BEACH JOY | A sandy cove on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.  In this Caribbean archipelago you can flit from shore to shore with little more than a compass. In summer low season, you can find serious deals. And the heat? It's just two degrees warmer on average than the rest of the year. Book a boat for a week of sun and sapphire waters.  EVERY TRIP starts and finishes in Beef Island, the Grand Central Terminal of the B.V.I.s. Upon landing, take a 40-minute taxi ride to Road Town, on Tortola. You can catch a public ferry to a couple of islands (Virgin Gorda, Anegada), but if you really want to roam, charter a yacht. The biggest companies in the area, the Moorings (moorings.com), Sunsail (sunsail.com) and the Charter Yacht Society (bvicrewedyachts.com), offer bareboat and skippered options.  Dine at the husband-and-wife-run Dove, then overnight at the spare but convenient Mariner Inn (from $160 per night, bvimarinerinnhotel.com) or the family-friendly Treasure Isle Hotel (from $170 per night, treasureislehotelbvi.com).  After provisioning the next day, start your adventure at the very high end: Peter Island, an 1,800-acre private-island resort with 55 guest villas and a 15-slip marina (peterisland.com). Enjoy a dip off one of the five beaches, then lunch at lively Drake's Channel Lounge, where the rum cocktails flow. You'll be sleeping on your yacht, but indulge in dinner at Tradewinds, where the region's best chefs come to cook.  Steer south to cove-addled Norman Island, said to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island." Spend the morning snorkeling the rock formation called the Indians, then pop by Pirates Bight, a beach shack heaving with locals and sailors for a freshly-caught-fish sandwich (piratesbight.com). In the afternoon, anchor at the bight, a deep indentation in the coastline, and snorkel in and out of the famous caves. Dinner is a rollicking fete at William Thornton Floating Bar (aka Willy T's), a replica 1915 schooner where captains of industry and local yoga instructors mingle over fresh fish and strong cocktails (williamthornton.com). Don't let the captain drink, as you have to head northwest to Frenchman's Cay for the night.  Make your way to Jost Van Dyke, a tiny island in the northwest corner of the B.V.I.s, where you have a big choice to make: lunch at Foxy's Tamarind Bar in Great Harbour, where microbrews are made in-house, or wade from the yacht to the Soggy Dollar Bar on White Bay. It's home of the Painkiller, a blend of dark rum, pineapple and orange juices, cream of coconut and freshly grated nutmeg. After some mind-blowing snorkeling, go back to Tortola and overnight at Cane Garden Bay, a sugar-sand beach dotted with restaurants.  Reprovision before heading east to Guana Island, another private-island resort, where you can linger over lunch then work off your sea legs with some hiking (guana.com). On the other side of White Bay, past Grand Camanoe, is private Scrub Island (scrubisland.com). Its marina opened in 2010, and provides access to a spa, five restaurants, a gourmet market and the breeding ground of record-breaking blue marlin.  You're out at sea for some 20 miles en route to Anegada. With just 200 year-round residents, this atoll is basically a beach surrounded by the 18-mile-long Horseshoe Reef. At the center of the atoll, flamingos dine on shrimp. Amble along the beach in search of a restaurant where the boatman will catch a spiny Anegada lobster and grill it in butter for a decadent afternoon snack.  Cruise around Virgin Gorda for a final night in the marina of Rosewood Little Dix Bay (rosewoodlittledixbay.com). Include a few hours at the Baths, a scattering of boulders jutting out of the sand, creating a natural water park on the west coast of Virgin Gorda. Shed a few tears as you sail back to Road Town.  SWEDISH DISH | Views over rooftops on Sandhamn island in Sweden  Only about 1,000 of the more than 200,000 Swedish islands are inhabited. But every summer, their populations multiply exponentially. In Gotland, parties throbbing with techno coexist with quiet coastal beauty. In Sandhamn, watch boat races from craggy shores. Head to Öland, the former hunting preserve of Swedish kings, for forests and fields of wild orchids. There's more than enough variety to fill a week.  START IN SANDHAMN, a two-hour ferry ride from Stockholm and a popular Midsummer party destination for young and posh locals. Fans of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy will recall that his protagonist had a writing cabin here.  Sailor's Toast at Sandhamn Yacht Hotel  The island hosts the prestigious ÅF Offshore Race, running this year from June 28 to July 4. Immerse yourself in officer-class luxury at the Sandhamn Yacht Hotel, built as the clubhouse for the Royal Swedish Yacht Club in 1897 (from $335 per night, www.sandhamn.com). The restaurant has dishes for native tastes, like herring three ways, but plenty of fare kinder to foreign palates, such as Sailor's Toast: beef filet with horseradish, béarnaise and fried potatoes. If you've left your brass-buttoned blazer at home, consider Sands Hotell, an elegant conference establishment that allows only private guests in summer (from $225 per night, sandshotell.se).  After a waterfront shopping stroll, dine among deckhands and hear musicians play at cafe/bakery Sandhamns Bageriet (Fogdevägen 2).  