✈️Istria – 10 tours you can't miss

Discover Istria, the Croatian peninsula where history and nature walk together in perfect harmony! In addition to beautiful medieval settings and exuberant nature, the destination is one of the best in the world for fans of gastronomic tourism.

Also known as the “Croatian Tuscany”, the Mediterranean peninsula once belonged to Italy and part of this culture remains in its Roman amphitheatres, its medieval villages and, of course, in the culinary influence that stood out even more with its fertile soil for olive trees, wineries and the sophisticated white truffles.

There is so much to do in such a small region that it is not difficult to understand why Istria is so special and so rich. THE croatian peninsula it has only 80km of coastline, basically you could get around it in 45 minutes, but with the amount of treasures hidden in this land, that would be a real sin. It makes you want to spend months discovering everything there, and I still don't think it would be enough.

As it is difficult to choose what to do in the midst of so much variety, I have separated here 10 tours in Istria that will make you start planning your trip to this paradise right now!

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A day tour of Pula

Also called Pola in Italian, this is the most famous and visited city in Istria and most people who visit don't have much idea of the surroundings.

The main attraction of the city and what attracts most tourists is the extremely well preserved Roman amphitheater, which closely resembles the famous Coliseum in Rome, despite being smaller in size and in the number of tourists, which ends up involving visitors in its history and letting the imagination run wild.

as in all Istria, Pula is also full of restaurants with exceptional quality and charming alleys where you can get lost for many hours without fear.

The city is very pleasant to discover on your own, but I highly recommend that you hire a guide, as it is difficult to understand all the history there even with someone who knows everything about the subject.

Rovinj – all the charm and history of a medieval town

Rovinj, in Italian, is considered the most romantic city in the Mediterranean and it's no wonder! However, the picturesque town is not necessarily just ideal for lovebirds, but rather to melt in love with the region.

The city is as beautiful as the 16 islands that surround it and is proof that nature and history can be in one destination in perfect harmony.

I think the detail I liked the most in Rovinj is that the city has accessibility for wheelchair users from the base to the top of the hill, which is rare in tourist places! Therefore, it is very common to find groups of tourists with physical disabilities and some agencies offer specialized tours.

It's beautiful to see this inclusion in a medieval place that was obviously not designed for this. ? From this detail, you can imagine the quality and care taken with tourism, which made Rovinj the city that benefits most from tourism in the whole Croatia because, unlike the most popular places in the country, those who visit Rovinj, doesn't want to leave anytime soon.

If you are going to spend more than one day in Rovinj, I suggest that you take a guided tour on one of the days to know all the history and curiosities about the place – it is one of the tours in istria which is really worth it!

Diving in the Adriatic Sea

The Adriatic Sea is quite inviting for those who love the underwater world. The abundance and diversity of its plant and animal life, as well as its multitude of underwater walls, reefs, caves and shipwrecks, is very well preserved.

in all Istrian coast, there are several diving centers that provide courses and certificates (CMAS, PADI, NITROX, apnea) with highly trained professionals that take you to the most exciting underwater paradises on the Adriatic.

Dive in Istria It is possible throughout the year due to the favorable sea temperature, but it is more favorable between the months of May and November, whenever the sea is in favorable conditions.

Single-engine flight over Vrsar with Aeropark Vrsar

I think I fell in love with Istria before that, but this moment was definitely the pinnacle of romance.

One of the options to get to know the beautiful city of Vrsar and all the surroundings that include Rovinj and the beautiful islands of the Adriatic Sea from a new point of view, is by taking a panoramic flight over the region with the company Aeropark Vrsar, which was the air club that served me with extreme professionalism. Of course, lifting a plane especially for you and

your companion(s) is a slightly higher investment, but for those who like adrenaline with a breathtaking landscape, I HIGHLY recommend the adventure and I guarantee that it will be worth every penny because the experience is simply unforgettable!

On the day we did the flight, the small group plane that is normally used was not available and, luckily, each flight was private with the pilot only. In addition to scenic flights, the company also offers other tours in istria and radical activities such as individual free flight or with an instructor.

For more information, appointments and availability, contact us at e-mail: [email protected]

Rappelling in the Baredine Caves

when I say that Istria It's amazing, it really is in the literal sense of the word. After so many beauties on the surface, you believe you've seen almost everything and then you are surprised by a rappel in the total darkness of a cave to show you a new world that exists below! So it is… Istria It really is for everyone and that includes any extreme sports lover.

in the vicinity of city of porec, hides a true underground paradise where you can become a cave explorer for a day and practice abseiling only under the light of a small flashlight, entering the world of stalactites and stalagmites.

I'm not a sportsman (on the contrary, I'm not very good at things, I just like it a lot), so you don't have to worry about being in high physical condition to perform the activity - of course, physical preparation helps a lot, but the difficulty is not that high and no previous rappelling experience is required.

Effort is a necessary item since you need to be able to learn the instructions and do everything yourself without assistance, but a super prepared team will accompany your training before entering the cave. If they feel that you are not fit for rappelling, they will recommend another more suitable tour where you can explore some caves on foot. THE SpeleoLit, which was the company that helped me, also offers clothes, shoes and all the accessories for the activity.

