll have the flexibility to lounge here as long as you like. Forested and fielded, the isle is the most precious of the gemlike islands that sparkle invitingly on the Adriatic coast. Fresh, pine-scented forests rock gently in the breeze while saltwater lakes on the island are absurdly pretty. This mirage-like spot makes the perfect remote hideaway from the frenzy of modern life. See if you can resist its spell.

Experience ancient Croatia

Your holiday home in Croatia also lands you in an ancient land filled with breathtaking vestiges of times gone by. You'll probably fly into Split so be sure to explore Diocletian's Palace, which overlooks the harbour. The glittering white stone palace is integrated with the modern city, covering nearly 40,000 square metres. The seafront city of Pula is famous for its oval shaped amphitheatre which offers a spectacular view of the harbour. The vast edifice once hosted gladiatorial showdowns cheered by 20,000 spectators. Just along the Adriatic Coast in Poreč, you can see a World Heritage listed Euphrasian Basilica. Perfectly preserved, the Byzantine building dates from the 6th century. Crowds of angels flutter across its impressive wall mosaics among Istrian martyrs and Biblical scenes.

Quirky Croatia

When you live in a holiday home in Croatia, you'll soon encounter the Croatian sense of humour. It's discernible in the shouts that accompany hearty and wholesome meals here. To experience more of the real Croatia, you'll need to get off the beaten path. Offbeat attractions like Zagreb's Museum of Broken Relationships can be the highlight of your holiday. This unusual exhibit toured the world before settling here (there's another branch in Hollywood). There are jazz nights on Thursdays, and the gift shop sells a 'bad memories eraser'. If you're near the islands, loaf about inside the art installation Your Black Horizon by Olafur Eliasson, situated minutes from Lopud's waterfront on Elafiti Island.

Unmissable Croatian destinations

Istria's peninsula is fronted with Italianate, artfully dilapidated, gem-coloured historic houses. Rolling away from the coast are idyllic farms and meadows interspersed with hill-crowning villages. Dalmatia, meanwhile, stretches along the Adriatic from Rab Island to the Bay of Kotor. Beloved of visitors for its gin-clear waters, Kvarner Gulf is adorned with Hapsburg architecture and is home to the sun-dappled forests of Risnjak and Ucka Parks.

Getting to your holiday apartment in Croatia

Many direct flights run to Croatia's international airports in Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb and Zadar. Flights are generally inexpensive, even during the peak season, making Croatia an especially popular (and rewarding) European holiday destination. If travelling by train, you can take a daily train from most major European cities and will arrive in Zagreb. Overnight trains are one of the most relaxed entrances to the country. It's also easy to hire a car once you arrive, though there are shuttle buses that will take you to the coast as well.

When to stay in a Croatian holiday apartment

If your main priority is diving into those sapphire waters, then July, August and, to some degree, September are the best times of the year to enjoy Croatia. Sultry days make splashing into the warm, bath-like sea a delight. There are fewer crowds during May and September though the weather is still fine. Festivals run throughout the year in this increasingly popular cultural Mecca, but summer is peak time for international DJs.

Useful information for your Croatian getaway

If travelling with your pet, they will require up-to-date vaccinations, a pet passport and a microchip. The Croatian kuna is in circulation, and British nationals will not require a Visa to enter the country. English is widely spoken in major cities and even the smaller villages, so making yourself understood is no problem.

Neighbouring countries Croatia

• Albania
• Austria
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Hungary
• Italy
• Montenegro
• Macedonia
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Slovakia