Inspired by the races? You can go out with a skipper on a 51-foot racing sailboat or take a kayak tour of narrow lagoons and tiny, unnamed islands; both can be arranged through Sandhamns Guiderna (sandhamnsguiderna.com).  Go back to the capital and take a 35-minute flight to Gotland, the largest of the Swedish islands. The main city of Visby is a walled medieval holdout, and where the wildest summer parties take place. Hotel 1 (from $150 per night, hotel1.nu) pays homage to the past with crystal chandeliers and headboards reminiscent of royal tapestries. To escape the Visby scene, head about 30 miles south to the chic, seaside Djupvik Hotel (from $315 per night, djupvikhotel.com).  After exploring the quaint farming area of Hablingbo, wash a crepe down with French cider at Hablingbo Crêperie, a converted barn with a colorful tiled bar by ceramics artist Åsa Lindström (hablingbocreperie.com).  Looking out from the hotel  Assemble a baked-goods picnic at Rute Stenugnsbageri (rutestenugnsbageri.se), then head several miles north and take a dip in an old chalk mine, Blå Lagunen.  At the northernmost tip of Gotland, a free ferry makes the several-minute run to Fårö, the tiny island where Ingmar Bergman lived and worked. This year the annual Bergman festival runs from June 25 to July 1.  Make a pit stop at the Kutens Bensin Café, with an outdoor patio decorated with vintage automotive paraphernalia (kuten.se). Visit Sweden's only rum distillery, Träkumla Rom, for a taste of pot still rum distilled from sugar beets (trakumlarom.se).  Back in Visby, take the three-hour ferry to Oskarshamn, then another boat to Öland (about two hours). Known as "The Island of Sun and Wind," it is distinguished by its red limestone coloring, dense forest that once hosted royal game hunts and patches of tundra-like landscape that have been tilled for eons.  In Öland's only town, the 41-room Hotell Borgholm offers a stark but pleasing contrast to a landscape dotted with Iron Age ruins (from $185 per night, hotellborgholm.com). Its restaurant serves contemporary interpretations of Swedish fare, such as North Sea cod with local truffles.  Eat like an Ölander at Evas Kroppkakor, which serves classic bacon-filled potato dumplings. Don't miss the dry-cured sausage, best served charred, with potatoes and cream.  The royal summer palace of Solliden offers an intimate look at the understated grandeur of Scandinavian royalty, and is surrounded by immaculate, tour-worthy gardens (www.sollidensslott.se).  Warm days, whale sightings and late sunsets make summer the perfect time to visit the dozen-island San Juans. Four isles are accessible by Washington State Ferry—San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw—and none is more than two hours from any other. Set aside at least four days to soak up the Pacific vibe.  SEE SHORE | A lighthouse at Lime Kiln Point on Washington state's San Juan Island.  IN ANACORTES, Wash., hop the express ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Kick off with land-based whale-watching at Lime Kiln Point. Resident orca populations swim so close to shore here that you can leave the binoculars at home (parks.wa.gov). Learn more at the Whale Museum, on the bluffs overlooking Friday Harbor marina (whalemuseum.org).  Quaff one-of-a-kind spirits at San Juan Island Distillery, near Roche Harbor. The liquor maker has attracted a following for its Spy Hop Gin, which incorporates island botanicals such as blackberries and wild roses (sanjuanislanddistillery.com).  Spend the night at the modern Island Inn at 123 West. The Silver LEED-certified hotel has 16 rooms, some with decks and views of the San Juan Channel (from $179 per night, 123west.com).  Take the ferry to Orcas Island and beeline for the 1,576-acre Turtleback Mountain Preserve. From the south trailhead, an hour-long hike will take you to the top—a great spot for the picnic lunch you picked up at Passionate for Pies (passionateforpies.com).  If it's Saturday, swing by Orcas Island Farmers' Market in Eastsound for island rutabaga and handcrafted toys (orcasislandfarmersmarket.org).  Splurge for dinner on the deck at Allium in Eastsound, where chef Lisa Nakamura deftly blends Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Locals swear by the saffron clam chowder (alliumonorcas.com).  Overnight at the circa-1913 Roundhouse Suite, a circular bungalow at Rosario Resort & Spa that sits alone on a rocky bluff overlooking Cascade Bay (rosarioresort.com).  Day trips by ferry are best for quiet Shaw and Lopez islands. The Shaw General Store, which dates back to 1898, is a must-stop. The shop peddles local products like mustard and apple butter, as well as folk art (shawgeneralstore.com).  On Lopez, rent a bike from Lopez Bicycle Works and explore the roads that fan out from the ferry terminal (from $7 per hour, lopezbicycleworks.com). Tim and Kristin Shea have modernized Bay Café with dishes such as clams and chorizo, and sea scallop risotto with porcini mushrooms, leeks and crème fraîche. Request a table on the bay-side patio and linger through sunset (bay-cafe.com).  The best way to experience Croatia's Adriatic charms is to see it via the sea. While it's a near-impossible feat to visit all of the 1,244 islands that speckle the Croatian coast, you can delight in discovering a few of the Dalmatian isles around Split. Spend six days between two major islands, Hvar and Vis, to take in culture, history, beach time, fine food and wine.  