# Istria

The Croatian peninsula in the northern Adriatic. On the coast, Rovinj, Poreč and the Roman amphitheatre at Pula; inland, hill villages such as Motovun and Grožnjan, truffle oak woods and the old Parenzana railway line for cycling.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/istria · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## Do you need a car?

Almost always, yes. Between Pula, Rovinj and Poreč there are buses several times a day, but the interior (Motovun, Grožnjan, the truffle woods, the Parenzana) has hardly any public transport. By car, from Pula to Rovinj is about 40 minutes and from the coast to Motovun, under an hour.

The motorway that crosses the peninsula, the Istrian Y, is tolled and run by Bina Istra: you pay at booths by section, and the Učka tunnel, towards Rijeka, has its own toll. The ordinary roads are free and for short distances they are worthwhile.

## How do you get there from Spain?

By plane, to Pula airport, usually with a stopover; many travellers fly to Venice or Trieste and continue by hire car (check that the contract allows crossing into Slovenia and Croatia). By car from Spain you cross France and Italy with motorway tolls and, from Trieste, a short stretch of Slovenia: on its motorways you need the e-vignette, which costs €16 for a week and is bought on the official DARS website. You can avoid it on minor roads.

Croatia has been in Schengen and used the euro since 1 January 2023: there is no border control with Slovenia or currency exchange.

## Rovinj, Poreč or Pula?

Rovinj if you want the prettiest old town and the Lim coast; it is the most expensive. Poreč and Vrsar, if you travel with children or camping, and want the interior and the Parenzana nearby. Pula, if you arrive by plane and are going for the Arena, Brijuni and Kamenjak. With five nights, split: two on the south coast and three in Rovinj or inland.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Istria, Eastern Adriatic Coast
- Cerca: Veneto (a 108.9 km · Italy), Lika (a 157.6 km), Emilia-Romagna (a 192.3 km · Italy), Carinthia (a 226.2 km · Austria)

## Qué hacer
- **Roman Amphitheatre of Pula** (1 h · All ages · Adults €10 · children and students €5 · under-5s free): What it is
The Pula amphitheatre, the Arena, is one of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. It was built in the 1st century, when Pula was the Roman colony Pietas Iulia Pola; construction is believed to have begun in the time of Augustus and was paid for with money from the imperial treasury. It lies 200 m north-east of the old city walls, next to the port. Its name comes from the Latin harena, the sand that covered the floor.
What makes it unique is the outer wall: it preserves the whole facade ring, with its arches, and four rectangular towers that no other amphitheatre has. Wooden stairs climbed inside them, and at the top of each there were two tanks filled with rainwater. It is run by the Archaeological Museum of Istria.
What you see

The outer ring. Its axes measure 132.5 and 105.1 m and it reaches 32.45 m in height. On the ground floor, the larger arches mark the main entrances; the first floor has 72 arcades and the second, 64 square windows.
The arena floor. Oval, of 67.9 by 41.6 m. Here there were gladiator fights and wild-beast hunts, and public trials were held. It held about 23,000 spectators, seated according to rank.
The underground rooms. Beneath the arena there is an auxiliary hall cut into the rock, which was used to store machinery and is now part of the visit. The amphitheatre's gallery, with temporary exhibitions, is free to enter.
The awning holes. On the stone cornice you see the holes through which the wooden masts passed that held up the awning covering the seating in bad weather.

After combats were banned in the early 5th century, the Arena served as a quarry, but it never ceased to be public property. Excavations began in the mid-18th century and restoration continues today. In summer it is a concert venue.
Hours

April: from 8:00 to 20:00.
May: from 8:00 to 21:00.
June to August: from 8:00 to 22:00.
September: from 8:00 to 21:00.
October: from 8:00 to 19:00.
November to March: from 9:00 to 17:00.

The ticket office closes an hour earlier. It may close to visits for performances, and during visiting hours there may be sound checks and stage assembly.
Price
€10 for adults and €5 for children, schoolchildren and students. Under-5s enter free, as does the companion of a person with a disability. Groups of more than 10, a 15% discount. Tickets are bought at the door or on the website. During Pula's Advent, from 29 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, entry to the amphitheatre is free, and an ice-skating rink is set up on the arena floor.
There are free audio guides in several languages: scan the QR codes at the entrance and along the route.
How long
An hour to tour the ring, the arena floor and the underground rooms with the audio guide.
Accessibility
The amphitheatre is partly accessible. The three levels are joined by steep stairs, and the upper one only has ancient stone steps. The arena floor can be reached without steps through entrance C, which faces the south park; the ground combines slabs, a wooden ramp and uneven stretches of stone and gravel.
Getting there
It is in the centre of Pula, on Flavijevska ulica, a few minutes' walk from the port and the old town. If you arrive by plane, see transfers from Pula airport. For lunch, the Pula market is a walk away.
- **Rovinj Old Town and the St Euphemia Bell Tower** (2 h · All ages · the tower, without vertigo · Church free · bell tower €4): What it is
Rovinj's old town occupies a former island, now joined to the mainland, with colourful houses crowded down to the water and cobbled lanes climbing towards the church of St Euphemia, at the very top. Its bell tower, about 58 m, can be seen from any point on the coast and is the city's silhouette. It is a two-hour walk on your own, with the climb up the tower as a reward.
The climb along Grisia
From the harbour, enter the old town through the Balbi Arch and climb Grisia street, a cobbled street of cascading steps that leads to the church esplanade. It is Rovinj's artists' street: since August 1967, the Rovinj City Museum has organised here each year a one-day exhibition in which painters hang their works in the open air.
The church of St Euphemia
In its place there was first a small church of St George. In the mid-10th century, according to tradition, the sarcophagus of St Euphemia miraculously floated to the shore at Rovinj, and a new three-nave church dedicated to her was built. The present one was begun on 8 December 1720 to a design by the Venetian Giovanni Scalfarotto and finished by Giovanni Dozza in 1736. It is the most important example of Baroque on the Istrian coast: it measures 51 m long and 30 wide. The facade was made between 1861 and 1865.
Inside, look out for:

The sarcophagus of St Euphemia, behind the saint's altar: it is of Proconnesian marble, made in Aquileia around the 3rd or 4th century. Through a small window you see the saint's body, her face covered by a wax mask of 1953.
The high altar, with statues of St George with the dragon, St Mark with the lion and St Roch with the dog, by Alvise Tagliapietra.
The Last Supper of 1574 and two other canvases in the choir, attributed to Pietro Pergolis, which returned to the church in 2013 after restoration.
The silver altar front of the Blessed Sacrament altar, of 1777, by the silversmith Angelo Scarabello.

The bell tower
It was begun on 7 October 1654 to a design by the Milanese Alessandro Manopola and finished in 1687, in the style of Venetian bell towers. At the top, a 4.70 m copper statue of the saint, placed in 1758, turns in the wind like a weathervane. The climb is by a steep interior staircase; at the top you have the whole old town, the harbour, the islands and the coast. It is not for anyone with vertigo or for small children.
Price and hours
Entry to the church is free and the climb up the bell tower costs €4. The hours change with the season: in spring and summer it opens more hours than in autumn and winter. Respect the services: it cannot be visited during Mass. For queries, the parish office is at G. Garibaldi 1.
Getting there
The old town is pedestrian. Leave the car at one of the Rovinj municipal car parks, such as Valdibora, and go in on foot; at car parks with a barrier you pay on leaving.
When to go
Climb the bell tower first thing or in the late afternoon and go down to the harbour by the sea side at sunset. In July and August the old town fills up mid-morning.
With children
The church and the walk, yes. The bell tower, only with older children who do not fear heights. The Grisia stairs are not for pushchairs.
Where to eat and sleep
For a planned dinner, Monte, with a Michelin star, at Montalbano 75; it is closed until mid-April 2027. To sleep opposite the old town, about 800 m along the promenade, the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj.
- **Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč** (1 h · All ages · Adults €10 · schoolchildren and students €5 · pre-school free): What it is
The episcopal complex of the Euphrasian Basilica, in Poreč's old town, is one of the great early Christian and Byzantine monuments of the Mediterranean. It was built by Bishop Euphrasius in the mid-6th century, between 543 and 554, in the time of Justinian, and has been preserved almost intact since. UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage list on 6 December 1997.
Its history begins earlier. By the end of the 2nd century there was already a Christian community in Poreč with its bishop, Maurus, who gathered the faithful in secret in his house; there is the fish mosaic, with the Greek word ICHTHYS. Maurus and other clerics died as martyrs in the 3rd century. After freedom of worship in 313, his house was extended as the first public church, in the 4th century a first basilica was built and in the 5th a larger one, the pre-Euphrasian. Euphrasius, seeing its poor condition, demolished almost all of it and built the present one.
What you see

The entrance. The ceremonial portal facing the street was built by Bishop Flapp in the early 20th century; in the lunette there is a mosaic of Christ.
The atrium, the colonnaded courtyard in front of the church, of the 6th century.
The basilica, with three naves. Its columns and capitals came by ship from the island of Proconnesus, in the Sea of Marmara, next to Constantinople; the influence of the Byzantine capital shows throughout the decoration. In the arcade between the central and north naves there are ancient Roman stuccoes. At the back, the apse keeps the Byzantine gold-ground mosaics that have made the complex famous.
The baptistery, which Euphrasius restored, and the cella trichora, of the second half of the 6th century, probably his mausoleum.
The episcopal palace and the remains of the earlier basilicas, with their floor mosaics.
The bell tower, which you can climb to see Poreč and the coast from above.

Hours
It is open every day except Sundays and Catholic holy days of obligation. It cannot be visited during religious services.

1 January to 28 February: from 10:00 to 16:00; closed on Saturdays.
March: from 9:00 to 16:00.
April to June: from 9:00 to 18:00.
July and August: from 9:00 to 21:00.
September: from 9:00 to 18:00.
October: from 9:00 to 17:00.
November and December: from 9:00 to 16:00; on Saturdays, from 9:00 to 14:00.
26 December to 6 January: from 9:00 to 17:00, Saturdays included.

