November 6, 2026 – The season may be over, but the recognition keeps on coming. Croatian islands win big at the prestigious Wanderlist Reader Travel Awards.
Various studies cannot agree on how many there are exactly – some say 1185, others 1244, or even 1246 – but one thing is for sure – Croatian islands are gorgeous, a fact once more reinforced at the 2026 Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards in London earlier this week.
In the category Most Desirable Region (Europe), Croatian islands came away with the Gold Award, accompanied by this glowing tribute:
The rise of the Croatian Islands isn’t about riding a hot trend; it’s more a story of travellers simply discovering what’s there for themselves. With millions of visitors a year heading to Croatia’s Adriatic coast, those escaping its busier spots are realising how much more there is to see offshore. Beyond well-known Hvar, Brač and Korčula lie quiet, car-free communities such as Silba; incredible nature on Mljet, whose entire north-western end is a national park; pristine night skies on Lastovo, a candidate to become an official Dark Sky Park; and history aplenty in island-bound, UNESCO-listed Trogir. Even getting around invites reflection, with sailing trips from Vis aboard traditional sardine-fishing boats offering a recipe for slowing down.
Certain islands such as Hvar are no stranger to international recognition, having also been voted among the best islands in Europe in the 2026 Conde Nast Readers Traveler Awards, home to the first public theatre in all of Europe, and one where no island has more UNESCO heritage. But this was an award for all Croatia’s islands, 50 of which are inhabited, and which provide much of the country’s tourism draw.
While all the islands may look similar on the surface, there is an incredible diversity once you scratch the surface, which reveal some rather surprising facts, many of which I have summarised in this video below, 25 Things You Would Not Expect to FInd on a Croatian Island. These include the first place in the world to abolish slavery (Korcula), the birth of cricket in mainland Europe (Vis), and the birthplace of organise tourism in Europe (Hvar).
You can see the full list of Wanderlust awards here.