WHILE MOST PEOPLE head to Hvar, Croatia's sunniest island, for chic beachside parties, there is far more to it. To explore Hvar's unsung highlights, take the car ferry from Split, Dalmatia's capital, to the ancient town of Stari Grad on Hvar's western coast.  Start by exploring Tvrdalj Castle, a Renaissance structure once owned by poet Petar Hektorović, with a fish pond and poems carved into the stone walls. Walk up the hill to the 1482 Dominican monastery to peek at "The Mourning of Christ," a painting attributed to Tintoretto.  Stroll down the alleyways to Fantazam (fantazam.com) an art gallery that displays surreal jewelry and sculptures made out of found natural materials like seashells, bones and wood. Have lunch at the rickety townhouse that hides Antika (Donja Kola), serving Adriatic staples such as squid ink risotto.  Drive to Hvar Town, the island's hub, presided over by a 16th-century hilltop fortress. Lounge over coffee on the rectangular main square, with the town's cathedral as the backdrop. Check into Hotel Adriana (from $415 per night; www.suncanihvar.com), the town's swankiest spot. The hotel has a rooftop bar and light-flooded rooms overlooking the sea and the medieval town. Come dinner time, grab a table at Gariful (hvar-gariful.hr) for just-caught fish grilled with olive oil, herbs and garlic. Pair it with Plavac wine from the island's south side.  Wrap up with cocktails and DJ-spun tunes at Carpe Diem (carpe-diem-hvar.com), the pioneer of Croatia's beachfront lounge bars.  The next day, book a tour with Secret Hvar (secrethvar.com), a local outfitter that takes visitors into the island's interior and to see hidden chunks of coastline. The 4WD journey takes in vineyard-covered hills, olive groves, fields of rosemary and lavender, abandoned villages and Hvar's highest peak, Saint Nicholas, which offers a 360-degree view of the islands of Brač, Korčula and Vis.  Break for lunch in Humac village, abandoned except a traditional tavern known for its meals prepared under peka, a bell-shaped lid covered with coal; try the lamb with organic vegetables. Have Secret Hvar take you to one of the secluded beaches on the island's south coast before heading back to town.  Dine at Zlatna Školjka (zlatna.skoljka.com), a family-run slow food restaurant in the maze of the old town, where specialties include gregada stew prepared with sea snails, lobster and prime fish and innovative dishes like chicken in wild orange sauce.  Spend your third day at sea. Hvar Adventure (hvar-adventure.com) offers sailing jaunts to the coves of the Paklinski archipelago. You'll sail past the tiny island of Jerolim, known as a nudist hideaway. Disembark at Palmižana, a sandy cove on St. Klement island fringed with fragrant pine trees. Have lunch at Meneghello Place (www.palmizana.hr), a family-run artists' retreat with villas and bungalows dotted around subtropical gardens. Return to Hvar for Dalmatian tapas at Konoba Menego (menego.hr), a place so old-fashioned, the staff wears traditional outfits.  The next day it's on to Vis, accessible by fast catamaran from Hvar Town on Tuesdays; otherwise, return to Split by ferry and take a catamaran from there. Vis is among Croatia's best-kept secrets—until 1989 it was cut off to foreign visitors as the base of the Yugoslav National Army. It has since blossomed into an "it" island, and cognoscenti flock here for gourmet food and secluded beaches.  In Vis Town, check in to Hotel San Giorgio (from $190 per night; hotelsangiorgiovis.com), a chic little Italian-run spot where rooms come with hardwood floors and sea-facing terraces. Just a stroll away is the island's best restaurant, Pojoda (Don Cvjetka Marasovića 8), a yachters' paradise with orange and lemon trees on the terrace; specialties include Adriatic seafood and a local dish called orbiko, with orzo, shrimp and peas.  Rent a scooter the next day to explore the hidden beaches on the south coast. The most dramatic is Stiniva a pebble cove with a narrow entrance flanked by high rocks. Eat lunch at Konoba Roki's (rokis.hr), a rural retreat owned by a local winemaker, where specialties include smoked eel and octopus under peka. Ride to Komiža, once a town of fishermen and pirates, today a bohemian hideaway. Wander its seafront and dine at Konoba Jastožera (jastozera.com), known for its lobsters, which you savor as you sit on wooden planks over water, surrounded by old fishing bric-a-brac.  Devote your second day to the island of Biševo, which lies across from Komiža, on a boat excursion with Blue Cave (visbluecave.com). Its highlight is the Blue Grotto, a coastal cave filled with blue light. In summer the cave can get seriously crowded, so you may want to head to the less-visited Green Grotto on the nearby islet of Ravnik. Back in Vis Town, dine at Kantun (Biskupa Mihe Pušića 17), a tiny tavern on the seafront that serves tuna prosciutto and mean flavored rakija, a Croatian version of grappa.  A version of this article appeared June 9, 2012, on page D11 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Hop to It.
Perfect itineraries for summer trips to the islands of Sweden, the British Virgin Islands, the San Juan Islands and Croatia's Dalmatian Islands.