Price
€10 for adults and €5 for schoolchildren and students. Pre-school children do not pay. For groups, one free ticket for every nine. The entrance is at Eufrazijeva ulica 22.
How long
An hour for the atrium, the basilica, the baptistery and the palace. If you climb the bell tower, add half an hour.
Getting there
The basilica is in the pedestrian old town of Poreč, on the harbour peninsula. Leave the car outside the centre and go in on foot. If you come by bus, see the coastal bus stations.
With children
The gold mosaics and the bell tower work with children. Inside, silence: it is the city's cathedral and a church in use.
When to go
First thing, before the excursion groups. In July and August, late in the afternoon, when it is open until 21:00 and the heat has dropped. Do not go on a Sunday: it is closed.
- **Motovun and Grožnjan, Hill Villages** (4 h · All ages · Independently · free): What it is
Motovun and Grožnjan are two medieval villages on the tops of two hills in inland Istria, on either side of the Mirna river valley. They are easily seen in a single morning or afternoon by car, with a truffle lunch in between, and are the opposite face of the coast: stone, silence, vineyards, oak woods and long views over the valley.
Motovun
Motovun is the best-preserved medieval fortified village in Istria. It occupies the top of a steep hill where Illyrian and Celtic hill forts once stood; its old name, Montona, is of Celtic origin and means "town on the mountain". It first appears in a document of the year 804, the Plea of Rižana. In 1278 it asked to come under Venetian rule, and Venetian it remained until 1797. The old town has 26 protected monuments and is on UNESCO's tentative list.
The best thing is to walk the wall: the walk along the ramparts shows you the whole Mirna valley, with the oak woods where Istria's white and black truffles are hunted. At its foot runs the old Parenzana railway line, now a cycle route.
Events. In summer there is an open-air cinema in the garden of the wall. In October the Teran and Truffle Festival is held, with tastings of the local red wine and truffle products: in 2026 it was on 17 and 18 October.
Eating and sleeping. Konoba Mondo is a small konoba for trying truffle without hotel prices. If you want to see the village without day-trippers, the Hotel Kaštel Motovun is inside the old town; it closes in winter and reopens on 1 March 2027.
Grožnjan
Grožnjan is the village of artists. Since 1965, when it was declared a "city of artists", its cobbled streets have filled with workshops: today there are about thirty houses, galleries, studios and workshops, and more artists than permanent residents. Its name may come from the Latin Grisium or Graeciniana, stone hill. It is also the only municipality in Croatia with a majority ethnic Italian population.
Events. The village is the international seat of Jeunesses Musicales Croatia, with courses and concerts in summer, and of an international film school. In mid-July the Jazz is Back festival begins, lasting two or three weeks, and at the end of September the Ex tempore brings together more than 300 painters who in one Sunday turn the village into an open-air gallery.
It is about 30 minutes from the beaches of Umag and Novigrad, in case you want to end the day at the sea.
How to organise it

Morning in Motovun. Arrive early, before the groups, and walk round the wall.
Lunch. Truffle in Motovun or the area.
Afternoon in Grožnjan. A stroll through the workshops and galleries.

You need a car: inland Istria has almost no buses, as the listing for the coastal buses explains. The old towns have narrow, steep streets: leave the car outside the walls and go in on foot.
When to go
All year. In autumn the white-truffle season and the Motovun festival coincide. In summer, the Grožnjan festivals. In winter, workshops and restaurants may open fewer days: confirm before going.
With children
Children like Motovun's walls. The slopes of both villages are steep and cobbled: with a pushchair, a carrier is better.
- **Parenzana by Bike from Vižinada to Livade via Motovun** (3 h 30 · 20 km · From age 12, on a mountain bike · Independently · bike hire extra): What it is
The Parenzana was a narrow-gauge, 760 mm railway that between 1902 and 1935 linked Trieste with Poreč (Parenzo in Italian, hence the name) over 123 km through Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. Today its route is a cycling and walking route maintained and signposted by the Istria Region. The stretch from Vižinada to Livade via Motovun is among the loveliest on the Croatian side: viaducts, tunnels, oak woods and the village of Motovun on top of its hill, always in view.
The route, step by step

Vižinada. The village is on a plateau of fields and vineyards. The old station is now a well-kept private house; beside it, next to the road, there is a full-size replica of the U20 locomotive that you can climb into from behind to the driver's position.
Towards Motovun. From Vižinada the line gradually loses height towards the Mirna valley. On this stretch is the Sabadin viaduct, which the Istria Region has refurbished.
The Motovun tunnel. Before reaching the station, the train passed under the Kanal hamlet through a 222 m tunnel, the longest on the Parenzana in Croatia. Bring a front light to cross it.
Motovun station. The only one on the whole line built with irregular limestone blocks. It had a passing loop and a siding, and next to it are two well-known inns. From here you can climb to the village, on top of the hill.
Descent to Livade. The route drops to the bottom of the Mirna valley to Livade, only 13 m above sea level, where the line crossed the river.

