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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. **** Saturday/Sunday, July 21 - 22, 2018 | D5 ADVENTURE & TRAVEL Easy on theIsles

How to choose a hideaway among ’s thousand-plus islands? We zero in on four options that are a simple ferry ride, stroll across a bridge—or dash on a private speedboat—from the mainland

pines,two turn-of-the-centuryvillas con- EMPHATICALLY ADRIATIC nect via asleek newstructurewith afacade The Croatian town of on the of travertine limestone mosaic and glass. namesakeisland is becoming one of Gueststend to spend most of their time at Europe’s biggestsummer draws. the hotel’sprivatebeach deck or visiting the swankyspa, with itsindoor seawater pool and various treatments, from asteam bath with island herbs to acollagen face mask. From about $360 anight, losinj-ho- tels.com Getting There Newdaily flights(through lateSeptember) operatefromZagreb,Split and Pula in Croatia as well as Lugano in Switzerland to Losinj airport, a20-minute drivefromthe hotel. Alternatively,takea ferryboat or catamaran from the coastal cit- ies of Rijeka, Zadar or Pula; check www..hr forschedules. Newly Cool Ciovo A leper colony in medieval times, tiny Ciovo island wasn’t much of a tourist destination until recently. It sits just across the narrow channel from , whose ancient town center, a Unesco World Heritage site, is a maze of alleyways and a collection of re- markably preserved Romanesque, Renais- sance and baroque buildings. Today, Ciovo, connected to Trogir by a small bridge, func- tions as that larger town’s seaside suburb and heaves with nondescript holiday homes. Most of the mainland’s attractions are easily accessible by car rental or taxi. Staying There Aspirited resort by TelAviv- BY ANJA MUTIĆ based BrownHotels,the 42-room Brown Beach House Croatia opened in 2016 in afor- LACING SECOND in Sunday’sWorld Cup,the national soccerteam of Croatia has mer tobacco-shipment station. With itsfancy had atumultuous week,ashaveits legions of fans.But with athousand islands seafood-focused restaurant, small spa and scatteredalong their country’sjade-green Adriatic coast, from deserted flyspecks glamorous,unabashedly vintage-style décor to hipster outposts, there’snoshortageofplaces to lick one’swounds—or bask by Amsterdam-based designer Saar Zafrir— in silver-medal glory. Theinternational jet set has long crowedabout Hvar, mahoganyfloors, large pottedpalm trees and Pwherethe main town featuresapostcard-perfect harbor and raucous nightlife, while more black-and-white-tiled swimming pool—the ho- budget-minded beachgoersand watersportsenthusiastsgravitatetoBrac. Historybuffs tend telisbringing an atypical cool to this often to seek out Losinj,afavoriteretreat in the days of the HabsburgEmpire, and little-known overlooked island. Acrossthe street is the ho- Ciovoisstarting to catchonwith trendsetters.Asproof that Croatia’stourism draw isn’t let- tel’sbeach club and bar.Wordtothe wise: ting up,stylish seaside hotels keep springing up.For aguide to island hideouts, read on. Book aroom overlooking the old town of Tro- gir or risk getting abland viewofthe main- land acrossthe channel. From about $295 a To Hvar and Hvar Not opened two summersago, perked up the night, brownhotels.com/croatia If you want to get your groove on in Croa- sleepy fishing villageofSutivan, on the CHAISE AWAY Little GreenBay,asmall hotel Getting There Hire a taxi or rent a car at tia, drop anchor in the town of Hvar on the other side of the island from Bol. Guests on Hvar’s Lozna Bay. Split airport, 3 miles away. namesake island. Come summer, sailboats stay in one of atrio of 300-year-old and yachts swarm the medieval town re- stone buildings, including a16th-century nowned for its round-the-clock revelry. But Renaissancemansion, that surround a beyond Hvar Town’s beach parties and full- garden draped in bougainvillea. All 35 moon shindigs, the islands sprawls across rooms of the hotel aredecked