Things To Do in Istrian Riviera

The sunbathing spots on St Nikola Island, near Porec, are of the Heinz 57 variety. There are pebble beaches, paved bathing platforms and areas of grassy nature reserve, which sidle up to the sea. Families gravitate towards the beaches near the Fortuna Hotel, where there’s a shoreside children’s playground.

This week-long salsa festival takes place in Rovinj. Some of the biggest names in salsa dancing perform during the festival, dance classes are held all over town and parties erupt everywhere from bars to boats. Paradise Beach is one of the party hotspots. Almost every day, between 3pm and 7pm, a DJ takes to the decks at one of the beach bars here.

Katarina Island is just a 5-minute boat journey from Rovinj harbour. Most people head to the pebbly bays near the Hotel Catherine on the east side of the island. But, if you’re in search of entertainment, make your way to Golden Rock on the northwest edge, to see daredevil locals bulleting into the sea from the top of 15-metre-tall rocks.

There are more than 22 beaches near the village of Lopar on Rab Island, and Paradise Beach is the top dog. It’s got fine white sand and the water is so shallow you can wade out 100 metres before it gets waist deep.

This trio of Medieval hilltop towns, around an hour’s drive from Rovinj, deserve a chunk of your time. Buzet is a tangle of striking Medieval walls and shaded lanes filled with truffle shops. Motovun is a scrum of Romanesque and Gothic houses and artists’ studios. And Hum is famous for being the smallest town in the world.

Not everyone agrees on what to call Venice – it’s known as the city of bridges, masks and water – but everyone accepts it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. Ferries to Venice leave from Rovinj every day, and the journey takes just over 3 hours. Once you’re there, you can explore St Mark’s Basilica and sail down the Grand Canal in a gondola.

This festival takes place in Porec and lasts for 3 days. During the celebrations, jugglers, acrobats and dancers perform in the streets and workshops are held all over the town. You’ll find the majority of the action in the old town, near the basilica. Head here at night and you’ll catch fire-throwers lighting up the streets with their hair-raising performances.

Imagine the roar of 2,000 toga-clad spectators when you visit the Roman amphitheatre in Pula. Dating back to 30 BC, this huge limestone stadium is one of the 6 largest surviving Roman arenas in the world. It’s in such good condition – giving Rome’s Colosseum a run for its money – it’s easy to picture the gladiators fighting in to-the-death contests. Other must-sees in this 3,000-year-old town include the Temple of Augustus and a triumphal arch.

There are 14 ink blot-shaped islands in the Brijuni chain, just off the coast of Pula. Up until the Eighties they were off limits to the public, because they were owned by the head of communist Yugoslavia, Marshall Tito. Tito left at least one legacy on the islands. You can still visit his safari park, which is filled with some of the exotic animals he was given as gifts.

Croatia is home to more than 1,200 islands, but Cres and Krk are 2 of the best-known. There’s a long list of reasons why this duo have overshadowed the others. Both islands offer up sandy and pebbly beaches, their interiors are covered in nature parks and hiking trails, and their towns are all Medieval architecture and quaint cobbled streets.

Croatia is home to one of the greatest outdoors scenes in Europe. National parks run parallel to the country’s coast, putting walking, biking and rafting at visitors’ fingertips. The Risnjak National Park near Rijeka is one of the most popular places for hiking. Elsewhere, Croatia’s 1,000 kilometres’ worth of cycle paths wind their way through rugged wine country and rolling green countryside.

The Basilica of Euphrasius is Porec’s main claim to fame. This 6th-century religious site is in such good shape that UNESCO added it to their list of World Heritage Sites in the Nineties. The complex is made up of a baptistery, a bell tower, a bishop’s palace and a memorial chapel. One of the highlights is a series of ancient mosaics made from gold and mother of pearl.

Set on the southwest coast of Croatia’s largest island, Krk, Baska Beach is a rare animal – it’s sandy. The still water makes it a great place for little swimmers. Plus, if you feel like exploring, you can cure your itchy feet by hiring a taxi boat and travelling to one of Krk’s lesser-known bays.

Rovinj looks like it belongs on the Amalfi Coast. This pastel-coloured Medieval town topples down the hillside on Istria’s west coast, in the style of Sorrento or Positano. What sets it apart from its Italian look-alikes, though, is the forest that runs next to it. Woodland walks, rock-climbing and mountainside swimming are all in a day’s work here.

Within day-tripping distance of Porec, the Plitvice National Park is one of the freshest places on earth. The 16 lakes here are fed by hundreds of waterfalls and surrounded by rich green mountain scenery. The expanses of water are famous for their distinctive colours – green, grey, azure and even turquoise make up the natural colour chart here.

The Limski Kanal looks like it’s been plucked straight out of Norway. This fjord-like waterway slices through the Istrian countryside between Porec and Rovinj. One of the best ways to see the canal is on a boat trip. Alternatively, find a table at one of the waterside restaurants and soak up the views over a bowl of fresh oysters and a glass of crisp white wine.