Murter

Murter town sits on the northwestern side of the island that shares its name, in the Šibenik archipelago just south of the Kornati islands. It's the oldest and largest settlement on the island, though it wasn't always called Murter — 13th-century records refer to it as Villa Magna, Latin for "big village," and it later went by Srimač before settling on its current name around 1715. Traces of an even older Illyric-Roman settlement, Colentum, have been found nearby, close to today's Betina.

The town itself is easy walking territory: stone streets, ivy-covered walls, and the kind of quiet that comes from a place that's grown slowly rather than all at once. The island's highest point, Raduč, rises to around 125 metres and still holds tunnels dug during the Yugoslav era.

Three other villages round out the island, each with its own character. Betina, just across the water from Murter town, is known for wooden boatbuilding — its shipyards still produce the traditional gajeta, and a small museum keeps the craft's history alive. Tisno, on the narrow strait separating the island from the mainland, is connected by a drawbridge and has become a fixture on the European electronic music calendar, with venues like The Garden Tisno hosting festivals such as Dimensions and SunceBeat each summer. Jezera, on the southeast coast, is a fishing village and home to the ANA sailing academy, which has trained sailors here since 1988.

The beaches are the other big draw — Slanica, a sandy stretch near Murter town, is the most popular for families, while Kosirina, tucked closer to the Kornati side of the island, and the pebble-and-rock coves at Podvrske and Cigrada offer quieter alternatives. Between the beaches, the old olive groves, and the short hop to Kornati National Park, Murter makes an easy, low-key base — and it's worth a visit if you're chartering a gulet in Croatia and want a slower day between the busier stops.