Welcome to Hooked on Cycling Holidays and our cycling holiday in Istria. This biking vacation in Istria is a wonderful guided bike tour by bike and boat. Stunning cycle rides during the day and relaxation on your floating hotel at night. What makes this type of holiday wonderful, is that if you do not cycle or do not wish to cycle you can stay on board and soak up the sun. The heart of Europe is what the Istrians call their peninsula, inspired by its shape and its position at the crossroads of European arteries, cultures and nations. This is where Central Europe and the world of the Mediterranean meet. On this tour, we will explore the most popular part of this Croatian coast.
Starting in Omisalj our tour guides will show us the most beautiful routes of the whole coastal region. We’ll visit the Lim channel with its caves, the coastal cities Porec, Rovinj and Pula, as well as the Istrian hinterland, a famous wine and truffle region.
Availability: Standard Ship on Fridays 5/5, 26/5, 16/6, 7/7, 21/7, 4/8, 18/8, 1/9, 15/9, 29/9 and on Premium Ship on 28/4, 19/5, 9/6, 23/6, 14/7, 28/7, 11/8, 22/9, 6/10.
Omisalj
Minimum number 14 persons, minimum age 10 and height above 140 cm.
Captain Damir’s Linda is a spacious wooden motor yacht. She was built in 1955 and renovated in 2004/2005 to meet the requirements of island-hopping. 31 meters long and 6 meters wide the Linda is among the bigger ships in our Croatian fleet. The spacious saloon can accommodate 32 guests, and the middle sundeck is constructed in a way that meals can also be served outside. The upper deck measures 40 square metres and is big enough for sunbathing.
Three cosy cabins below deck are equipped with separate beds and two portholes each. Another one has got a French bed with an additional bunk bed above the large bed so that they can also be booked by three persons. On deck, there are ten double cabins. Six of those have a French bed and four double cabins are equipped with separate beds. Captain Damir and his crew look forward to welcoming our guests onboard of their Linda. All cabins have air-conditioned.
At 40 x 8.5 m the Andela Lora is an extraordinary, elegant steel ship, built in 2012. With its impressive length it is one of the largest ships in our bike and boat tours. There are seventeen spacious cabins which are air-conditioned and include a shower and WC. The Andela Lora also offers a nice salon on the top deck and numerous comfortable spaces on deck to relax. At the stern of the ship, a swimming platform provides effortless access to the sea! Cabins are between 12-14m2.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Hooked on Cycling that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the chosen activity and for emergency evacuation and hospital care.
During the day arrive at the port in Omisalj on the island of Krk. If you are arriving from Zagreb, we can also arrange a transfer for you to the harbour of Omisalj. Check-in on board is from around 2 pm. Soon after this, we set sail to the city of Cres. If the weather permits, we will stop for a refreshing swim stop along the way. In the evening your guide will take you for a walk through the charming old town of Cres, characterized by its Venetian heritage.
Enjoy breakfast in the morning with a longer cruise from Cres to the southwestern coast of Istria to the town of Liznjan. This is an old fishing village where its small harbour is the starting point of your first cycle tour. On your ride today you can enjoy quiet country roads and picturesque towns as you make your way towards Pula, the main town of Istria. You will have time to explore this enticing city characterized by decades of Roman rule. Explore the mighty amphitheatre, the Augustus Temple and the Golden Gate.
Normally before breakfast, we will depart Pula so that we can arrive in Vrsar just after breakfast. Vrsar is the town where the famous seducer, Casanova took refuge from the furious husbands of his lovers. From Vrsar, we bike along the Limski channel to Klostar. After a refreshment break, we continue by bike to Porec. We will have a chance to indulge in the multifaceted history of Porec in the company of our city tour guide on a walk through this enchanting town. The shopping streets are vibrant with life. A visit to the Euphrasian Basilica with its intricate pre-Christian mosaics is highly recommended.
As we tuck into breakfast, the boat will sail to Novigrad, where your cycling tour today will begin. You cycle through vast vineyards and olive groves to the picturesque hilltop village of Buje, overlooking the fertile pastures. Now we shall follow the “Parenzana”, a decommissioned railway line, which will take us to the artist’s town of Groznjan. You will have time to visit the numerous galleries, situated in quaint stone houses. Now we get back on our bikes and continue through the neighbouring villages and rural Istria all the way to Vrsar. Here the boat awaits us in a protected harbour for the night.
After a short crossing by boat, we will enjoy a cycle tour along the coastal promenade from Rovinj to the outskirts of this wonderful seaside village. Now we can take time for a lengthy swim in the Adriatic before returning to the boat. In the afternoon we can enjoy a guided city tour through this picture-perfect, town squeezed on a small peninsula surrounded by the blue sea. It is not without reason why this idyllic city is a haven for artists from all over the world whose work can be admired in the numerous galleries in town.
Today’s bike tour takes us along the coast mainly on natural paths and through forests to Fazana with has a delightful harbour. Admire the splendid promenade which is lined with colourful facades of the local houses. The ship awaits us here and once on board, takes us around the southernmost point of the Istrian Peninsula to the city of Rabac. Undoubtedly one of the most popular holiday towns in Istria.
Today starts with a long climb out of Rabac, to the hilltop village of Labin where we can enjoy a coffee break with an incredible view over the bay of Rabac. We continue by bike through the incredibly diverse scenic landscapes and villages of Istria before returning to Rabac. We board the boat and enjoy an afternoon cruise back to Omisalj where we enjoy a lovely evening meal in the company of our fellow cyclists.
After breakfast you can disembark.
By plane to Rijecka or Zagreb. Rijecka is a few kilometres from Omisalj.
Transfer by taxi around 15-30 minutes from Rijeka to Omišalj. Collection transfers are available to book from Zagreb on arrival and departure days.
2023 Prices – For a complete tour price breakdown please click the book now button and select your holiday tour date. Prices will then be listed.
A deposit of 30% per person is required for this tour.
