ISLAND-HOPPING BY BICYCLE IN ISTRIA AND KVARNER BAY

Description

Saturday:

From 11.30 to 13.00 boarding in the port in Rijeka and, once the anchor has been raised, we will set sail towards the peninsula of Istria. We will first set out with our bikes in the bay of Plomin, and begin the first stage of our bicycle route. This stage involves a constant, moderate climb and through the villages of Kršan, Nedešæina and Vinež we will arrive to Labin, the centre of eastern Istria. From Labin we will descend down the serpentine road to Rabac, a favorite summer resort, with pebble beaches that are considered to be among the most beautiful in Istria. Dinner and overnight stay in the port of Rabac (approximately 21.8 km).

Sunday:

After breakfast we will head out to sea and let the boat take us to the fishermen’s village of Krnicka Luka. Through the villages of Krnica and Marèana we will cycle towards Vodnjan. Vodnjan is famous for the 62 meter high tower of the church of St. Blaise, the biggest in Istria. One can also view the collection of sacral artwork and mummies of Christian martyrs. From Vodnjan we will drive through Galižana and Veli Vrh to the town of Pula, going past the 2000 years old amphitheatre and through Banjole arrive in Pomer, a deep cove on the southernmost tip of Istria, where our boat awaits us. There will be an opportunity for lunch during the cycling. Dinner and overnight stay in the port in Pomer (approximately 44 km).

Monday:

We will leave Istria, pass by the islands of Unije and Cres and arrive in Losinj. Today’s route will begin in Cres, where the islands of Cres and Losinj are connected by a moving bridge. Twice a day this bridge is ceremoniously raised manually so that smaller boats may pass. After lunch we will cycle through Nerezine and Mali Losinj towards the picturesque town of Veli Losinj, so that our route may end in the port of Mali Losinj where we will spend the night (approximately 37 km).

Tuesday:

Today we will have quite a bit of sailing to do, since the ride from Mali Losinj to Novalja on the island of Pag lasts four hours. We will dock along the way to take a break for lunch and go swimming. The island of Pag is full of contrast, partially rocky, partially covered in fields where many sheep graze and “produce” the famous Pag cheese. We will cross the northern part of the island by bicycle and meet up with our boat in Luna. We will board with our bikes and head towards the island of Rab. Overnight stay in Rab in front of an unforgettable setting of the historical nucleus of the city with its four bell towers (approximately 20 km).

Wednesday:

We will begin with a short ride around the town of Rab and after our lunch break head towards Lopar, located in the northern part of the island. Lopar is above all known for its 2 km long beach known as Rajska plaza (Paradise Beach), a sandy beach that descends into the sea ever so gradually. Once we have loaded our bicycles, we will leave the island of Rab and head towards Krk, the biggest island in the Adriatic. We will arrive in the town of Krk in the late afternoon and spend the night there (cca. 37 km).

Thursday:

We will cycle towards the inland village of Dobrinja. We will continue towards Vrbnik, an old town perched high on the cliffs of Krk’s eastern shores. Around Vrbnik there are vineyards that produce the famous golden-coloured wine, Žlahtina. After the lunch break in Vrbnik, we will continue towards Punat and return to our boat in Krk. Dinner and overnight stay in Krk (approximately 37,5 km).

Friday:

Today we will begin the final stage of our bicycle route – from Krk through the village of Sv. Anton to the town of Malinska, which lies in a sheltered cove on the western coast of the island. We will board with our bicycles for one last time and head towards one of the nearby coves and, after having lunch on the boat, take one last swim in the Adriatic Sea. After that, we will bid farewell to the island and head back towards Rijeka, the starting point of our journey. There will be an opportunity for dinner in Rijeka and overnight stay on board the boat (approximately 22 km).

Saturday:

We will disembark after breakfast at around 9 am.