In July 2018, the Travel Prince and I spent a week in Istria. Specifically we stayed in a small town of Premantura, a charming town with seaside, Italian vibes. We rented bikes for the week and spent our time biking the numerous trails in Kamenjak National Park. The crystal clear azure waters provided the much needed respite from the heat during the ride. Temperatures in July average around 83°F (29°C) At the end of each ride, we’d treat ourselves to some gelato before returning to our rented apartment to watch World Cup matches.
We were fortunate that our time in Prematura coincided with Croatia’s semi-final match vs. Denmark – nothing beats the atmosphere of the World Cup, especially when you’re in the midst of the local fans. Unfortunately Croatia did not win the 2018 World Cup, but how exciting it was to be cheering along with the Croatians when they advanced!
If You Go:
Rent a car – public transportation is limited. We rented from the Zagreb airport & arranged our rental prior to leaving the US.
Rent bikes! The Kamenjak National Park is chuck full of fun trails to allow you to easily explore the area. We rented from Rental Center Medulin. Lorenzo provides a wonderful service – you can reserve your bikes online & arrange for them to be dropped off AND picked up from your rental during your stay.
Day Trip to Pula – Pula is best known for its Roman amphitheater, the second oldest to the colosseum in Rome. We opted to bike from Premantura to Pula, a distance of 6.2 miles (1o km) – but be warned: there is not a dedicated bike path, so you will be sharing the narrow roads with cars. There is also a substantial hill out of Premantura that you will have to bike up upon your return. It was a wonderful way to spend the day.
Trip to Rovinj – Rovinj (sounds like “Row veen”) is approximately an hour’s drive from Premantura. I can’t provide any details about the town other than it is another popular (read – crowded) spot to visit in Croatia. We tried to visit on our return drive to Zagreb – however, it was so crowded that we couldn’t find a place to park. No worries – I honestly don’t think we missed anything too spectacular & instead stopped at the small town of Pazin.
Teach2Travel 