The most beautiful beaches in Istria, where to find them, where to go to swim and to relax.
After talking to you about it how to get to Istria and also how to avoid having to buy the vignette for transit on the Slovenian motorway here are finally some more interesting and substantial advice, for this reason now I want to tell you about the beaches and the Istrian sea.
This is certainly the best known aspect of this Croatian region, a coast close to Italy, with water that does not even look like the Adriatic Sea given its transparency. The beaches here hardly exist: there are rarely areas in which to be able to lie down without renting a sunbed, these are usually made of more or less large stones, not rarely artificial, to which over time large concrete slabs have been added where you can settle. Lovers of comfort, however, be discouraged because I assure you that it is easy to start appreciating too rocks and rocks (a little less the expanses of concrete, but sometimes I admit that they are still comfortable), the important thing is to equip yourself with a pair of rubber shoes so as not to suffer every time you want to take a bath and I assure you that it will be worth the penalty. Because of how these coasts are made, the sea is truly enchanting, with colors of all shades of blue and green, another advice is to equip yourself with goggles or a mask to see how much beauty there is under your feet while you swim.
It has never happened to me to go to the northernmost part of the peninsula, so I cannot give you advice on the area of Umag and Novigrad (Umag and Novigrad). One of the towns that I frequented the most is Porec / Parenzo but I must say that here I have never found splendid places to swim, the areas near the city are very crowded and there are almost only concrete slabs, even the sea does not it looked as good as anywhere else. One possibility is to move further south for a few kilometers (even by bike on the track that runs along the coast or with the electric train) towards Zelena Laguna and the area where Camping Zelena Laguna is located in which there is a part of the coast with rocks and not far away also the pebble beach of the Hotel Delfin, where however it is possible that there is a little crowd because it is precisely one of the rare true beaches.
Personally, I don't even mind the little one small beach in the center of Vrsar: early in the morning even in the middle of August it is deserted and enchanting, for sure then during the day it gets crowded. An alternative is to move to the rocks that line the peninsula at the center of which Montraker is located and which also offers some areas in which to shelter under the trees.
Further south on the Istrian coast lies Rovinj / Rovigno and right here, in the center there is a small beach, if you can call it that, which is located in the southernmost part of the small peninsula where the city is located, can be reached from Ulica Sv. Križa along a ladder that seems to lead only to a restaurant (La Puntulina) and instead goes down up to the rocks. The space where to place the towel is very little, there are large boulders and rocks, plus three kinds of artificial steps which are among the most sought-after positions; in the summer months there are always a lot of people but somehow you can always find a place. The sea here is truly wonderful and the view from the bottom up gives a different point of view on the bell tower of Santa Eufemia. I usually go here when most of the people have already left, in the late afternoon, to wait for the sunset while taking a bath.
An alternative is to reach the Red Island or Sant'Andrea Island, also in Rovinj, which can be reached in 10/15 minutes by taking the boat that leaves every hour from the town's marina (40kn, about € 5). The island is home to a hotel but passing this area and going to the nearby islet, Isola Maschino or Maskin, connected to the first by a concrete walkway, you can relax in complete tranquility and with your feet soaked in beautiful water. The prevalence is also in this case of rocks and rocks, in the area closest to the hotel and the walkway there are some spaces with pebbles or concrete for those who want to be more comfortable, but obviously these are also the most crowded.
In front of the Isola Rossa you can then see a green and very quiet area or the Punta Corrente Park, I've never been there in person, but apparently this is also a perfect place to enjoy tranquility and the sea.
Staying on the subject of islands during the excursion at Brijuni Islands I took one of the best baths: instead of returning by boat immediately after the end of the island tour, the best thing is to stay a little longer and look for a place where you can swim. The island is, together with all the others of the archipelago, a protected natural park, so only in some marked points it is possible to take a swim and enjoy the transparent water and silence. Know that here the fish are even more masters of the sea than elsewhere: if it strikes you that seeing them swimming between your feet ... there is no place for you!
Moving further south, right on the tip of the Istrian peninsula is the Kamenjak nature park, near the village of Premantura. This is certainly among the most beautiful areas in the whole region where you can enjoy the sea; as always the rocks prevail but the best thing is that behind them there are always trees that allow you to stay in the shade, sheltered from the heat and more comfortable. The water is truly incredible and every time I have been here I have changed the area because the park is really big and this allows you to have peace of mind even in the busiest moments. A tip, just to avoid being in the midst of many other people, is not to stop immediately in the first area that is after the entrance, but to go a little along the white paths to find the best cove.
During the four summers I was in Istria, I never went to the east coast much, indeed, only once did I go to Rabac, which didn't particularly impress me, but the wonderful water was still there, despite the many people due to the amount of hotels. Certainly if you happen to be here, there is a bath anyway, maybe not right on the main beach but, to be clear, in the area below the Hotel Miramar, a crowded area but with a sea that deserves a dip. Sveta Marina is instead a bay not far from Rabac with a quiet beach, nothing exceptional but nice, even if I warn you that the road to reach it is particularly narrow!
The beaches are certainly many and beautiful, but there are many private and exclusive for hotel and camping guests, in particular the latter are very widespread and take up a lot of space on the coast so if what you are looking for is a holiday in close contact with the sea it might be a good idea to inquire about the numerous structures that overlook them directly.
