MLJET, CROATIA

• POPULATION 1,100
• SIZE 38 square miles

For anyone following coast roads south through Croatia, Ml jet represents the grand finale – one last big island, before the Dalmatian Archipelago fades out into the Adriatic Sea. It’s a case of saving the best until last, with Ml jet being one of the most untouched islands in the Mediterranean: all tumbledown terracotta-roofed villages (such as Prozurska Luka, pictured), quiet stone quays and low-slung hills forested with Aleppo pine.

It’s equally perfect whether you board one of the sailing boats that bob beside limestone rocks or cycle along the solitary road that wriggles its way across the interior. Explorers from both sea and land can visit the Odysseus Cave — a sea tunnel rumoured to be the spot where the Greek sailor was imprisoned by the nymph Calypso, and into which brave swimmers set out on their own mini-odyssey.

• GETTING THERE – Connect from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur to Dubrovnik on British Airways with one stop in London; most flights only run in the warmer months. Continue by ferry to Sobra port on Mljet in 1 1/2 hours.