Dalmatia (Croatian: Dalmacija) is the southern coastal region of Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It's by far the most popular tourist area in the country, with many seasonal flights, package hotels and visits by cruise ships.
The Dalmatian dog was first recorded hereabouts in the 17th century, but Dalmatia probably means sheep, delmë in Albanian. Its unruly tribes were subdued by the Romans in the 1st century BC and became part of the province of Illyria. In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare's characters are shipwrecked here, to become embroiled in a farrago of cross-dressing, misguided love affairs, drunken revelry and dangerous pranks: nothing like any modern bunch of tourists. Dalmatia is mentioned in the Bible New Testament (2 Timothy 4:10), where Paul whinges about the many colleagues who've deserted him, such as Titus who's gone to Dalmatia, perhaps in need of a holiday from Paul.
Croatia is divided into 20 županije - counties - four of which are in the Dalmatia region. These match well with travel planning because each has an airport that serves the surrounding resort towns and is the main way to get in. They're listed here from south to north reflecting their popularity as destinations.
{{Regionlist |region1name = Dubrovnik-Neretva |region1color= |region1items= |region1description=The highlight is Dubrovnik. Until 2022 this was an "exclave" separated from the rest of Croatia by a strip of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main islands of this county are Mljet, Korčula and Lastovo.
|region2name = Split-Dalmatia |region2color= |region2items= |region2description=Makarska is the lively beach resort along the Riveria, hemmed in by mountains. Split is the big attraction and has the airport, with Trogir nearby. The county's main islands are Brač, Hvar and Vis.
|region3name = Northern Dalmatia |region3color= |region3items= |region3description=This area is the least developed for tourism yet is very scenic; it comprises the counties of Zadar and of Šibenik-Knin. There are many small islands as the coastal mountain range plunges into the Adriatic: two that are close inshore are Murter and Pašman. }}
On the mainland south to north are:
The main islands south to north are:
By plane: Dubrovnik and Split are the best connected to western Europe, with many package and budget flights in summer. Zadar has fewer international flights but these include London Stansted, Brussels and Düsseldorf. All three airports have daily flights to Zagreb.
By boat: ferries cross the Adriatic from Ancona and Bari in Italy to Split and Dubrovnik. Domestic ferries ply along the coast from Rijeka via all the islands and mainland ports down to Dubrovnik.
By road: the usual approach is along Highway A1 Zagreb-Split-Ravca, which is modern, fast and safe. Buses connect all the main cities especially Zagreb; international routes usually involve changing there.
By train: a bit of an expedition, in ricketty trains that are slow and scenic, with the emphasis on slow. From Zagreb you can reach Zadar, Split and Šibenik. Passenger trains no longer run to Ploče on the coast south of Makarska.
By road: there are frequent buses between the main coastal towns. You need a car to get anywhere else, e.g. the mountain villages, or around the larger islands. All the airports and resorts have car rental, but note the problem of Neum if you take a car to or from Dubrovnik. This problem disappears when the bridge bypasses Neum from 26 July 2022.
Ferries are an alternative method between Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik, and are the only way to the islands.
There are infrequent flights between Dubrovnik and Split.
It's probably kebabs again tonight - ćevapi or ćevapčići as they're locally known. Those who enjoy grilled meals and fish will do well; vegetarians, vegans and GF have limited choice and might prefer self-catering. And the area lacks diversity of cuisine, though Split has a Chinese just for a change.
Related: Ferries in the Mediterranean