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Istria, the largest Croatian peninsula, is a magical region that is ideally discovered by bike. With green forests, historic hilltop towns, vineyards and olive groves, this self guided itinerary is the perfect combination of nature, history and culture. Cycling through a beautiful landscape of hills framed by rivers, forests and vineyards, there is ample time to stop where you like. Along the way you'll pass through the hidden medieval towns of Groznjan, Oprtalj, Motovun and Porec, with their charming historic centres. You can reward your efforts in the saddle each day by relaxing at your comfortable family-run hotel while sampling the excellent Istrian wines.
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24kg of CO2-e PP per day
(167kg of CO2-e PP entire trip)
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Day 1
Arrive Porec
Make your way to Porec and check in at the first hotel (due to availability we occasionally use a hotel in nearby Vrsar). Porec is rich in culture and history and we recommend taking some time to walk through the town this afternoon. You can walk along the old city centre, where you'll find the Roman Forum, magnificent palaces from different historical periods, and to top it all off, the famous Euphrasian Basilica (Euphrasiana). At 7.00pm there will be a welcome briefing where you'll receive your rental bike. Overnight Porec or Vrsar.
Meals: Nil
Day 2
Discover Porec by bike, cycle along the coastline to the Buje region (72km/45mi)
Today you begin by cycling along the coastline with its beautiful bays, enjoying the breathtaking Mediterranean landscape with green vineyards and olive groves. Along the trail you will reach Višnjan,with its astronomical observatory, the Mirna river delta, then Novigrad, before arriving in Umag. Umag has a rich historical heritage and each year hosts a unique festival, of the traditional organ (Organum Histriae). Situated on a peninsula, founded in the transitional period from late antiquity into the early middle ages, its historic centre speaks with the spirit of the old Venetian Republic. Continue to the northernmost point of Istria (Savudrija) before finishing the day in the Buje region. Overnight in Volpija or Kaldanija. +724 m/2375ft, -581m/1906ft
Meals: B
Day 3
Cycle via fascinating towns to Buzet (54km/34mi)
This morning you will cycle to the pretty hilltop town of Groznjan, known as 'the town of artists'. Groznjan is a typical medieval Istrian town overlooking the Mirna river. Take time to stroll through the town to see the St Vitus and Modeto's church and Renaissance loggia and admire the views, before getting back on your bike and continuing to Sterna, named for its large cistern, Oprtalj with its portals and covered passages, and finally Buzet. Buzet is known as the 'city of truffles' as the surrounding forests are some of the best areas in Istria for finding these gourmet delights. Overnight Buzet. +845m/2772ft, -831m/2726ft
Day 4
Cycle to Rabac or Labin, pearls of Kvarner Bay (67km/42mi)
After conquering the tough climb to Prodani this morning, the cycle route will lead to one of the most attractive and picturesque medieval towns of Istria, Draguc. Once renowned for its cultivation of silk worms, Draguc today is almost completely abandoned. You may recognise its natural beauty, stone architecture, palaces and old churches, as many movies and TV series have been filmed here. Continue to Pazin, the heart of Istria. In the first written record of the town in 983, Pazin is known as the cultural, commercial and educational centre of the entire central region of Istria. From Pazin you pass through Gracišce, a jewel of the Istrian hinterland, before continuing to Rabac or Labin, both pearls of Kvarner Bay. +1204m/3949ft, -1069m/3506 ft
Day 5
Continue through a nature reserve to Pula (53km/33mi)
This morning you'll ride across Raša, which was the first modern mining town in Istria. Along the way you'll find yourself in the beautiful nature reserve of Liburna, full of native animals (including very friendly donkeys!) and a unique ethnological collection of antique tools. You'll end the day in Pula, which just like Rome, is a city built on seven hills and home to a magnificent amphitheatre, dating from the 1st century BCE. Pula has been casting its spell on visitors for centuries, and you're sure to be enchanted too. Overnight Pula. +560m/1837 ft, -815m/2673ft
Day 6
Cycle along the coast towards Rovinj (61km/37mi)
Today's cycle takes you along the coastline towards Rovinj. This morning you will head for the mysterious world of the Bale region. Bale was built along the Via Flava, the ancient Roman road that connected Trieste and Pula. Pass by Svetvincenat, with its grandiose towered citadel and 16th century Venetian style houses. A rare witchcraft trial was held here in the 17th century. You'll finish the day's cycle tour in Rovinj. +591m/1938ft, -586m/1922 ft
Day 7
Cycle past a marsh, a fjord, coastline and fishermen villages to Porec (60km/38mi)
Today's cycle has much to pique your interest, including a marsh and a fjord, a spectacular coastline, legends of buried pirate treasure, and an ancient solar observatory. The ride will take you across Kanfanar to the ruins of the medieval town of Dvigrad. After cycling along the coastline you will reach Vrsar, a quaint fishing village that was twice visited by Casanova. From here you'll head back to Porec (or your hotel in Vrsar) for your last overnight stay. Your bikes will be collected by a representative on arrival to your hotel. +787m/2581ft, -791m/2594 ft
Day 8
Trip concludes
The trip concludes this morning with arrangements ending after breakfast.
What's included
What's not included
Family-run 3-4 star hotels and guesthouses. Many of the hotels are renowned for their excellent cuisine and all offer a warm welcome to cyclists, traditional hospitality and an authentic experience. Refer to ICB to upgrade to premium 4-5 star hotels
During the trip you will be provided with a hybrid bike rental including helmet and repair kit. You will also receive a pannier to carry your gear required for each day. In the case of a puncture the assumption is that you can repair. A puncture repair kit is included in the equipment provided so you can fix the issue.
E-bikes are designed to make cycling easier. The pedalling ‘boost’ provided by an e-bike opens up more options, allowing people of different fitness levels to cycle together or to allow less confident or fit cyclists to take on routes they may otherwise consider too tough for their current capabilities. Supplement applies, on request.
You have the option to upgrade to a gravel bike which includes helmet and repair kit. Supplement applies, on request.
A light weight road bike for experienced cyclists including a helmet and repair kit. Supplement applies, on request.
GRADE 3 - This cycle route is not way marked, however you are provided with a navigational app, and detailed digital route book and maps. The route is mainly flat with some hilly terrain and follows local roads with some short connections on main roads but generally the cycling is relaxed and traffic light (except in July and August, the high season periods, when you will experience a higher volume of traffic).
Per Person, Twin Share
If you are flying from within Europe the closest airports are Pula or Trieste. If flying from outside of Europe it is likely that you will need to fly into either Venice, Ljubljana or Zagreb. If you fly into Venice you can take a train to Trieste (approx 2 hours) and then take a connecting bus to Porec. You can catch public transport from any of these airports, otherwise we can arrange private transfers for you (supplement applies).
From Trieste the bus to Porec takes around 2 hours. and there are usually several buses a day. From Pula the bus takes around 1.5 hours. From Zagreb you can take a bus to Porec, and the quickest buses are through Slovenia with a journey time of approximately 3 hours. From Ljubljana takes around 1.5 hours.
From Porec to Pula, there are local buses, or we can assist with a taxi transfer on request. From Porec to Trieste - we recommend pre-booking airport transfers as public transport is very limited. From Porec to Venice there are ferries.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
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