The Travel Guide to the Istria Peninsula in Croatia
General
The Istria Peninsula is the largest peninsula in Croatia. It is located in the northwestern part of the country, along the Adriatic Sea between the Gulf of Trieste in Italy and the Kvarner Gulf in Croatia. The Istria Peninsula is shared by Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia, but its main part belongs to Croatia. This article deals only with the Croatian part. The area of the peninsula is about 3,500 square kilometers, and its shape is triangular. The length of the peninsula is about 80 km, and its width (at its widest point) is about 65 km. Along its entire length are indented and winding sea coasts with fjords, lagoons, and an abundance of islands and islets. This is the reason why the length of the coastline on the peninsula is about 455 km! Along the coasts are scattered ancient cities, remains of Roman buildings, vibrant resort towns, fishing villages, marinas, beaches, and plenty of restaurants (a paradise for fish and seafood lovers) and cafes.
The city of Rovinj:
This is a long-standing and popular resort area where Tito, the former president of Yugoslavia, used to vacation in his official summer residence. Many artists and cultural figures loved to vacation in the area, including Chekhov.
In the center of the peninsula are mountains about 1,400 meters high, featuring many vineyards, wineries, olive groves, lavender fields, forests known for the truffles hidden within them, agricultural villages, and a wealth of ancient and charming towns.
The Amphitheatre in the city of Pula:
It is recommended to visit Croatian Istria for at least 3 days in order to see the best of the area. For those interested in combining active recreation, beaches, and entertainment or touring the area at a leisurely pace while combining culture, food, wine, history, visiting towns and villages, and special tours, it is recommended to come for a full week. You won't be bored for a moment!
Did you know? Istria is home to the smallest city in the world (according to the Guinness Book of Records) named "Hum", where only 17 residents live.
Location and Means of Transportation
Istria has two international airports:
Pula Airport – Pula Airport located in the south of the peninsula, served by flights from various destinations in Europe such as London, Berlin, and Amsterdam, as well as domestic flights from major destinations in Croatia.
Rijeka International Airport – Rijeka Airport, which is reached by flights from a variety of destinations in Europe as well as seasonal charter flights from Israel.
You can of course fly to Zagreb's international airport, which has direct flights from Israel, and drive about 2-3 hours (depending on the destination) to the peninsula.
Or fly to Ljubljana, which also has direct flights from Israel, and drive about 1:40 - 2:30 hours to Istria.
Or fly to Venice, which also has direct flights from Israel, and from there drive about 2:20 - 3:00 hours to Istria.
You can reach Istria (and other destinations in Croatia) by ferry from Italy. In the tourist season there are ferries several times a day from Venice to a variety of destinations in Istria, including Rovinj, Pula, and Poreč. The sailing duration starts from two and a half hours.
The most convenient and cheapest way to travel in Istria, as in all of Croatia, is by rental car.
Guided Tours in the Istria Peninsula from Viator:
Weather and When to Visit
The main tourist season in Istria is between June and September, when the weather is summer-like and comfortable and swimming in the sea is possible. The busiest months are July and August, similar to most countries in the world. In these months the average high temperature is 28 degrees Celsius and the low is 18 degrees. Between June and September all tourist sites are active and open. Also in October, April, and May the weather is suitable for trips in cities, towns, and nature, but not for swimming in the sea or spending time in water parks and pools, with maximum average temperatures of 17 degrees in April and 19 in October. Many tourist sites, especially family-oriented ones like amusement and adventure parks, are closed (or open only on weekends) and sometimes restaurants, cafes, and some hotels are inactive from late September to late May. In the months of November to March it is quite cold with maximum temperatures of 8-10 degrees from December to February and low average temperatures (at night) of only 2-3 degrees.
Rain can fall in any month of the year, with the rainiest month being November with 109 mm and the driest July with only 60 mm. Basically it is a sunny region and if it rains it is for a few hours only.
The water temperature in July-August is 25-26 degrees Celsius (lower than the Mediterranean Sea but definitely pleasant enough for swimming, even for Israelis). In June and September the water temperature is only 22-23 degrees.
For gastronomy enthusiasts interested in olive harvesting or truffle hunting, the most successful travel season is autumn.
Accommodation Recommendations in Istria:
Villa Franka Villa Franka
An amazing villa with five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a swimming pool with lighting and hydrojet,
three kitchens, two living rooms, an amazing playroom for young children with more toys than three houses combined together,
a youth playroom with a foosball table, ping pong, and more, playground equipment in the garden, a huge yard with fruit trees and grapes for self-picking, seating corners and statues, and a huge barbecue. The villa comes heavily equipped at a high standard including wine, beers, cheeses, cold cuts, and cakes as a "starter". Gifts for children. They thought of everything - baby cots, a baby high chair, toddler tableware, cleaning materials, a sewing kit, a first aid kit, and more.