out with some 115 square miles and encompasses a handcraftedwood furnishings, Brac mar- clutch of quiet hamlets, pine-backed pebble ble floorsand designer touches likeMu- beaches and fields of lavender. rano chandeliers. Theproperty’s restau- Staying There Little Green Bayhotel, just 3 rant takesarather formal approach to miles outside the hubbub of Hvar Town, local fare, with dishes likerack of lamb hugsasmall bucolic cove.Itopened in coated in Dalmatian spices andgrilled 2016,the passion project of aFrench inte- Adriatic tuna with onion marmalade. rior designer and her brother who previ- There’sawellnesspavilion (for massages ously owned and ranrestaurantsinParis; or ashvitz in acedar sauna), aswim- they restored an old farmhouse and turned ming pool and, farther afield, aprivate it intoa15-room, earth-toned retreat. All beach, accessible by one of the hotel’s rooms come with abalconyorterraceover- complimentarybikes or the golf cart looking Lozna Bay, and youcan loll water- shuttle service. Guestsinthe mood fora STANDUP side on giant beanbagsorrattanlounge field trip canhikeupVidovaGora, the chairs. If you’refeeling antsy,the hotel’s tallest peak of Brac,affording panoramic speedboat will ferryyou to nearby Pakleni vistas of neighboring islands. From FORUSALL archipelagotoswim, kayakortuck intoa about $340 anight, lemongardenho- beachfront lunch on one of the tinyislands tel.com Clinical trials bringuscloser to the day when all or zip youovertoHvarTowntomingle Getting There A 50-minute ferry ride cancer patients can become survivors. with the party people. From about $450 a from the Split harbor will deliver you to night, littlegreenbay.com the town of Supetar. From there, you can Getting There Fly into Split airport and take arrange for a private transfer to Hotel Clinical trials are an essential path to progress and the brightest a ferryboat (roughly two hours) or catama- Lemongarden. Or book a direct transfer torch researchers have to light their way to better treatments. That’s ran (one hour) to Hvar island; check the from Split via the hotel’s speedboat. because clinicaltrials allow researchers to test cutting-edge and boat schedules at www.jadrolinija.hr. Alter- potentially life-saving treatments while giving participants access to natively, arrange for the hotel’s boat to pick Long-Lost Losinj the best options available. you up from Split. Largely off the radar these days, 29- square-mile Losinj sits on the northern If you’re interested in exploringnew treatment options that Get Sporty on Brac stretch of Croatia’s coastline in the Kvar- may also lightthe path to better treatments for other patients, Among the largest of the Dalmatian islands ner Gulf. Long ago, the Austro-Hungarian and closest to the mainland, Brac is home to elite frequented the island, drawn by its aclinical trial may be the rightoptionfor you. Zlatni Rat, one of Croatia’s rare sandy agreeable microclimate and a profusion Speak with your doctor and visit beaches. Popular with windsurfers, Zlatni of exotic plants brought over in the 19th StandUpToCancer.org/ClinicalTrials Rat also accommodates all manner of beach century by sea captains from their world- to learn more. toys, from water skis to banana boats. The wide travels. beach anchors one of the island’s biggest Staying There Opened in 2015,Boutique towns, Bol, home to a number of medieval Hotel Alhambrahas brought awhiff of sites and art-filled churches, as well as un- the Habsburgheydayback to the island. exceptional hotels. Overlooking the seaside promenade of Staying There Hotel Lemongarden, which Cikat Bayand aforest of ancient Aleppo PINCHUK F SA AS Y; BA GREEN LITTLE ; Sonequa Martin-Green, TO SU2C Ambassador CKPHO TO Photo Credit: Matt Sayles /IS Stand Up To Cancer is adivision of the GES Entertainment IndustryFoundation,

IMA a501(c)(3) charitable organization. GETTY P: TO OM FR LEE; ON JAS BY MAP CHECK IT OUT The two-year-old Brown Beach House Croatia on the tiny island of Ciovo.