Lastovo is the largest island in southern Dalmatia's remote Lastovo archipelago. Covered in pine, oak and carob, it is also one of its greenest. Three small towns and a handful of tiny fishing villages dot the pinefringed bays and rocky crests of it's spectacular untouched coastline.With only a single paved road beginning at Ubli harbour, the interior of the island remains a wild, unspoilt map of karst valleys and wooded limestone ridges, macadam roads, olive groves, footpaths, fields and orchards. On the drier southern side of the island, the stunning bay of Skrivena Luka (Portorus) mirrors a luminous landscape of pine, rock and Mediterranean maquis. In summer, small yachts and sailboats drop anchor in the hidden bay. From a terrace at the water's edge, a konoba serves traditional island specialties prepared from local ingredients - salted anchovies sprinkled with capers, olive oil, lemon and matar - chargrilled sea bream and lobster - goats cheese and proscuitto . At sunset, Struga lighthouse, 80 metres above the bay, offers sublime panoramic views of the open sea and barren hills.

Visited throughout the centuries by Greeks, Romans and Venetians, Lastovo's history is a chronicle of precarious fortunes in a land of stunning beauty. One of the first significant references to the island was made in the mid-10th century by a certain Byzantine emperor named Constantine. In retaliation for acts of piracy against Venetian ships seeking passage into the Mediterranean, the Dodge of Venice sent his army to attack the people of Lastovo, burning and plundering their homes and livestock to the point of near extinction. For the next two and a half centuries Lastovo Island all but sank into oblivion. Seafaring traditions were gradually abandoned and the islanders turned their attention to the land - raising fruit and vegetables, tending small herds of sheep and goats, growing grapes and olives. Visiting Lastovo Town today, one is struck by its unusual position and layout. Instead of looking seaward as other island communities, the town faces inland over the fields and valleys that sustain it. Spread along the folds of a wooded limestone ridge, the stone houses, churches and simple rustic dwellings create a patchwork of textures and colours. Crusty terracotta rooftiles, palm trees and purple bougainvillea evoke a timeless air. Elsewhere in the town, where the road from Ubli enters the modern-day 'main drag', the picture is less idyllic. The socialist-inspired architecture of a string of buildings built in the '70s and '80s, elicits a sense of time warp and disconnect.What many visitors don't know is that like Vis, Lastovo served as a military outpost for the Yugoslav Army, albeit on a smaller scale and for fewer years. That legacy can still be seen today in the odd derelict property and vacant lot in Ubli town.

Lastovo has always been an island apart - marginalised geographically and economically. Ironically, this fact of life has helped to preserve its traditional lifestyle and culture, and above all, the natural resources and unspoilt beauty of one of the Mediterranean's last pristine destinations.