Istria by Boat & Bike – 8 Days

Day 1 – Omišalj (embarkation)
You arrive independently in Omišalj, an old pirates' nest on the island of Krk, and board from the early afternoon. Once your cabin is settled, the boat casts off for the first crossing to Cres. If the weather plays along there is a stop in a quiet bay for a first swim in the Adriatic. You spend the night in Cres, whose Venetian old town is made for an unhurried evening walk through narrow alleys and small churches.

Day 2 – Cres to Pula, round tour from Pula (28 km)
Breakfast on board during the morning cruise to Pula. In the afternoon you ride a loop through the countryside around the city: Galižana, then Vodnjan, then the fishing village of Fažana before rolling back into Pula. A guided walk through the city follows, with its Roman amphitheatre still standing in the middle of everyday life, and the evening is yours.

Day 3 – Pula to Vrsar to Poreč (40 km)
Another morning cruise, this time to Vrsar, the little port where Casanova is said to have taken refuge from the husbands of his lovers. From here you cycle along the Lim fjord and turn inland through Kloštar before reaching Poreč. There is time in the afternoon for a swim and for the Euphrasian Basilica, whose early Christian mosaics are among the finest on the Adriatic. Night in Poreč.

Day 4 – Poreč to Novigrad (59 km)
The longest day, and the one most people remember. You follow the Parenzana, the abandoned railway line that now runs as a cycle route through the Istrian interior, climbing gently to Grožnjan: a medieval village of pale stone, flower-filled squares and workshops in old houses. The afternoon takes you down through rural Istria via Buje to Novigrad, where the boat is waiting.

Day 5 – Novigrad to Rovinj, round tour from Rovinj (20 km)
The crossing to Rovinj happens over breakfast. Today's ride is short and green, through the forest park just outside town, past bays where you can stop and swim before turning back. The afternoon is free for Rovinj itself, a tangle of alleys climbing to the bell tower, and in the evening a guided walk opens up the quieter corners of the old town.

Day 6 – Rovinj to Fažana to Rabac (37 km)
A morning ride close to the coast, mostly on natural forest paths, brings you to Fažana and its small harbour lined with colourful houses. You continue to Pula, where the boat takes over for a longer crossing to Rabac on the eastern side of the peninsula – white pebble beaches, clear water and a bay that looks best with a drink in hand at sunset.

Day 7 – Rabac to Njivice to Omišalj (43 km)
An early crossing back to Krk for the last stage, from Njivice to Omišalj across Croatia's largest island. Vineyards of Žlahtina white wine, open limestone landscapes and a detour to the bay of Soline, where the mineral mud is said to take ten years off you. Back in Omišalj the crew has a farewell dinner ready.

Day 8 – Omišalj (disembarkation)
Breakfast on board and disembarkation by 9 am, then your onward journey.