In the Vižinada – Livade direction the route is almost all downhill: the train climbed from Livade to Baldaši, at 273 m, via Motovun and Vižinada. Allow half a day for about 20 km with stops.
Surface and bike
The Parenzana's own website warns that, because of the uneven surface of some stretches, the route is suitable for a mountain bike, but not for a road or trekking bike, and is done at your own risk. It is gravel and earth track. With an electric mountain bike it is comfortable for anyone used to cycling.
If you do not have a bike, in Poreč the Bike Center Poreč hires out bikes and e-bikes and arranges transfers to the routes.
How to organise the return
The route is linear and ends at Livade, at the bottom of the valley, with no practical public transport. You have three options: have someone pick you up at Livade, book a transfer with the hire company or ride back, this time uphill. The Parenzana website also announces, in season, a free Bike&Bus service between Trieste and Poreč at weekends and holidays: check its calendar.
When to go
From April to October. In spring and autumn the temperature is mild and the forest changes colour; in high summer set out early. After heavy rain there is mud on the earth stretches.
Water and stops
At Motovun station there are inns, and climbing to the village, Konoba Mondo. Bring water from home for the whole stretch. To sleep at the foot of the route, the Hotel Kaštel Motovun or San Rocco, which organises bike outings.
With children
From about age 12 and used to mountain biking. They like the tunnel and the Vižinada locomotive; watch the descent, which picks up speed on a gravel track.
- **Truffle Hunting with Dogs in the Buzet Woods** (All ages): What it is
An outing into the forest with a truffle-hunting family and their dogs, around Buzet, in the north of inland Istria. The truffle grows underground in the damp oak woods of the Mirna valley, and no human nose can detect it: the trained dog smells it, quickly scrapes with its paws to mark the spot and the truffle hunter carefully lifts it out. Afterwards what has been found is cooked or tasted. It is a quiet activity, a forest walk, that appeals to families and anyone curious about Istrian cooking.
Istria's truffles
In the Buzet and Motovun woods black truffles and the white truffle, the most prized, are found. The white has its season in autumn and winter: according to Karlić, in 2017 it opened on 15 September. Outings are offered almost all year, but what you find depends on the season and on luck.
Who runs it
Two families from the Buzet area receive visitors:

Karlić tartufi, in Paladini, next to Buzet. The business was started by Ivan Rašpolić in 1966 and today it is run by the grandfather, the mother, the grandchildren and the dogs. The hunt takes place in the oak woods surrounding the house. Book through the online booking system on its website.
Prodan Tartufi, also from the Buzet area. The family has bred and trained truffle dogs for generations, tells its story during the outing and ends by preparing what has been found, with a tasting of its truffle products. Book with the contact form on its website; give the date, number of people and language.

Neither publishes the price openly: you confirm it when booking.
What it is like

Welcome at the farm, with an explanation about the truffle and the dogs.
Into the forest. You walk with the truffle hunter and the dogs through the oak wood. It is forest terrain, often damp.
The hunt. The dog tracks, stops and digs. You see how the truffle is extracted and how it is distinguished.
Tasting. On the way back, the truffle is tasted in simple dishes of Istrian cooking, such as scrambled egg with truffle, and house products.

According to Prodan, any time of day is good for hunting: you never know when the truffle gives off its scent.
What to bring
Footwear that can get dirty, preferably boots or walking shoes, and comfortable clothes. If it has rained, the forest will be muddy. In autumn and winter, a coat.
Getting there
Buzet is in the north of inland Istria. Without a car it is complicated: the interior has almost no buses, as the listing for the coastal buses explains. Both families give their address when you book.
With children
It is a plan suitable for all ages: children follow the dogs through the forest. Ask when booking how much walking there is and whether there is a shorter version for little ones.
To round off the day
Combine the outing with the villages of Motovun and Grožnjan, a short distance away. In Motovun, Konoba Mondo cooks with truffle, and in October the village holds its teran wine and truffle festival: in 2026 it was on 17 and 18 October.
- **Cape Kamenjak, Coves South of Premantura** (4 h · All ages · rock, bring water shoes · Free on foot and by bike · car €10 a day from 16 June to 30 September): What it is
Kamenjak is the southern tip of Istria, the peninsula that leaves from Premantura, about 10 km from Pula. It is protected as a landscape of special value, Donji Kamenjak and the Medulin archipelago, and is run by the public body Kamenjak. It is a low cape of dirt tracks, meadows, scrub and wild orchids, surrounded by coves of rock and stone with very clear water. There are no villages or hotels inside: you come to spend the day, swim, cycle and look at the sea.
How you enter
From Premantura you arrive by car, by bike or by boat. On foot and by bike entry is free all year. With a motor vehicle you pay in summer: in 2026, from 16 June to 30 September, a day's entry cost €10 for a car, €5 for a motorbike and €40 for a motorhome, with a 10% discount buying online on the park website. There are also three-day and weekly tickets.
If you can, enter by bike: the park has a cycle lane separate from the tracks used by cars and expressly recommends it. The Arena Stupice campsite is at the gates of the cape.
What to do

