Krk is the largest of Croatia’s Adriatic islands and, while the northern half of the island is quite well-developed in terms of tourist activity, the south and east offer mountains, vineyards, olive groves and sun-bleached villages.  Krk has been inhabited continuously since the dawn of history, with traces of Neolithic man discovered in caves on the island. Here, earthworks and burial mounds date from the Bronze and Iron Ages scattered throughout the island.

Later Krk fell under Venetian rule and later still under the Dukes of Krk, known as the Frankopans, one of the region’s most powerful feudal families. Now, it is linked to the island by a bridge and many of the inhabitants of the island commute for work. Krk Town is a historic settlement built on the site of the Roman town of Curicum and is still surrounded by scraps of its original city wall. The place to head is Trg bana Jelacica, a large open space just to the west outside the town walls. It overlooks the busy harbor and the main sights of the town are within easy reach – the 13th century Guard Tower, the Roman Mosaic, the Cathedral of the Assumption and the narrow JJ Strossmayera alleyway (the town’s main thoroughfare).

There are plenty of good cafes and restaurants and the town gets pleasantly busy on summer evenings.  Baska, in the far south, is a quirky fishing village with a spectacular sandy beach that can get busy in high season. A twenty minute walk inland from Baska is the village of Jurandvor, the site of one of Croatia’s most important archaeological discoveries – the 11th century inscription known as the Baska tablet. The best overnight mooring on a Punat Krk yacht charter is in the marina at Punat, located to the east of Krk Town on the shores of a large, landlocked inlet.