Amazing and friendly landlords who help with everything. Discount vouchers for attractions, tourist sites, and restaurants. Free internet, free parking. Located in the town of Nedešćina, near the city of LABIN and about 10 km from the beaches of the resort town of RABAC.
Grand Park Hotel Rovinj
The newest and most luxurious 5-star resort in Rovinj, the most beautiful and visited city in Istria.
Located on a wonderful beach with a view of the old town of Rovinj and its neighboring islands. The hotel has three swimming pools (one of them indoor), a spa and fitness center, a marina, a children's club, playrooms, water sports, plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops. The hotel features rooms for 2-3 people, family rooms, and suites for 4 people. Every room has a balcony or garden. Free internet and parking.
Hotel Eden
A 4-star resort spreading over a huge area with a wonderful beach in Rovinj, the most beautiful and visited city in Istria. Abundant in vegetation and bordering an ancient forest. The hotel has 3 pools (including one indoor), a wellness and spa center, a fitness room, sports facilities.
All rooms are air-conditioned and have a balcony. The hotel has several restaurants and bars. The hotel offers shows and various activities for its guests. The hotel features rooms for 2-3 people, family rooms, and suites for 4 people. Free internet and parking.
Valamar Sanfior Hotel & Casa
A 4-star resort in Rabac located on the beach. The resort features 3 swimming pools, one of them indoor, restaurants, bars, and a wellness center. The place features a children's club, a children's playground, sports and recreation facilities (such as mini golf). The resort offers bicycle rentals as well as varied activities and shows for the whole family. The hotel features rooms for 2-3 people, family rooms, and suites for 4 people. Most rooms have balconies. Free internet and parking.
Girandella Valamar Collection Resort
A 4-star resort in Rabac located on the beach. The resort has 3 swimming pools (one with water slides, one infinity, and one heated), plenty of activities for children and youth, many sports facilities, and shows for the whole family. The hotel has 6 restaurants and bars. The hotel features rooms for 2-3 people, family rooms, and suites for 4 people. Every room has a balcony overlooking the Adriatic Sea or the park. Free internet. Parking for a modest fee.
Major Tourist Cities in Istria
Rovinj
The most beautiful and visited city on the Istria Peninsula. Its old town was built on a small, rounded peninsula in western Istria, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It is considered one of the most romantic cities in all of Croatia. The city has a marina and fishing port and is adjacent to several small islands.
♦ Details about Rovinj in the article: Trip to Rovinj.
Recommended guided tours in Rovinj from Viator:
Short video about Rovinj:
Pula
Located at the southern tip of Istria and is the largest city in Istria. It is abundant in attractions, tourist sites, and of course beaches and entertainment.
It has been an important administrative center since ancient Roman times and many ancient Roman sites still remain in it. Its old town is well-preserved with a large and impressive amphitheatre, a temple, a fortress, a forum, and an ancient gate called: "Sergius Arch" (Slavoluk Sergijevaca). It is fun to walk around on foot among the ancient buildings, overlook the city from Kaštel Fortress, and walk around its vibrant marina. It features a successful aquarium located inside a fortress.
♦ Details about Pula in the article: Trip to Pula.
Recommended guided tours in Pula from Viator:
Short video about Pula:
North of Pula is the fishing village of Fažana, which serves as a starting point for a trip to Brijuni National Park Brijuni NP. The tour includes a short boat ride to the island where the national park is located,
Poreč
Is another popular resort city in the western Istria Peninsula, north of Rovinj. It has plenty of hotels and resorts located on wonderful beaches - without sand and without gravel. You enter them like a pool. The water is always calm. In addition, it has a small and charming old town with narrow paved and winding alleys.
The city also has plenty of family attractions, water parks, a dinosaur park, and more.
♦ Details about Poreč in the article: Trip to Poreč.
Recommended guided tours in Poreč from Viator:
Other Popular Cities
Other popular coastal cities with successful beaches, vibrant promenades, and plenty of hotels and restaurants are Opatija located in northeastern Istria, Rabac in the east of the peninsula, between Opatija and Pula
and Umag, located in the northwestern peninsula, north of Poreč, near the border with Slovenia.
Charming and Recommended Mountain Towns in Istria:
Motovun
Is a picturesque medieval town on top of a hill 227 meters above sea level, surrounded by vineyards and olive trees in the northern Istria region.
The town is surrounded by an ancient wall that you can walk along and view impressive scenery.
In Motovun there are winding stone-paved alleys and plenty of shops specializing particularly in wine, liqueurs, and truffles. The town is abundant in restaurants and cafes (some overlooking magical scenery) and of course souvenir shops, and is considered one of the starting points for truffle hunting tours with the help of dogs.
In the center of the town, at the highest point, there is of course an ancient church named Church of St. Stephen with a high bell tower.
Did you know? The largest white truffle in the world was found in 1999 in Motovun. Every year in the months of October-November the white truffle fair is held in the town.