Swim. The coves are rock and stone, with no sand, with very clean seabeds. In summer beach bars operate in several of them: Pinižule, Polje, Njive, Mala Kolombarica, Debeljak, Mali Portić, Školjić and Dražice.
Cycle. The Orhideja cycle route, 12 km and of medium difficulty, runs along the whole coast among meadows, forest and sea. You can also go along the main track.
Dinosaur footprints. At Cape Grakalovac a path leads to one of the few sites with fossilised dinosaur footprints, about 98 million years old.
Kayak, SUP and windsurfing. In Školjić bay kayaks are hired to tour the islets of the Medulin archipelago, and there is a windsurfing school.
Others. An educational trail on the cape's nature, the Boškarin ox farm and, at Gornji Kamenjak, a sensory walk at Gradina adapted for blind people. In Premantura, the Kamenjak nature house visitor centre.

Rules

Drive only on the signposted tracks, respect the speed limit and do not park on the grass; the same goes for motorbikes.
Do not pick protected plants or animals.
Camping is prohibited.
Fires only at the public barbecue pits and when there is no risk; in June 2026 the park banned lighting open fires because of fire danger. Check the notice in force on entry.
Dogs on a lead, and better in a secluded cove or at dusk than among bathers.
If you go by boat, do not anchor on the posidonia.

In summer the park installs chemical toilets. Take your litter away.
When to go
The park recommends late spring and early autumn: there are flowers, fewer people and the car entry fee is not charged. In July and August, arrive early: it is hot, there is little shade and the most accessible coves fill up.
With children
With children, choose a cove with a beach bar and easy entry into the water, and bring water shoes: everything is rock. The dinosaur-footprint walk usually appeals to them. By bike, watch out for dust and cars on the main track.
Nearby
For lunch on the way, Konoba Batelina is in Banjole, ten minutes from Pula.
- **Brijuni National Park from Fažana** (3 h 30 · All ages · Adults €35 (€50 from June to September) · children aged 7 to 18, half): What it is
Brijuni is an archipelago off the south-west coast of Istria, north of the entrance to Pula harbour, protected as a national park. The largest island, Veliki Brijun, mixes Mediterranean forest, meadows and English-style park with Roman remains, Austro-Hungarian fortresses and the mark of two eras: that of the Austrian Kupelwieser family, who transformed the islands in the early 20th century, and that of Josip Broz Tito, to whom the park devotes one of its exhibitions. You can only get there on the park's boat from Fažana.
Getting there
Drive to Fažana, a coastal village next to Pula; the Istrian Y motorway is signposted for the islands. Pula airport is about 15 km away. The boat leaves from the quay in the village centre and takes about 15 minutes; in season there are departures every 30 to 60 minutes. Before boarding buy the ticket at the park office, at Brionska 10, next to the quay, or in its online shop. You have to board at the time marked on your ticket: you cannot enter earlier or later.
The excursion to Veliki Brijun
The guided visit lasts about three and a half hours, with a guide in Croatian, Italian, German, Russian or English.

Tourist train, one hour. It runs along the coast northwards, past the golf course, the castle and the Kupelwieser-era buildings, with a view of Mali Brijun and its large Austro-Hungarian fort.
Safari park. About 9 hectares with about 80 herbivores, mostly from Africa and Asia, and a growing number of native species. There is a stop to see them close up and a bar.
Panoramic loop through the west of the island, among holm-oak woods, laurels, pines, cedars and sequoias, with about 400 plant species recorded in the archipelago. You pass the Tegetthoff fort, at the highest point, the old zoo, which operated until 1995, and the remains of the Roman villa at Verige bay.
On foot round the harbour. Copies of frescoes and Glagolitic inscriptions from Istria and Kvarner in the church of St Germain, the exhibition of photographs of Tito at Brijuni, the one devoted to Paul Kupelwieser and a natural history exhibition. You end at the Boat House, the park's interpretation centre.

If you go independently, you can stay on the island after the visit and return on any of the park's boats. There is also a ticket without a guide, with the Brijuni Pocket Guide app, to get around on foot or by hiring a bike or electric car.
2026 prices

Adults, with guide: €35 from 1 January to 31 May and from 1 October to 31 December; €50 from 1 June to 30 September.
Students and over-65s: €30 and €40.
Children aged 7 to 18: €15 and €20.
Adults with the Pocket Guide app, no guide: €30 and €40.

