Escorted & Package Tours

Special-interest tours abound in Croatia. Tour operators in and outside the country can arrange tours to suit almost any specification.

Classic Journeys, 7855 Ivanhoe Ave., Ste. 220, La Jolla, CA 92037 (tel. 800/200-3887; www.classicjourneys.com), is a California-based operator that specializes in customized itineraries for small groups. The focus is culinary, family, or cultural walking tours. Accommodations, meals, and transport are first-rate and each tour is led by a local English-speaking guide, who accompanies the group through the entire trip. Currently, Classic Journeys offers two Croatian itineraries, one to Dubrovnik and Hvar, and another through Istria.

Smithsonian Journeys (tel. 877/338-8687; www.smithsonianjourneys.org) runs a 12-day Mediterranean boat adventure down the Dalmatian coast from Venice, Italy. The tour includes lectures on the area's culture and history.

Adriatica.net (www.adriatical.net) is a general tour operator based in Zagreb that puts together stays in many of Croatia's lighthouses and farmhouses and arranges sailing vacations.

Adventure & Wellness Trips

With 1,185 islands and miles of coastline, Croatia attracts a huge number of boating and water sports enthusiasts. Croatia has a large number of charter companies that can put sailors in the captain's chair.

Sunsail (www.sunsail.com) runs charters with (skippered) or without (bareboat) crews that let you set your own course. If you have the required boating certifications, you can captain your own ship. If you don't, you can rent a fully crewed ship and kick back while embracing the role of pampered passenger. Sunsail has offices in Dubrovnik, Biograd (Kornati), and Kremik near Primosten.

Sail Croatia (www.sailcroatia.net) puts together customized floating holidays for experienced sailors and novices alike. Its offices are in Split, Pula, and Dubrovnik.

Dalmatia Charter (www.dalmatiacharter.com), a family-run company, operates boating vacations out of Trogir and Kremik.

The remains of the passenger ferry Baron Gautsch off Rovinj is one of the most popular diving sites in Croatia. Diving Petra (tel. 052/812-880; www.divingpetra.hr) in Rovinj organizes excursions to the 1914 wreck.

Biokovo Active Holidays (tel. 021/679-655; www.biokovo.net) runs guided hikes and mountain biking on the Biokovo massif and sea kayaking near Brela.

Investigator tours tel. 021/321-698 lists rafting, canyoning, mountain biking, free climbing and paintball among its services.

Adventure Dalmatia (tel. 021/540-642; www.adventuredalmatia.com) runs rafting and canyoning trips on the river Cetina and sea kayaking around Hvar.

Check out the Issa Diving Center on the island of Vis (tel. 021/713-651; www.scubadiving.hr) to book a dive to the World War II U.S. B-17G bomber off the island's coast. Issa can arrange dives to other wrecks and it can put beginners through an elementary diving course or take them on explorations of Vis's many underwater caves.

Diving at Kornati National Park is strictly regulated. Most excursions to Kornati originate at Murter. Check with the Murter Tourist Office (tel. 022/434-995; www.tzo-murter.hr) for advice on diving trips to Kornati.

Windsurfing

Bol on the island of Brac and Viganj near Orebic on the Peljesac peninsula draw the most windsurfing fans. In Bol, go to Big Blue Sport (tel. 021/635-614; www.big-blue-sport.hr) for scuba and diving lessons and equipment, or check out Orca Sport (tel. 021/740-625; www.orca-sport.com) on Potocine Beach less than a mile out of town. Check with the Orebic Tourist Office (tel. 020/754-452; www.tz-orebic.com) for information on where to rent boards and where to get lessons in Vigani.

Cycling

Bicycling for tourists is growing in Croatia. To date, bike trails are regional and not well advertised. However, if you are interested in cross-country or mountain biking, check out www.findcroatia.com. The site lists agencies and links to other websites that can direct you to bike information.

One exception is biking up to 1,035m-high (3,395-ft.) Sljeme on "Bear Mountain" outside Zagreb. To rent bikes and cycling equipment and arrange an itinerary, go to Sport Diomed in Zagreb. Get info at www.sport-diomed.hr. It's also possible to use bikes in Zagreb proper. Look for red-painted bike lanes on streets in the city center.

Food & Wine Tours

Increasingly, Croatian entrepreneurs are marketing local products by developing wine and olive roads as well as special excursions for truffle hunting and wine dinners. Istria, Medimurje, Korcula, Vis, and Slavonia all have mapped out winery routes where you can stop and taste and even get a meal in some instances. For maps and information on Istria's wine roads go to www.istra.com/zupan/eng/v1.html. For Medimurje wine tours, check out the Tourist Board of Medimurje County in Cakovec at R. Boskovica 3 (tel. 040/390-191; www.tzm.hr). They can provide you with a well-done map tracing Medimurje's wine road and wineries where you can stop to taste or buy local vintages. You can get similar information at the Cakovec Tourist Office at Trg Kralja Tomislava 2 (tel. 040/313-319; www.tourism-cakovec.hr). Slavonia/Baranja wine road information can be found at www.tzosbarzup.hr. General information on Croatian wine is at www.vinocroatia.com.

Escorted General-Interest Tours

Escorted tours are structured group tours, with a group leader. The price usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation.

Despite the fact that escorted tours require big deposits and they predetermine hotels, restaurants, and itineraries, many travelers derive security and peace of mind from the structure they offer. Escorted tours -- whether they're navigated by bus, motorcoach, train, or boat -- let travelers sit back and enjoy the trip without having to drive or worry about details. They take you to the maximum number of attractions in the minimum amount of time with the least amount of hassle. They're particularly convenient for people with limited mobility, and they can be a great way to make new friends.

On the downside, you'll have little opportunity for serendipitous interactions with locals. The tours can be jampacked with activities, leaving little room for individual sightseeing, whim, or adventure. They often focus on the heavily traveled sites, so you miss out on many a lesser-known gem.

More than 50 U.S. tour operators offer packages to Croatia. Try Adriatic Tours, 777 W. 9th St., San Pedro, CA 90731 (tel. 800/262-1718; fax 310/831-8382; www.adriatictours.com), or Homeric Tours, 55 E. 59th St., New York, NY 10022 (tel. 800/223-5570; fax 212/753-0319; www.homerictours.com).

Adriatic specializes in Croatia and offers both escorted and hosted tours to almost all regions of the country. Adriatic also puts together religious tours and cruises. Homeric offers one hosted tour with a Croatian component and a "Dalmatian Sunshine" escorted tour that visits Dubrovnik, Split, Plitvice Lakes, Zagreb, and more. The New York-based Croatia Travel Agency (tel. 800/554-7016; www.croatiatravel.com) offers a full complement of itineraries for Croatia.

Private guides: If you have the resources, consider booking a private English-speaking guide who not only can plan a custom itinerary for you but also can arrange transport, transfers, and admittance to otherwise inaccessible sites. Jelena Delic (tel. 91-531-8782; damale3@hotmail.com) is one of the best. Nada Kozul (tel. 098/373-167; OS571643@yahoo.com) is another accomplished English-speaking guide who can take you "behind the scenes" at vineyards, kulen and cheese factories, national parks, and other venues where tourists rarely venture on their own. She will customize your Croatia tour to fit your specifications as well as accompany you along the route.