After doing minimal reading on Croatia over the last two weeks. My husband and I must GO! We love beaches and some adventures (kayaking?) but would also like to check out some sites and city life. Can you help with some potential itineraries and recommend a guide book that you have used when planning? We are in our early thirties. Thanks!

Good for you! My husband, after traveling all over Europe, decided we needed to live in Europe and so just bought a house in Croatia. We love it that much! The culture, scenery, sea, history, food and so on are simply incredible.

What time of the year are you planning to go? That dictates your itinerary a great deal. What type of budget do you have? How long are you planning on going for?

Until we know more info from you I would suggest you spend some time in Istria including Rovinj and hilltop villages (and/or east of there), down to Plitvice Lakes, down the coast to Trogir (spend half a day in Split) and Dubrovnik. The islands are spectacular so I would highly recommend one or two (Vis and Mljet are my favourites but Lokrum, near Dubrovnik, also makes a nice day trip).

You can check out the Fodors book, Lonely Planet, Bradt, Rough Guides, Frommers, etc.

travelinallie:

Please be advised that the Dalmatian coast does not have "sandy" beaches such as Hawaii. Most are pebbles and soft sandy beaches are very few and far between.
Also begin by checking out DK Eyewitness book on Croatia, it is excellent.
Decide how much time you want to spend here and then start looking at the local tourist bureau websites.
However time of year is the most important thought. Our high season begins in May and ends in starts lessening in october, but officially ends on 1 November. Be prepared, as Croatia has been for many years, Europe's best kept secret.

Dobrodosli u Dubrovnik

An American in DBV

In my opinion the best choices would be either islands Korcula or Mljet or peninsula Istra. Islands are a bit wilder than Istra so it depends what do you like more. Both have a lot to offer. You didn't say how long would your stay be, so I can't recommend anything concrete for itinerary.
The note Dubrovniktravelady said about beaches is correct in almost all cases, but there are a few soft sand smaller beaches to find.

Thank you for your suggestions. I'm just at the beginning of my research so this has been super helpful. More questions to come!

travelinannie- I hope you have read (or are reading) MaiTaiTom's just completed trip report on Croatia (and a couple other spots in "Central" Europe).

It is very informative, has great recommendations and is extremely descriptive of the places and things to see/do in Croatia.

It is also incredibly entertaining.

Here is the link:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35144160

This is quite a trip report! Thanks for the referral!