Grožnjan
Is an artists' village in a picturesque location on a hill in northern Istria, about 32 km northeast of the coastal city of Porec. This is the place to wander the alleys and be impressed by a variety of colorful works of art and the special atmosphere.
Visit one of the many galleries in the town and see local artists in action.
The surrounding residents also pride themselves on fine wines and truffle dishes, definitely worth tasting. This is the place to drink coffee with an impressive view of the valley spread out below. Grožnjan is also known for the many musical events held in it, including an international jazz festival every July.
Labin
Is a cute medieval town on the eastern side of the Istria mountains, about a quarter of an hour from the beautiful beaches of Rabac. It was a mining town and beneath it was a coal mine, but mining activities were stopped due to lack of economic viability in 1970, and after several years of decline and economic downturn, the town recovered thanks to tourism: it has galleries, souvenir shops, cafes, and wonderful restaurants overlooking the beautiful scenery.
Labin is not as dramatic as Rovinj or as visited as Motovun, but it is fun to stroll through the winding stone-paved alleys, be impressed by the old city gate Porta Sanfior, visit the small theater Il Teatrino, climb the bell tower of the church in the center of the town: Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Birth, and overlook the beautiful scenery.
And of course climb the ancient cannons located in several places near the walls.
The town has a historical museum located in an impressive ancient building and an art gallery. In the suburbs of the city there is a sprawling sculpture park with statues by the finest artists of Croatia where free guided tours are held. It is also recommended to visit the local market of Labin which has fruits, vegetables, pastries, and also fresh fish and seafood. Everything at extremely cheap prices.
Guided Tours in the Istria Mountains:
Truffle Hunting at Prodan Farm Prodan Tartufi
Truffle hunting is a cool and unique attraction that must not be missed. On the Istria Peninsula in the mountain region there are many companies organizing truffle hunting tours. Especially recommended is the tour of Prodan Farm, a family business for growing truffles of all kinds and in most seasons of the year (each truffle has a season, with the most successful season, where the most mushrooms can be found, being autumn).
The experience includes, in addition to plenty of fascinating explanations about the expensive mushroom and the ways of finding and collecting it, a guided tour with a local guide accompanied by cute and skilled dogs,
as well as a delicious meal where in each of the ingredients, including the ice cream for dessert, there are of course truffles. The place also has a shop selling a large variety of food and products based on truffles.
You can book a gourmet tour from Viator that includes, in addition to "truffle hunting" and tasting foods with truffles, tastings of local wines and local olive oil, considered one of the best in the world: Istrian tapestry - gourmet tour combining wine, truffles and olive oil
Agricultural Tour
A diverse tour with a local farmer named Igor OPG miletic Igor which includes: a tour of the lavender fields (recommended especially in June-July when everything is blooming and purple) and the fields of "immortelle", yellow fragrant flowers from which luxury cosmetic products are produced.
Continuing with a tour of the small distillation plant where oils are extracted from the flowers, including tastings of lavender and cherry schnapps and getting acquainted with products produced from these flowers.
From there continuing to a charming local family winery Matiska Winery Matiska where they taste three types of light and tasty wines produced on-site already for the fourth generation. Alongside the wine, they also taste goat cheeses produced in the same village served with fresh bread and local olive oil.
The winery was founded by a sailor who in his past sailed on the ship "Carpathia" which rescued some of the Titanic survivors and even received a medal of appreciation for it.
A charming, tasty, and pleasant tour in pastoral rural scenery where you meet local, charming, and warm people who will teach you a lot about local agriculture and life in the area.
Shopping in Istria
Shopping lovers will definitely enjoy shopping also on the green and spacious peninsula although this region does not have huge and numerous shopping centers like Zagreb, Split, and Zadar.
Extensive details on shopping throughout Croatia, chain stores, shopping centers, department stores, supermarket chains, can be found in my article: Shopping in Croatia.
The most successful and largest shopping centers in Istria are located in Pula. The most popular: Max City which has over 60 stores, restaurants, and cafes. Among the familiar chains you will find international H&M and Skechers and the European discount chain KIK (the "Max Stock" of Croatia, but also with plenty of cheap clothing for the whole family). The center also has 3 cinemas and a successful children's playroom called: Twister Fun Park
Another large shopping center in Pula is: City Mall which also has branches of international chains (mainly European) and local ones: C&A, Müller, DM, Pepco, KIK, and Intersport alongside a large hypermarket of the Interspar chain.
Another large shopping center named: ZTC located in Rijeka, the largest and most central city in the region. In the modern 3-story center located near the gulf and coastline there are over 50 stores and restaurants.
For gourmet enthusiasts it is highly recommended to purchase in local markets, delis, and agricultural farms and of course also in supermarkets local wines, olive oil, and of course truffle-based products.
In every city and town there are many street shops, stalls, open markets, many supermarket branches, and also branches of discount stores like KIK, which has small branches in many of the towns alongside large branches in the shopping centers.