Under-7s do not pay. There is no family ticket. The price includes the return boat, the guide, the train, the safari park and the exhibitions. The park has already published the 2027 rate on its website: check it if you are travelling next year.
With a dog
Dogs may go on a lead and pay an entry fee, €15 in 2026. They cannot go on the train or into the exhibitions or the safari park, so the guided visit with a dog gets complicated: consider the app ticket.
With children
It is a very comfortable excursion with children: a short boat ride, a train and animals. Under-7s enter free and those aged 7 to 18 pay half.
When to go
All year; in summer there are more boats. Buy the ticket in advance in July and August to be sure of a place in the group for your language. In spring and autumn the rate is lower and the island is quieter.
- **Lim Channel, Viewpoint and Boat from Rovinj or Vrsar** (30 min · All ages · Free viewpoint · paid boats): What it is
The Lim channel (Limski kanal or Limski zaljev) is a long, narrow sea inlet on the west coast of Istria, between Vrsar and Rovinj, south of Poreč. It is about 10 km long and is the final stretch of the 35 km Pazinčica river valley. It is called a fjord, but it is not: a fjord is carved by a glacier, and Lim is a ria, the old bed of a river that the sea flooded when it rose. The Pazinčica no longer reaches here: today it sinks into the Pazin chasm, in the centre of the peninsula.
The slopes rise to 150 m above the water, covered in scrub. The south shore, in shade, has oak and ash woodland; the north, in sun, evergreen vegetation. The name comes from the Latin limes, border: in Roman times the boundary between two provinces passed here. In the 1950s the channel stood in for a Norwegian fjord in the film The Vikings, with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, and a Viking village was built at the head of the valley for the shoot.
What you see
An arm of green water between two walls of forest, without houses, narrowing towards the interior. On the water you will see the rafts of the shellfish farms: the channel is an important shellfish-breeding area.
How to see it

From above. From the road that circles the valley there are points with a view over the channel. Ask at the Vrsar or Rovinj tourist office about viewpoints with parking.
From the water. Ask at the ports of Rovinj, Vrsar and Poreč about boat excursions to the channel, which usually run from spring to autumn, and compare what they include before paying. From the boat you see the walls close up and the farms.
On foot or by bike. If you want to walk or cycle in the valley, ask at the Vrsar or Rovinj tourist offices about signposted routes.

When to go
All year for the viewpoint. Late in the afternoon the light enters along the channel from the sea. In summer, excursion boats are more frequent; in winter, the valley is quiet.
Swimming
The channel is a shellfish-breeding area and a boat thoroughfare. For swimming, the open coast of Vrsar or Rovinj is better.
Events
Since 2005 the Lim Channel swimming marathon has been held, and in the valley dirt-track motor races are run, such as the Formula Driver Lim. Check the local calendar if you go on those dates.
Getting there
By car, from Rovinj or Vrsar, along the coast roads. To sleep nearby, in Rovinj you have the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, and for parking in the town, see the Rovinj car parks.
Combine the stop with the Rovinj old town, to the south, or the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, to the north.

## Dónde comer
- **Monte** (Restaurant, Rovinj, €€€€). Qué pedir: one of its two tasting menus, Flora or Fauna, with produce from around Rovinj.
- **Konoba Batelina** (Restaurant, Banjole, €€€). Qué pedir: the house's fish starters (sardines in saor, eel pâté, octopus salad) and the fish you choose from the tray they bring to the dining room.
- **Konoba Mondo** (Restaurant, Motovun, €€). Qué pedir: boškarin carpaccio, the Istrian cattle, with black truffle, and homemade pasta (fuži or tagliatelle) with truffle.
- **Pula Municipal Market** (Market, Pula, €). Qué pedir: sardines or mackerel for the campsite barbecue and seasonal fruit.

## By car: The natural way to see Istria
With a car you combine coast and interior on the same day. Distances are short: almost everything is under an hour away.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–140 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Grand Park Hotel Rovinj** (Spa hotel): Opposite the old town, about 800 m on foot along the promenade. Garage and valet parking, which in Rovinj solves the biggest problem of summer.
- **San Rocco** (Small hotel): A family stone hotel in a vineyard village in the north-west, near the Parenzana and 15 minutes from the sea. It organises bike outings round Istria and has its own restaurant.
- **Hotel Kaštel Motovun** (Small hotel): Sleeping inside Motovun lets you see it without day-trippers, first thing and at night. The Parenzana passes at the foot of the hill. It closes in winter; this season it reopens on 1 March 2027.
### Servicios
- **Pula Airport and Private Transfers**: 5–6 km from Pula · shuttle to the city · Brioni bus to Rovinj and Poreč · taxi or transfer
- **Rovinj Municipal Car Parks**: Paid · run by Komunalni servis · Valdibora and Boksiti, with barrier

## By campervan: Many campsites, no free overnighting
Istria is full of large campsites with waste disposal. Outside them you cannot sleep: overnighting in car parks and on beaches is fined.
Presupuesto orientativo: 50–80 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in a campervan
- **Camping Polari** (Campsite): 3.5 km from Rovinj's old town, with pitches that start at the shore and climb into the pine wood. You reach the centre by the coastal path, on foot or by bike, or by bus from the gate.
- **Camping Arena Stoja** (Campsite): The campsite closest to the centre of Pula, on a peninsula with pines and rock for swimming. The city bus stops in front: you go to the Arena without moving the motorhome.
- **Camping Arena Stupice** (Campsite): At Premantura, at the gates of Kamenjak: you enter the cape by bike without paying for a car. It is huge; ask for a pitch in the pine-wood area if you want shade.
### Servicios
- **Pula Airport and Private Transfers**: 5–6 km from Pula · shuttle to the city · Brioni bus to Rovinj and Poreč · taxi or transfer
- **Waste Disposal at Campsites**: Polari, Stoja and Stupice have chemical waste disposal · outside them you cannot overnight

