End of April and beginning of May are packed with public holidays and in if you combine them with personal leave, you can have a great mini vacation. We try to escape from everyday routine whenever is possible and this year we decided for a nearby location by the sea. The idea was to spend our time outside, enjoying fresh air, sun, Mediterranean climate and have some great time biking. Istrian peninsula, Croatia, looked like the perfect location for us.
We booked a mobile home in a nice campsite between Novigrad and Umag. We love this kind of accommodation, since it gives you a comfortable stay but you are still in close contact with nature.
From the campsite, either if you go north or south, you have a charming coastal cycling route (a combination of cycling paths and secondary roads).
The sun was caressing us as we were cycling on our way to Umag, luckily it wasn’t that hot and from time to time a fresh, almost chilly, wind gently blew from the sea. It is a very easy, plain terrain, mostly along the sea shore, so we had nice views of the sea almost all the time of our ride.
If you need a rest or a fresh drink, you will easily find it in one of the beach bars along the path.
Our ride brought us to Umag, a popular tourist resort and charming town, located in the north of Istria, not far from the Slovenian border. A summer residence for nobility already in Roman times, today is a very popular destination for tourist from neighbouring countries, but also from other countries.
Umag, together with other small vacation villages, like Zambratija and Savudrija is a great location for seaside vacation offering many great accommodation facilities, options for active holiday and excursions around the whole peninsula. As I’ve already mention in one of my previous post, Istria is a perfect location also for foodies, offering excellent cuisine, gastronomic products, like olive oil and truffles, and is also the region of great wines.
Personally, I prefer Istria in off season (between September and May) since later one it can be quite crowded. Also, I’m not a fan of the sea in this part of Croatia, the beautiful beaches and crystalline waters are found southern in Croatia.
The Old Town of Umag is small, but cute. The history of the town centre goes back to ancient times, and as mentioned, it was a popular resort in the Roman times. The town walls and towers, that are still visible, date back to Roman times, but as walking along the town you will immediately notice also a strong Venetian imprint.
I really like the picturesque seaside promenade with old stone houses and many cosy restaurants overlooking the sea. A perfect location for a lunch or dinner based on fish menu.
The main square, Trg Slobode, is certainly the main location that you can’t miss. The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with its freestanding church tower St. Pellegrinus dominates on the square.
We had a walk around the town, took a quick look on the small shops and vendors along the sea front and made a coffee stop in one of the numerous cafes.
Since we had a full day at disposal we continued our ride a little bit further north, towards Stella Maris Resort. Passing few hotels in the outskirts of Umag we arrived into nicely arranged resort, with a large bay, looking almost like a lake.
There were some nice villas (apartments) located in the resort, and we were already planning our next vacation😊.
We made our way back to the camp site taking the same route. The last stop was at a nice beach bar, in the pleasant shadow of the pines and overlooking the sea. A glass of chilled sparkling wine was a perfect closure of a perfect day.
Thanks for reading,
feel free to leave a comment, I will be glad to reply to.
Best regards, @miljo76
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It was a long weekend for me too since I was off on friday and yesterday was labor day but during the weekend I had to take care of a client and couldnt take any rest, I hope next year I can take a few days off, havent had a vacation in the last two years, pictures look awesome, everything is so nice and the beach is so clean, looks like a great place to spend a few days of silence and rest without any worries, glad you had a great time
Thanks @skiptvads! It really is a phenomenal location to spend a few days in peace and disconnect from everyday life. I hope that next year it will work out the way you want, and you will spend a few days on vacation! See you around!
Istrian peninsula in Croatia is known for its beautiful landscapes and biking opportunities. I'm curious, did you have any specific biking routes in mind or any recommendations for exploring the area?
Hello @hotspotitaly. It wasn't our first time in this location, so this year we cycled along the coast, as it's not like we could have missed the route by much 😁You're right, Istria is intertwined with cycling routes. In previous years I was more prepared and had tours planned in advance. In my opinion, the best is a mix of inland and coastal routes. Of course, it depends on the type of bike you have, your physical readiness, the weather, the temperature, etc. I use this great website, which is a great starting point for planning such cycling trips. They even have gpx files that you can download on your phone, so you really can't miss your way.
Wow, this peninsula looks amazing. But Croatia is also simply beautiful! I've rarely seen so many cycle paths in Germany haha:D
Greetings!
Yes, I agree with you, Croatia is a great holiday destination. Istria is for me great for such a shorter holiday, as it is less than a two-hour drive away. And it really does have plenty of cycle routes to suit all tastes 🚲. For longer holidays, I prefer to drive a few hours further south 🌞. Greetings to you too!
Then of course it's a good idea to go on vacation there, especially by bike. You're really lucky that you live further south haha :)
Best regards :)
Wow I didn't know it was that beautiful over there, the pictures look amazing!!
Thanks Raul! Istria is really very beautiful and also very well developed as a tourist destination. Along the whole coast you have towns connected by cycle paths or secondary roads. There are plenty of hotels, campsites and private accommodation. In high season it's too crowded for my taste, so I prefer to drive a few hours further south, where the sea is also cleaner and more beautiful than in Istria, well, at least in my opinion.
That seems very nice, I hope when I leave Cuba , I could have a normal life and can travel a little to get know some of those places, unfortunately I never have go outside of my country but it's my dream
I hope that you will be able to make your dream come true and travel to where you want to go!
Thanks!
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You have lots of great pictures in shiny day
Thanks for sharing, Upvoted 100%
Thanks a lot @queen-silvia, it is my pleasure!
What a beautiful day you had 🙂 I have never been to Croatia even though I have been planning to. Great photos!
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks @delishtreats! It was a really wonderful day, and we were happy to spend it in the fresh air in this beautiful location. If you have never been to Croatia before, I would definitely recommend a visit, and if you are a fan of crystal clear sea, yummy seafood and good wine, even more so! You won't regret it!
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!LUV the images and colour.
Thanks for the tip!
; - )