Montenegro

Montenegro is the Adriatic's compact showpiece — fjord-like bays, medieval stone towns and mountains that plunge straight into the sea, all in a country you can drive across in a morning. Its luxury credentials are anchored by two names: Aman Sveti Stefan, draped across a fortified islet of pink-roofed cottages once favored by Hollywood royalty, and the yacht-lined marina and Regent hotel of Porto Montenegro in the Bay of Kotor.

The bay itself is the star, a serpentine inlet ringed by Venetian-walled towns like Kotor and Perast, best explored by boat with a swim off the back and lunch at a waterside konoba. Inland rise the dramatic peaks of Durmitor and the canyons of the north, while the coast strings together beach clubs and old harbors. The best time to visit is late spring through September, when the Adriatic is warm, the superyachts arrive and the stone towns glow in the evening light.