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Istrian coast is low and mild, rich in vegetation and with many impressive hamlets, mirroring in a clear and crystal sea. There are numerous bays on the coast, but also shallows to which you should pay attention when sailing. There are many marinas there, big and well equipped. The life on the Istrian coast - variegated land with long indented coasts and sharp Karst cliffs - has always been linked to the sea. Sailors looked for shelter in the embrace of its bays, fishermen passed their whole life respecting the infinite mysterious extension, travellers found new loves in its ports. All agree that the beauty of the Istrian landscape made numerous passers-by stop and start the life from the beginning. You sail along blue Istrian flap of sea, following the trace left by the Sun, slowly from east to west, dipping into motives of Mediterranean life. Bays and beaches, boats swinging blissfully in the solitude of the azure beauty.


Umag e Porec
Sailing from the Slovenian border you come across some towns - pearls of this land. First you see Umag, gate from the north, known for tennis tournament Croatia Open in July and for its belfry in Venetian style, close to the church in the main square. After the beaches and fortifications of Novigrad you reach Porec, the so called capital of Istrian tourism due to many tourists and visitors staying in the hotels, preferred by those who love organised holidays. The place, in a sheltered bay, is notable: there is a forest only a few metres from the sea, the water is clear, the small historical nucleus in the middle of the peninsula offers gems like the Byzantine basilica, constructed by Eupharasius in mid 6th century A.D., UNESCO world heritage for its mosaics on the façade and in the interiors.


Rovinj
Southwards you pass by the spectacular Lim channel, penetrating like a fjord for about ten kilometres into the land, and then reach the marvellous Rovinj, the "most Venetian" among Istrian towns. The historical nucleus, on the top of a promontory, has remained suspended in time with its high houses, one on top the other and "perpendicular" to the water, the walls protecting the old town, narrow streets and small squares, the cathedral of Saint Euphemia on top of the hill, built in 1736 in Venetian baroque style, when the town was the most important one in Istria, hosting the tomb of the holy martyr and with a belfry 60 metres high, inspired by the belfry of S. Marco in Venice, bearing the statue of the saint on top.




Brijuni islands
Offshore, about half an hour from Fazana, the Brijuni archipelago, two major islands and twelve islets covered with pine trees, former summer residence of marshal Tito (today of the Croatian president) has become a Nature Park, with the animals of the zoo belonged to Tito - zebras, lamas, antelopes, deer, peacocks kept free (for exception for a few ostriches and a couple of elephants) besides cows and seagulls. Brijuni can be visited by bicycle, electric car or panoramic train to admire the remains of a Roman villa from 1st century A.D. - considered the most beautiful in the Adriatic, the remains of a Byzantine fortress inhabited from the 2nd century b.C. and Austro-Hungarian fortifications.





Pula
The most important town of today's Istria, a place that must be visited for its Roman remains, Paleochristian churches, Renaissance houses, Baroque palaces, Austrian villas. The larger number of Roman monuments is preserved in Pula.
The Temple of Augustus, dedicated to the goddess Roma and to emperor Augustus, was built between the 2nd century B.C. and the year 14 A.D. is situated on the Roman forum, name preserved to our days. A monument of particular interest is the Small Roman Theatre that, unlike the big one not preserved any more and was situated outside the city walls. During Vespasian'simes (1st cent. A.D.) the grandiose amphitheatre was built, meant first of all to gladiator's games. The amphitheatre having an elliptical form, could host about 20,000 spectators.



The southern tip
Beaches and small streets of the Verudela peninsula and the gulf of Medulin, announce the utmost southern tip of Istria, completely exposed to the sea. The peninsula passed Premantura down to the cape of Kamenjak. In the marvellous bay of Premantura, a natural reserve instituted in 1996 protects a complex of Mediterranean macchia, a few hidden beaches, clear waters, a concentration of the most relevant orchid species in Europe. A place - still wide - where dinosaurs passed one hundred years ago - as confirmed by footprints on the islet in front of Fenoliga. In the southern tip, in spite of many coves and bays, as far as Mošcenicka Draga, Lovran and Opatija, the coast becomes steeper, there are less inhabitants and represents an excellent challenge for pleasure boaters. There are also places to sail and stay there. The gulf called Raški zaljev, for example, like the port of Krnica and Rabac, can prove to be a nice discovery. Reaching Opatija, you are in the middle of Kvarner.

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