Vela Spila in Vela Luka, Croatia

From the town of Vela Luka, follow the signs to Vela Spila. The walk is uphill (genuinely, significantly uphill, but you'll be used to that if you are in Dalmatia!), but if you can manage it, do. The path winds through sweeping views of the Adriatic, past fig and olive trees, and in April, wild irises that stop you in your tracks. The trail is easy to follow, and driving is apparently possible, but the walk is very much part of the experience. At the top: the cave. The path leads you directly to it, unmissable. Vela Spila is intimate in scale, with a gate at the entrance that limits indepen...