Venice to Pula: EuroVelo 8 Along the Adriatic

Day 1: Arrival in Mestre/Venice
You will arrive individually at your first hotel in Mestre. If you have time, do not miss the chance to visit Venice: from your hotel it is about ten minutes by bus or train.

Day 2: Mestre – Jesolo/Caorle (35 km, +12 m / −12 m; variant 55 km, +20 m / −25 m)
Today you have two options. The first rides the dyke and the lagoon to Venice, where you take the vaporetto to Punta Sabbioni — the ticket is not included — and continue along the long beaches of the Cavallino peninsula, lined with fishing boats and souvenir stalls. An excursion to the lighthouse at the tip of the spit gives a last fine view of Venice and its islands. The second follows the Sile inland, past the ruins of the medieval Torre Caligo, straight to Jesolo or Caorle.

Day 3: Jesolo/Caorle – Concordia Sagittaria/Portogruaro (60 km, +10 m / −5 m)
Along the coast you reach Caorle, an ancient fishing town with a thousand years of history and a fine golden beach. Past Caorle you turn inland, with the Julian Alps on the horizon, towards Portogruaro, once an important river port of the Venetian Republic. Many of its palaces, buildings and squares still carry unmistakably Venetian ornament.

Day 4: Concordia Sagittaria/Portogruaro – Grado/Aquileia (65 km + boat, +10 m / −65 m; variant without boat 85 km, +27 m / −25 m)
Beyond the Adriatic beaches there is a great deal to discover here: Roman remains, old churches and isolated landscapes at the edge of the lagoon. From Marano Lagunare an included ferry brings you close to Aquileia, once a major city of the Roman Empire. Part of the ancient city is visible in the open-air site and in two museums.

Day 5: Grado/Aquileia – Trieste (85 km, +410 m / −400 m; variant by train 70 km, +220 m / −210 m)
The first half of the day runs inland across the Karst, a landscape riddled with caves. You then return to the coast for a uniquely beautiful stretch where the plateau drops into blue water and white cliffs stand straight against the sky, passing Duino, Sistiana, Miramare and Barcola. Miramare castle, above the bay of Grignano in a park of more than two thousand trees, is well worth the stop. The stage ends in the Gulf of Trieste.

Day 6: Trieste – Piran/Portorož (65 km, +500 m / −560 m; variant by boat 35 km)
Only a few kilometres separate you from the Slovenian border. In Slovenia the route runs largely on cycle path through Koper and Izola to Piran and Portorož, the well-known spa town of the Slovenian Riviera. If you prefer, the longer inland variant runs through the Val Rosandra.

Day 7: Piran/Portorož – Poreč (70 km)
The stage begins past the Sečovlje salt pans, where sea salt is still recovered by natural evaporation. Shortly after you cross into Croatia. The route follows the Croatian side of Istria, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic, on a pleasant and gently hilly ride to Poreč. The town is the most important on the western Istrian coast and well worth a visit: its Euphrasian Basilica is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Day 8: Poreč – Rovinj (61 km, +450 m / −500 m)
Leaving the picturesque port of Poreč you continue to Rovinj, a fishing harbour whose old town sits on a promontory, a tangle of paved streets between tall coloured houses. The bell tower of the cathedral of St Euphemia, on the hill at the centre of the town, is visible from far off.

Day 9: Rovinj – Pula (45 km, +200 m / −250 m)
The last riding day of this Istrian tour can only end in Pula, the oldest town in Istria, at the southern tip of the peninsula. Pula is known for its Roman amphitheatre and its many Roman sites, and has a lively cultural life.

Day 10: Departure
Your tour ends after breakfast. You may choose to extend your stay in Istria.