Peljesac personifies all the best of the Mediterranean - a spectacular coastline and wild interior, hidden coves and beaches, vineyards, oyster bays, historic towns and villages. Getting there from Dubrovnik is an experience not to be missed. The 60-minute scenic drive along the winding cliffhanger magistrala offers dramatic, panoramic views of the Elafiti Islands, Mljet and craggy coastal mountains. Further inland, the road traverses a rustic landscape of fields and valleys, blue oyster bays and the medieval towns of Ston and Mali Ston.

The Peljesac Peninsula is a long, narrow, mountainous landmass, encircled by deep sea channels and the sundrenched islands of Hvar, Korcula and Mljet. Up until a few years ago most holidaymakers who came this way were only familiar with the pretty fishing villages and pebbly beaches that stretch along its balmy shores.The town of Orebic, with its legendary seafaring tradition, monastery and 'captains' houses, was often viewed as a stepping stone en route to the more popular and dazzling town of Korcula across the channel. Things have changed and Peljesac is now emerging as a premiere, much-sought-after holiday destination. And rightly. It has vineyards and olive groves perched on near-vertical slopes in locations that will send you bonkers. It's Dingac, Postup and Plavac Mali wines are world famous, but you don't have to go to New York or California to enjoy them.Whether served in a bottle in a posh seaside cabana, or drawn from the barrel of a local farmstead, they are available, affordable and amazing. Fresh seafood, the kind caught that morning, chargrilled or baked peka-style, drizzled with olive oil and herbs, is a take for granted. Good food, the gutsy stuff, is to be found in the more hidden places in the earth-driven heartland.This is where the food is grown, where the livestock, goats and chickens are raised, where the olives and grapes are pressed, where the figs and almonds ripen. Scattered about the countryside and villages of the interior, small konobas and homesteads offer delicious traditional cuisine, prepared with reverence and simplicity. Home-cured hams and sausages - ovenbaked olives and farmer's cheeses - homemade wine and brandies infused with walnuts, honey and carob. Even donkey's milk.

Unsurprisingly, Peljesac is a place that everyone wants a piece of. A small community of ex-pat Brits has already bought property in some of the area's most stunning locations. The sandy beaches and pretty fishing villages of Loviste, Kuciste and Viganj attract holidaymakers, cyclists, and windsurfers. Ancient forests of pine and cypress blanket the foothills of the corrugated mountains. Here in groves and silent hollows the people of Orebic built their chapels and mourned their dead - the young sailors and gallant captains who perished at sea. Herbs and wildflowers grow in profusion. Footpaths weave through crumbling villages, and beyond to the summit of St. Ilija, the highest summit in the Dalmatian archipelago.

The town of Korcula, on the Island of Korcula, lies just across the channel from Orebic. Its main claim to fame is that Marco Polo was born here, which is not that unlikely given that Korcula was ruled by Venice for centuries. The historic town centre is beautifully preserved with a medieval fortress and cathedral, palaces, squares and a labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets. Korcula Island and the area around Lumbarda is especially famous for its white Grk and Posip wines.