Bike Trails

Cycling is honestly one of my favourite ways to show people this corner of Istria. You get the smell of the pines, the sea appearing between the trees, a village café where you stop for coffee — things you’d fly right past in a car. Istria has hundreds of kilometres of marked trails, but the best news is that some of the loveliest ones start right here in the south, close to the house.

Right from our doorstep

Ližnjan sits on a wonderfully indented stretch of coast — about 28 km of little bays and coves — and the trails here are made for holiday riding, not suffering. Mostly gentle, a mix of paved lanes, white gravel (we call it makadam), and forest paths, almost always with the sea somewhere in view. You can roll out from the house, follow the coast toward Medulin or Kavran, and be back in time for lunch. This is easy, feel-good cycling that kids and casual riders can manage.

Cape Kamenjak — the one not to miss

If you only do one ride, make it Kamenjak. It’s a protected nature park on the tip of the peninsula near Premantura, about a 15-minute drive from us, and it’s laced with dirt tracks and rocky singletrack winding past hidden coves, wild rosemary, and some of the best swimming spots in Istria. Because cars are limited inside the park, a bike is genuinely the perfect way to explore it.

There are loops for every level:

• Easy (~8.5 km): a gentle spin toward Portić bay and the little Safari Bar tucked in the trees — around half an hour of riding, doable for most people.
• Moderate (~10.5 km): a loop out to Sveti Mikula cove, rockier and more scenic, roughly an hour.
• For serious riders (~23 km): the full rugged circuit from Premantura — proper rocky terrain with short steep pitches and endless sea views.

Bring water and a swim suit. Half the joy is dropping the bike and jumping in.

Medulin bay — flat and family-friendly

For a relaxed day with children, the Medulin loop is lovely: a mostly flat coastal ride from Medulin’s waterfront past the church of St. Agnes, on through Pomer, Vintijan and Pješčana Uvala, skirting the Soline forest park before heading toward Premantura and Kamenjak. You can ride a short easy stretch or link it into a longer 40-odd-kilometre circuit if you’re feeling it. Medulin is only about ten minutes from the house.

The Parenzana — a day out in northern Istria

The Parenzana is the famous one, and worth the trip up north (it’s around an hour and a half away, so more of a day-out or a self-guided section than a doorstep ride). It follows the old narrow-gauge railway that once linked Trieste to Poreč between 1902 and 1935, running through Italy, Slovenia and Croatia — about 123 km end to end, with roughly 78 km on the Croatian side. Because it’s an old rail line, the gradient is gentle the whole way, which makes even long stretches feel easy.

The most magical Croatian section climbs from Livade up through the hill towns of Motovun and Grožnjan — vineyards, viaducts, nine old railway tunnels, and truffle country all around. Most people ride a segment rather than the whole thing.

Inland wine roads

If you love a glass at the end of a ride, the inland trails around Momjan and Brtonigla thread past vineyards and stone hamlets, with plenty of small family cellars to stop at for a taste of Malvazija or Teran. Hillier than the coast, but the rewards are obvious.

Where to rent bikes

You don’t need to bring your own — there are good rental shops all around us in Medulin, Premantura, Banjole and Pula, offering everything from city bikes to mountain bikes and e-bikes (a real gift on the hillier trails and in the summer heat). Several will deliver the bikes right to the house if you arrange it a few days ahead. Just ask me and I’ll point you to whoever’s closest and best that season — the rental scene shifts a bit year to year, so it’s worth checking current rates and delivery options when you book.

Good to know

• Best season: spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) are ideal — warm, quiet, and comfortable for riding. Summer is beautiful but hot.
• Summer heat: in July and August, set off early in the morning or ride late in the afternoon, and carry plenty of water.
• Maps & GPS: the official Istria Bike site has downloadable GPS tracks for the marked routes.

And if you bring your own bikes, there’s room at the house to store them safely.