Our Croatia holiday continues — the Istria peninsula has so much more to offer. And we get to explore it over the following days in glorious weather. Today we're sharing a photo festival from Rovinj, the sunset near Vrsar, and a hike to beaches with white pebbles and turquoise sea in Rabac.
If you want to read about where my favourite man, Nina, Dave, Murphy & I stayed, have a look at Part 1, and you can find out what we got up to in Part 3.
Picturesque Rovinj
Tuesday
The adventurous hike through Učka National Park is still in our legs a little, so we take it nice and easy on Tuesday. After breakfast we head to the Golden Cape Park in Rovinj. In high season you'll almost certainly need the paid car park. We could have saved ourselves that, had we driven just a little further ;)
(we only figured that out on the way back...)
Murphy and the Sea
Murphy has known holidays by the water since he was a puppy, but until this trip he had never seen the sea. It looks perfectly ordinary enough — but you should have seen his face after the first taste of it :)
"Bleurgh! Who on earth put so much salt in the water? Whose bright idea was that?"
Murphy, the gold glitter boy
Murphy in Golden Cape Park
The stroll along the beach promenade has plenty to offer. Several coves invite you to splash around and provide a lovely view of the island Otok Sveta Katarina opposite. There's the odd beach bistro along the way, and then you come across this magnificent collection of stone pyramids, which is simply fascinating.
"Just let me run through those piles of stones! Just once!!"
Murphy
Murphy in Rovinj
After Golden Cape Park we make our way into the old town of Rovinj. We're lucky and find a parking spot very close to the centre. WARNING: parking ticket! In Croatia, wheel clamps are very popular for illegal or overstayed parking, so it's best to look out for a parking meter.
We stroll through the pedestrian zone towards the 'landmark' and up to the highest point of the city — the three-aisled Baroque Church of St Euphemia. Charming little shops make the walk very enjoyable and tempt you into buying souvenirs.
A Sunset Never Gets Old ;)
After our city stroll we make our way to the Limsky Kanal. Our landlord Richard tipped us off about Restaurant Viking, where you can feast on mussels, seafood and fish. We took his advice — and were not disappointed.
As the crowning end to the day, we enjoy the sunset over the sea.
The Walk of Hidden Magic in Rabac
Wednesday
The Beach Promenade
Our walk of hidden magic in Rabac begins at a leisurely pace. My favourite person treats me to a coffee — he knows how to make me happy ;) ! Then it's time to set off — we hike along the beach promenade. You can easily imagine how busy it gets here in the summer months.
Understandably so, as the crystal-clear water with its turquoise colour and the white pebbles are incredibly inviting. We find the empty coves of the off-season rather relaxing, and we soon reach the end of the hotel strip. There we find the official dog beach, which we make a beeline for.
Playtime at the Beach
Murphy heads straight for the water and is deeply disappointed once again that it's still just as salty... He finds the waves funny all the same, though, and lets himself be coaxed into a little game with me:
And while we watch the surfer throw himself into the waves, Murphy contentedly gnaws on a piece of driftwood he found, and my favourite two-legged companion captures this brilliant shot of him.
♥ Our Favourite Photo ♥
The Mystical Forest
A pleasant forest path leads us straight along the coast beside the sea. The green of the trees and the blue of the water have such a calming effect that I can still feel it now...
Bounty Bay
We then make our way down a few steps to the Four Elements Beach, a.k.a. Bounty Bay. In summer the beach hut is open too, offering sun loungers, parasols and drinks. That day we soaked up the peace and solitude to the fullest.
Tour Details
- Pace: leisurely
- Walking time: approx. 1:45 hours
- Total duration: nearly 3 hours including beach time
- Distance: 5.8 km
- Ascent: 80 m
- Descent: 83 m
- Highest point: 81 m
- Lowest point: 1 m
Dog Facts
- Walk starts along the promenade, then continues on forest and gravel paths
- lovely loop along the waterfront promenade and through the forest — a mix of sun and shade
- A few dog encounters on the promenade — the coves we had all to ourselves
- Off-season is recommended — in summer the dog beach gets very busy
- Bring drinking water (the sea is of course available for cooling off)
Lunch and Waterfall Walk
After this tour we'd definitely earned some food, so we headed to Nostromo for a late lunch. We had the whole place to ourselves, but the waiter wasn't the least bit put out — quite the opposite, he made a real effort with us. The food was absolutely delicious, and Murphy got water without us even having to ask!
We decided to squeeze in one more little digestive stroll to the "waterfall" on the other side of Rabac (see the star on the map above). There wasn't a whole lot of water rushing down the hillside, but it was well worth a look all the same.
Today's post is a little lighter on text, but all the more packed with photos.
This blog exists in part to capture memories for us, and this is one post I know I'll come back to with particular pleasure on a grey day!
What do photos mean to you?
Are they cherished memories, or just unnecessary clutter?
