Istria cycling holidays


Our Croatia cycling Holidays
Split to Dubrovnik Luxury cruise, Croatia
Cruise Split to Dubrovnik in luxury via Croatia's islands
Porto to Lisbon cycling holiday, self guided
Flat terrain tour along the coast
Southern Croatia cruise in comfort
Cruise Croatia's beautiful islands on a small cruise ship
Vietnam small group cycling holiday
The best of Vietnam on two wheels
Croatia family activity holiday, Korcula
Croatia multi activity Private family luxury holiday
Petra and Wadi Rum by bike, Jordan
Cycling trip through stunning desert scenery
Croatia national parks walking holiday
Walking holiday in Croatia's beautiful national parks.
Water multi sport holiday in Croatia
Kayak, hike and sail, enjoy nature and culture
Nouvelle Aquitaine self guided cycling holiday, France
Idyllic cycling in France with great food, wine and bonhomie
Croatia family adventure holiday, 2 weeks
The Croatia 2 week activity holiday, designed for families!
Sweden cycling holiday, self guided
Cycle through a landscape of countryside and culture
Dubrovnik & islands walking holiday, Croatia
Walking holiday in Dubrovnik and islands in Croatia
Island hopping holiday in Croatia
Take your time exploring the Adriatic coast and islands between Dubrovnik and Split
Family sea kayaking holiday in Croatia
Relaxing & fun family kayaking holiday on Croatian islands
Matera to Puglia cycle in Italy
Nestled between the Adriatic and Ionian seas
Small group walking holiday in Croatia
Idyllic walks through some of Europe's finest scenery
Cyprus self-guided cycling holiday
Discover unspoilt Cyprus by bike using Gps as your guide
Luxury small ship cruise in Croatia
Luxury small ship cruise through Croatia's Islands
Classic Cuba cycle holiday
Cycle Cuba - Beaches, Mountains and Revolution!
Transylvania cycling holiday in Romania
Cycle through the beauty and mystery of Transylvania
Burgundy self guided cycling tours, France
Cycle through beautiful Burgundy & taste exquisite wines
Croatia holiday, activity week
'Relaxingly Active' holiday with flexible Island activities
Cambodia & Vietnam community cycling holiday
Explore Phnom Penh to Saigon and everything in between
Croatia sea kayaking holidays
A short kayaking break around Dubrovnik
Sweden cycling holiday, Stockholm archipelago
Self-guided cycling in Stockholm's fantastic archipelago
Kyrgyzstan cycling holiday
An adventurous off-road cycle tour in remote Kyrgyzstan
Croatia activity holiday for families with teenagers
Rafting, kayaks, canyons & beaches. Family action in Croatia
Kerala and tropical India cycling holidays
Beautiful landscapes, fascinating towns and long white beaches
Catalonia family self guided cycling holiday, Spain
Customised road cycling tour in Girona, Catalonia
Loire Valley cycling holiday, France
Discover the Loire valley and it's iconic châteaux by bike
What do Istria cycling holidays entail?
Istria’s landscape undulates in waves of green as far as the eye can see. As you look across, you’ll spot silver-grey towns capping the occasional hilltop. You can bet you’ll be cycling up to visit many of these: it’s where you’ll find your lodgings and your dinner – and beautiful views. It sounds clichéd, but the sunsets in this part of Croatia are particularly beautiful. The sun peers, orange, through the arched openings in the bell towers. And you on the hilltop, with your trusty two wheels under you, will feel like you’ve truly earned the view.
What are the routes like?
Small group or self guided?
The Istrian peninsula is great for self guided tours as its main route, the Parenzana Railway, is fairly self explanatory and there are plenty of places to stop along its course. The most popular routes take between five and eight days, cycling between 30km and 60km each leg, depending on whether you want to take shorter or longer routes between the hotels.You could also do a small group trip – which is great if you don’t like navigating. The other advantage of small group trips is that you can find more adventurous holidays – maybe involving mountain bikes, maybe involving a border crossing, and a choice few of Slovenia's best mountains.
What kind of bike do you need?
Bike hire is normally included, and you’ll probably be offered a hybrid – which combines all the best bits of a mountain and a road bike so you can take on all terrain. You will probably want to bring your own helmet. If you’re British, chances are you might not be used to E-bikes. E-bikes, or electric bikes, are fitted with a battery and a motor. Once you start pedaling, the motor kicks in and gives you a boost of power. You might not be familiar with them, but they’ve been big on continental Europe for a while – they’re the norm in Holland and Germany. If you’re feeling unsure about your fitness for a full week of cycling, an E-bike can help you travel with confidence.Families
Kids from the age of seven will be up for cycling in Istria. There aren’t particularly hard routes, there are often short options, and at the end of each trail pizza and ice cream awaits. E-Bikes can level the playing field help multi-generational parties cycle all together.Making the most of your pit stops
It sounds outrageous to fuel up on truffles – but you are right in the heady heart of truffle country, and a bowl of fresh pasta with a potent, flaky veil of black – or even rare white – truffles, could be exactly the boost you need to get up the next hill. Your holiday might end up being gastronomic tour as well as a cycling tour: the food in this area is brilliant, like asparagus in early spring or freshly-caught Adriatic tuna. Homemade brandy – flavoured with myrtle, or with figs, or in fact anything the bottler had to hand – makes a good souvenir. And speaking of bottles, another good souvenir would be wine: Istria grows plenty of grapes, including Muscat and Sauvignon Blanc. Lower your food miles, support the local economy and sustain yourself in the most gourmet way possible in preparation for the next incline.Our top Croatia cycling Holiday
Porto to Lisbon cycling holiday, self guided
Flat terrain tour along the coast
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Where to go on an Istria cycling holiday?
Grožnjan
Grožnjan has an arty reputation. The hill town was all but abandoned at the end of World War II. But the town was re-established in the 1960s – partly by giving houses to artists. There are some twenty art galleries in town, which vie against the cobbled streets, jasmine-hung walls and surrounding countryside to be your source of inspiration as you wander round with a camera.Motovun
Parenzana Railway
Cycling is as easy as 1-2-3, thanks to the remains of a 123km narrow-gauge railway built here at the turn of the 20th century. A railway, you say? That doesn’t sound like it will be steep. You’re correct: whilst there are some climbs, there’s nothing a train – or your family couldn’t handle. Follow the old route through its brickwork tunnels. Conveniently, the Parenzana Railway hits many beautiful hill towns along the way.Porec
This busy tourist resort sits on one end of the Parenzana Railway, on its own peninsula. Like many attractive Croatian cities, there are marbled streets and a veil of Venetian influences, and lots of tourists in the summer holidays. The town’s star attraction – aside of its seafront location – is the Euphrasian Basilica, with its glimmering interior mosaics.Pula
Many of Istria’s visitors start in its biggest city. A busy harbour, Pula still feels a little Roman, mostly thanks to the 1st-century amphitheatre slap-bang in its centre. It’s the sixth largest in the world and is remarkably intact. Gladiators once fought in front of 20,000 spectators here. In medieval times, it was repurposed for knights’ tournaments. It’s still in good nick today, hosting the city’s summer film festival.Rovinj
When to go on an Istria cycling holiday
Practicalities
Most trips include bike hire, but you often need to bring your own helmet – and any other gear you want to use, like a different saddle or different pedals. Cycling shorts are a great idea, even if you’re not a serious cyclist, as after a couple of days in the saddle your ‘sitting bones’ might start to ache. This can be alleviated a bit by doing a few bike rides before you go. Other preparation you might want to do before you embark on a bike trip is basic bike repair: learn to fix a puncture and replace an inner tube.