## Camping: With a tent, by the sea and under the pines
Istria's campsites accept tents and often have pitches in the shade of the pine wood. Wild camping is banned throughout Croatia.
Presupuesto orientativo: 40–70 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're camping
- **Camping Polari** (Campsite): 3.5 km from Rovinj's old town, with pitches that start at the shore and climb into the pine wood. You reach the centre by the coastal path, on foot or by bike, or by bus from the gate.
- **Camping Arena Stoja** (Campsite): The campsite closest to the centre of Pula, on a peninsula with pines and rock for swimming. The city bus stops in front: you go to the Arena without moving the motorhome.
- **Camping Arena Stupice** (Campsite): At Premantura, at the gates of Kamenjak: you enter the cape by bike without paying for a car. It is huge; ask for a pitch in the pine-wood area if you want shade.
### Servicios
- **Pula Airport and Private Transfers**: 5–6 km from Pula · shuttle to the city · Brioni bus to Rovinj and Poreč · taxi or transfer
- **Pula, Rovinj and Poreč Bus Stations**: Several daily departures along the coast · the interior, almost no service
- **Bike Hire in Poreč for the Parenzana**: Bike Center Poreč (Valamar) · bikes and e-bikes · transfers to the routes · March to December

## By bike: The Parenzana and the interior by pedal
The old Trieste to Poreč railway line is now a 123 km track, with about 78 in Croatia. The stretch between Vižinada and Livade is the most rewarding.
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–130 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're cycling
- **San Rocco** (Small hotel): A family stone hotel in a vineyard village in the north-west, near the Parenzana and 15 minutes from the sea. It organises bike outings round Istria and has its own restaurant.
- **Hotel Kaštel Motovun** (Small hotel): Sleeping inside Motovun lets you see it without day-trippers, first thing and at night. The Parenzana passes at the foot of the hill. It closes in winter; this season it reopens on 1 March 2027.
### Servicios
- **Pula Airport and Private Transfers**: 5–6 km from Pula · shuttle to the city · Brioni bus to Rovinj and Poreč · taxi or transfer
- **Bike Hire in Poreč for the Parenzana**: Bike Center Poreč (Valamar) · bikes and e-bikes · transfers to the routes · March to December

## Luxury: Hotel Facing the Old Town and a Starred Table
Rovinj concentrates Istria's high-end offer, and the interior adds small hotels among vineyards.
Presupuesto orientativo: 300–600 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Grand Park Hotel Rovinj** (Spa hotel): Opposite the old town, about 800 m on foot along the promenade. Garage and valet parking, which in Rovinj solves the biggest problem of summer.
- **San Rocco** (Small hotel): A family stone hotel in a vineyard village in the north-west, near the Parenzana and 15 minutes from the sea. It organises bike outings round Istria and has its own restaurant.
### Servicios
- **Pula Airport and Private Transfers**: 5–6 km from Pula · shuttle to the city · Brioni bus to Rovinj and Poreč · taxi or transfer
- **Rovinj Municipal Car Parks**: Paid · run by Komunalni servis · Valdibora and Boksiti, with barrier

## By plane: Flight to Pula, Trieste or Venice and a Car round Istria
Istria is toured by car. Pula airport, 5 or 6 km from the city, receives seasonal flights, normally with a stopover from Spain; many travellers fly to Venice or Trieste and continue by hire car. From Trieste you cross a short stretch of Slovenia, with an e-vignette on its motorways: check the contract allows you to enter Slovenia and Croatia.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Grand Park Hotel Rovinj** (Spa hotel): Opposite the old town, about 800 m on foot along the promenade. Garage and valet parking, which in Rovinj solves the biggest problem of summer.
- **San Rocco** (Small hotel): A family stone hotel in a vineyard village in the north-west, near the Parenzana and 15 minutes from the sea. It organises bike outings round Istria and has its own restaurant.
- **Hotel Kaštel Motovun** (Small hotel): Sleeping inside Motovun lets you see it without day-trippers, first thing and at night. The Parenzana passes at the foot of the hill. It closes in winter; this season it reopens on 1 March 2027.
### Servicios
- **Pula Airport and Private Transfers**: 5–6 km from Pula · shuttle to the city · Brioni bus to Rovinj and Poreč · taxi or transfer
- **Rovinj Municipal Car Parks**: Paid · run by Komunalni servis · Valdibora and Boksiti, with barrier

## As a family: Romans, animals, truffle and coves

Istria works well with children of different ages: visits are short, distances too, and each day can end in the water.

