Istria MTB Cycling Tour

Day 1: Buje — Arrival
You will arrive in Istria and settle into your accommodation in the Buje area, among the vineyards of the north-west. At 7pm the local team will meet you at the hotel reception for a welcome briefing, handing over your travel documents, maps and road book, and fitting any rental bikes you have booked.

Day 2: Buje — Momjan Loop (43 km; +705 m / −705 m)
After breakfast you will stroll the paved lanes of Buje's old centre before rolling downhill on a trail through Bibali, Krug and Smilovici. Terraced vineyards line the way to Momjan, perched at 270 metres beneath the ruins of a medieval citadel built on rock. Here you can stop at a wine cellar to taste the local Momjan Muscat before returning to the Buje area for the night.

Day 3: Buje — Poreč (73 km; +636 m / −754 m)
Today you will ride on macadam along the Parenzana, the former narrow-gauge railway that once linked 33 towns between Trieste and Poreč across what are now three countries. Known as the wine railway, it carries you through rolling vineyards, old tunnels and over historic bridges, with viewpoints between medieval Grožnjan and Vižinada. In Poreč you will find the Roman Forum, palaces from many eras and the Euphrasian Basilica.

Day 4: Poreč Loop (57 km; +539 m / −540 m)
This loop will take you along the coastline, past quiet bays, green vineyards and olive groves where home-made food, wine, brandy and honey are produced. Inland, you will reach the small village of Višnjan with its astronomical observatory, then ride back to Poreč for a second night.

Day 5: Poreč — Rovinj (62 km; +732 m / −713 m)
You will follow the coast to Vrsar, a fishing village that Casanova visited twice, then ride through Kontija forest with panoramic views over Lim Bay. The route passes the old Benedictine abbey at Kloštar and the ruins of Dvigrad, in a land of legends: an ancient curse, Captain Morgan's buried treasure near Mrgani, and a cave once home to a hermit. Via Kanfanar and the Bronze Age tumulus of Maklavun, you will reach Rovinj, crowned by the baroque church of St Euphemia.

Day 6: Rovinj — Pula (42 km; +309 m / −320 m)
A coastal ride will lead you through the Palud ornithological reserve, where up to 215 bird species have been recorded, to Fažana, sheltered by the Brijuni archipelago and surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. You will then reach Pula, the largest city in Istria, and finish the day among the Arch of the Sergii and the Roman Arena.

Day 7: Pula — Cape Kamenjak Loop (40 km; +410 m / −411 m)
Your last ride will trace an indented coastline of gulfs, bays and white beaches to ancient Mutila, today Medulin, and on to Cape Kamenjak. Along the way you may spot some of the 22 orchid species, including the endemic Istrian orchid, an islet preserving a dinosaur footprint and the remains of Roman country villas. You will spend the night again in the Pula area.

Day 8: Pula — Departure
Breakfast and end of services.