Bavljenac Island, Croatia

This 'fingerprint' is one of a kind

Of the 1,246 islands on Croatia's fragmented coast, the unique isle of Bavljenac might be the most identifiable. It's nicknamed 'Fingerprint Island' for its miles of dry-stone walls that look like the whorled ridges of a human fingerprint. The tiny, uninhabited landmass in the Adriatic Sea was once an agricultural centre. In the 19th century – the heyday of Croatian wine production – farmers from the nearest populated island built the winding walls on Bavljenac to protect olive trees and grapevines from the winds blowing in from the Adriatic.