For more information, appointments and availability, contact the website.

Hum – the smallest city in the world

Hmm… how many inhabitants do you think the smallest city in the world has?

The guide that took us to HUM was a little in doubt when answering the number, but in less than a minute she counted exactly all the inhabitants by heart without needing much effort, after all, there were only 27 people to remember!

According to her, the city had 19 inhabitants until recently, as a family had moved from there to the neighboring city, but they could not stand the “big city” and returned to the peace of home, returning the statistics of an incredible 27 inhabitants. to town.

The guide said that once 3 children were born in the same week in Hum and all the Croatian media went to the city to report on what had happened, after all, the population increased by more than 10% overnight! LOL. The little town is really cute, worth a visit!

Of course, it won't take you long to walk through the village, which is extremely charming and, like every village in Istria, has a beautiful church that occupies much of the city.

Despite being a quick tour, I highly recommend that you plan to have lunch at the only restaurant in town called HUMS Tavern (if you forget the name, I don't think you'll have much trouble finding it! lol) and taste some of the traditional food from green region of istria, which is quite different from the coast.

Production of wine and olive oil

A tour of the beautiful wineries and olive oil producers is simply indispensable when visiting Istria, even if you don't understand anything about the subject!

Next to the beautiful grape plantations that disappear into the hills are the popular olive trees, which is not so strange as olive trees are scattered in abundance all over the peninsula – pretty much every place has its little spot. homemade olive oil production.

Almost nothing can be compared to this noble vegetable fluid that has an absolutely exceptional flavor and aroma. One of the greatest treasures of the Mediterranean diet is produced in organic soil that has been cared for for dozens of years, especially to generate with extreme quality the product that is indispensable in Istrian cuisine and probably what makes it even more special – but always together with a good wine, of course. ! ?

Among the numerous varieties of grapes found in this area, the most important are the Malvazija white from Istria and the Teran, whose color varies from purple to ruby red. But what makes Istria synonymous with good wines and consecrated it with the title of the best olive oil in the world?

The hard work of the locals with a 100% artisanal production is essential, but without a doubt the whims that nature provides to the region make all the difference to guaranteeing very high quality grapes and an extremely fertile soil that gives a special taste to the olives.

You can find all information about the wine and olive oil routes in Istria here, as well as other gastronomic delights.

Paragliding over Buzet

A greener part of Istria could not have been better explored. The frequent paragliding flights that give even more life to the immensity of the mountains are very popular in the region of Buzet. The view from the top of the mountain at the base of the flight is stunning and with the flight it gets even better!

I was guided with perfect professionalism by the company Istria Paragliding, which took us on a jumping base with less air traffic and this incredible view practically private!

For more information, appointments and availability, contact us at e-mail: [email protected]

Mountain bike em Groznjan

After being dazzled by the mountainous region of Istria on a paragliding tour, it's time to explore the forests in a more intense way with an unforgettable MTB starting with picturesque Groznjan, also known as the “artists' village”, which explains all the charm of the small town.

Leaving the village, the agency Fiore Towers continues with the extremely organized tour with the bicycles that are taken to the top of the hill where it is Terrible so that the ride is even more pleasant, as it takes about 3 hours of just descent – who doesn’t love descents, throw the first stone! LOL. The tour has no degree of difficulty, just know how to pedal a bike and enjoy the beautiful view that you will witness!

Take advantage of the end of the tour to delight in the Zigante restaurant, the best truffle restaurant in the world!

For more information, appointments and availability, contact the website.

truffle hunting

Since we're in that green mood of exploring the Istrian forests, this one is for anyone who wants to go even deeper – in this case, literally!

The region of Istrian forests is world famous for being the biggest “producer” of truffles in the world. And if you have no idea what truffles are or how they are found, don't despair, after all, truffles are one of the most expensive and exquisite foods in the world.

Although they are also delicious, I'm not talking about the popular chocolate truffles. The original truffle that gave rise to the name of the sweet is from the fungus family, but, unlike its cousins, it grows underground at a depth of 20 to 40 centimeters, more specifically next to the roots of oaks and chestnut trees – I don’t even know I need to comment that Istria It's filled with those trees, isn't it?!

Speaking like that, it seems easy to find them, but believe me, if it were that easy, the name of it wouldn't be hunting but harvesting.

As truffles they cannot be planted and little is known about how they are born. In most places where truffles are found, truffles (truffle hunters) use trained pigs to sniff them out in the middle of the forest.

Istria It is one of the few places where sniffer dogs are used, which are trained from an early age to smell, which is quite strong and particular even for us humans. During training, the dogs are fed truffles as a reward for a good job and, once you taste this gastronomic relic, you will quickly understand why the animals don't take any time to become addicted to the blessed truffles.

the ride of truffle hunting it's interesting to say the least, but your luck can vary greatly depending on the time of year, amount of rain, or other quirks of nature. The best time to hunt for the white truffle, the rarest species, is between October and December, while the black truffle can be found mostly in the summer. Several local agencies offer the tour that normally leaves the city of Umag, among others.

Is that you ? Wanted to know these tours in istria? Comment here!

Patricia traveled at the invitation of the Istrian Tourism Board.

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