### What works best
Brijuni: a 15-minute boat, a tourist train and a safari park

Truffle hunting: the dogs hook children of any age

The Pula Arena, one hour, with underground rooms

### Where to sleep
Large campsites by the sea: Polari, Stoja, Stupice

Poreč and Vrsar, for price and for being in the centre of the peninsula

### Where to eat
Pula market for a picnic

Inland konobas at midday, without hurry

### Keep in mind
The beaches are rock: water shoes for everyone

Kamenjak has very little shade: parasol and water

The Rovinj bell tower is not for small children

### Qué hacer as a family
- Roman Amphitheatre of Pula
- Rovinj Old Town and the St Euphemia Bell Tower
- Parenzana by Bike from Vižinada to Livade via Motovun
- Truffle Hunting with Dogs in the Buzet Woods
- Cape Kamenjak, Coves South of Premantura
- Brijuni National Park from Fažana

## With teenagers: Bike, rock and something to tell

To a teenager Istria gives a challenge on the Parenzana and freedom in the coves of Kamenjak. What bores them are afternoons of shops in the old town.

### What works best
The Parenzana from Vižinada to Livade: 20 km of gravel, viaducts and a tunnel in the dark

The Kamenjak coves, for swimming and exploring by bike

Climbing the St Euphemia bell tower in Rovinj

### Where to sleep
Camping Arena Stupice, at the gates of Kamenjak

A campsite with bikes for hire, so they can get around on their own

### Where to eat
Fuži with truffle in Motovun: the dish they will remember

Fish of the day in Banjole, choosing from the tray

### Keep in mind
On the Parenzana, a helmet and a light for the tunnel

The Arena has concerts in summer: check the programme

In the August sun, no cycling at midday

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Roman Amphitheatre of Pula
- Rovinj Old Town and the St Euphemia Bell Tower
- Parenzana by Bike from Vižinada to Livade via Motovun
- Truffle Hunting with Dogs in the Buzet Woods
- Cape Kamenjak, Coves South of Premantura

## With a dog: Kamenjak Coves, Brijuni and Rovinj with the Dog

In Istria the dog is welcome in more places than it seems: the Pula amphitheatre, Brijuni National Park and Cape Kamenjak admit it on a lead. For sleeping, Maistra accepts it in Rovinj, at the Polari campsite and at the Grand Park. At Brijuni it pays an entry fee and cannot go on the train.

### Walks
Pula amphitheatre: on a lead and supervised; bring bags

Brijuni, from Fažana: on a lead and €15 entry; not on the train, the exhibitions or the safari

From the Polari campsite to Rovinj along the coastal path, on foot or by bike

### Beaches and swimming
Cape Kamenjak: dogs on a lead; the park asks for a secluded cove or dusk, not among bathers

Camping Polari has a dog beach

### Where to sleep
Camping Polari, in Rovinj: with a supplement; beach and showers for dogs

Grand Park Hotel Rovinj: accepts pets, with a supplement

### Keep in mind
At Brijuni, without the train, the guided visit with a dog gets complicated: consider the app ticket

At Kamenjak, from mid-June to September cars pay an entry fee

### Qué hacer with a dog
- Roman Amphitheatre of Pula
- Cape Kamenjak, Coves South of Premantura
- Brijuni National Park from Fažana

### Dónde dormir with a dog
- Grand Park Hotel Rovinj: Pets accepted, with a supplement
- Camping Polari: Dogs accepted, with a supplement; it has a beach and showers for dogs

## Consejos

### Enter the Arena first thing
It opens at 8:00 from April to September. By mid-morning the boat groups arrive and the heat bites.

### Buy Brijuni on the park's website
Individual tickets are sold in its online shop; in July and August the Fažana boat is full.

### Arrive early at Kamenjak
By vehicle you pay an entry fee from May to September, and on foot or by bike it is free. The coves at the end fill up before 11:00.

### Water and shade inland
Motovun and Grožnjan are high up and almost without shade at midday. Go up in the morning or at sunset.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### What currency is used in Croatia?
The euro, since 1 January 2023. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, but some village restaurants, such as Batelina in Banjole, only take cash.

### Is there a check at the Slovenian border?
No. Croatia joined Schengen on 1 January 2023 and since then there have been no checks on the border with Slovenia. Carry your ID card or passport all the same.

### Can you do Istria without a car?
Only the coast: buses between Pula, Rovinj and Poreč and excursion boats. The interior and the Parenzana need a car, a bike or an organised excursion.

### When is truffle season?
Black truffle is hunted almost all year; the white, the most expensive, from autumn to early winter. Outings with a dog are done at any time.

### Are the beaches sandy?
Almost all are rock or pebble, with stone platforms for swimming. Bring water shoes, especially at Kamenjak.

### Can you camp wild or sleep in a motorhome outside a campsite?
No. In Croatia wild camping is banned, including in motorhomes, and municipalities fine overnight stays in car parks and on beaches. Istria has many campsites with waste disposal.