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 head towards the peninsula of Istria. We will first leave the boat with our bikes at the Plomin cove and begin the first stage of our bicycle route. The stage involves a constant, moderate climb and through Krsana, Nedescine and Vineza we will arrive in Labin, the centre of eastern Istria. From Labin we will descend along hair-pin bends to Rabac, a favorite summer resort, with a pebble beach that is considered one of the most beautiful in Istria. Dinner and overnight stay in the port in Rabac (approximately 21.8 km bicycle riding).

Sunday:

After breakfast we will head out to sea and let the boat take us to the fishing port of Krnicka Luka. Through Krnice and Marcane we will cycle towards Vodnjan. Vodnjan is famous for the 62 meter-long church of St. Blaze, the largest in Istria. Aside from its size, one can also see the collection of sacral artwork and mummies. From Vodnjan we will go through Galizane and Veli Vrh to Pula, while passing the 3000 year-old amphitheatre and through Banjol arrive in Pomer, a deep Medulin cove on the southernmost tip in Istria, where our boat awaits us. There will be an opportunity for lunch during our cycling. Dinner and overnight stay in the port in Pomer (approximately 44 km).

Monday:

We will leave Istria and 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 bascule bridge. Twice a day this bridge is ceremoniously raised manually so that smaller boats may pass. After lunch we will first cycle through Nerezina 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 on the northern part of the island. Lopar is above all famous for its 2 km long beach known as Rajska plaza (Paradise Beach), a sandy beach that slightly descends into the sea. Once we have boarded with our bicycles, we will leave the island of Rab and head towards Krk, the largest island in the Adriatic. We will arrive in the town of Krk sometime late in the afternoon and spend the night in Krk.

Thursday:

We will cycle towards Dobrinja located inland. We will continue towards Vrbnik, an old town, situated high on the cliffs of the eastern seaboard. Near Vrbnik are vineyards that produce the famous golden color wine known as Zlahtina. After our lunch break in Vrbnik, we will continue toward Punat and return to our boat in Krk. Dinner and overnight stay in Krk (approximately 33 km).

Friday:

Today we will begin the final stage of our bicycle route – from Krk through Sv. Anton to Malinksa which lies in a sheltered cove on the western coast of the island. We will board with our bicycles for the 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 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.