Croatia is a country of a thousand islands; known for their beautiful landscapes, unspoiled nature, pebble beaches and olive groves, these gems of nature are visited every year by tens of thousands of tourists. But, since there are so many of them, which one to visit, you might ask yourself. To help you with that dilemma, we offer you a list of the five Croatian islands we consider the most interesting.

And here are the top 5 Croatian islands you should visit:

1. Vis

Once a Yugoslav military naval base, Vis is now a perfect oasis of peace and quiet for those seeking to escape the urban frenzy and crowds often present in larger Croatian tourist towns. Besides being a place of exquisite natural beauty and clean rocky beaches, Vis will enchant you with its warm locals (who’ll be happy to teach you catch and prepare fish), taverns (the island is known for its winemaking tradition and seafood delicacies) and fauna, as the island is covered with vineyards, palm, pine, olive and oleander trees. It’s also a perfect destination for couples who want to enjoy the intimacy of long romantic walks and hidden bays.

2. Pag

The island of Pag is the center of Croatian tourist nightlife as it is dotted with beach bars and nightclubs with 24-hour licenses, meaning that the party – literally – never ends. The beach parties at Papaya, Aquarius, Kalypso and other Pag clubs often host well-known international DJs and the island became the place-to-be for teenage and generally younger, party-eager visitors. But even if you don’t consider yourself a party animal, Pag will amaze you with its barren interior (often compared to the surface of the Moon!), famous sheep cheese and lamb delicacies as well as the traditional folklore songs and costumes.

3. Losinj

Located in Kvarner, the northern region of the Adriatic, Losinj belongs to an archipelago that consists of more than 30 islands and islets and is considered to be one of the most visually attractive archipelagos in the Mediterranean. It’s almost a classic-Caribbean type of scenery; the sky is sunny and cloudless, the sea is deep and green and the island is heavily forested, an attribute in which the people of Losinj take great pride. In fact, there are even tours such as the Aromatic Island Garden designed to show visitors the richness of the island’s flora and fauna. As all the settlements are small towns with a blend of Venetian and Greek influences, Losinj is an ideal place for a rejuvenating, heart-soothing holiday.

4. Hvar

The island of Hvar is located between Korcula, Brac, and Vis; it is unique because of its large fertile coastal plain, fresh water springs and many pine forests, vineyards, and olive groves. The island has been inhabited for thousands of years and has always been in the center of sailing routes of the Adriatic Sea, which turned it into an important focal point of naval trade in the past. The ancient Greeks founded a colony at the island, somewhere around 4th century BC. The site is today known as Stari Grad and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Today, it’s a famous tourist island attracting a large number of people every summer, but historically it was a place of culture and arts, and, curiously, the place of one the first public theaters in Europe.

5. Korcula

Korcula lies near the Dalmatian coast in the south Adriatic and, with over sixteen thousand inhabitants, is the second most populous island in the Adriatic. The main settlements are the tourist towns of Korcula, Blato and Vela Luka, with several smaller villages. The island owes its tourist popularity to the warm and clean Adriatic and the mild Mediterranean climate and is mostly covered with pine forests. It’s the alleged birthplace of the famous adventurer Marco Polo and, according to legend, the first settlement on the island was founded by the Trojan hero, Atenor in the 12th century BC. Ferries connect the island with the cities on the Croatian coast, but there are direct ferries to Italian ports as well.