We drove here from Austria , coming from the northern border of Slovenia into the Istrian region of Croatia. This is the highest season possible to go anywhere in Europe since it is summer holidays. Not my normal preferred season to travel. The accomodation prices were surprisingly high given the fact that the covid pandemic is still preventing full tourism everywhere. Still I look forward to the weekend in Porec, Croatia.
Getting to Porec
We expected some traffic congestion while crossing the country borders but it was only a half hour delay. Before the trip, I filled out a form to ease the border crossing. Here is the link .
There is no road tax to purchase to drive on the Croatian roads. Instead there are tolls when using the motorways which starts with the letter A followed by the road number.
Where to Stay in Porec
We figured out pretty early on that Porec is quite touristy and has endless options of hotels and apartments for rent. I decided to omit apartments in this pandemic season as I needed some assurance of measures being taken to clean surfaces. There are hotels by the beach and in Porec itself. In Porec most of the hotels don’t have parking possibilities and would offer garage parking for additional 13 Euros per day. Since we were aiming for a beach weekend getaway, we decided on Spadici beach. It is a 2km walk to Porec.
Beaches in Porec
There are no natural sandy beaches around this area. We explored the beach in Spadici, the Plava Laguna and the Zelena Laguna. Most of them are cemented with ladders leading into the sea. Others are pebbled beaches. Most of the beaches here are blue flag beaches. They are public beaches with adequate facilities such as changing rooms, showers as well as beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. The waters are clean and clear and very warm this time of the year. Once, while swimming Rainer encountered a whole group of comb jellies. While not harmful to humans , it can be intimidating to be surrounded by so many of them.
Visiting Porec Center
There is a promenade by the coast from the Spadici Beach where we stayed to Porec Center. The walk is a nice one , the sea just to the right and at certain parts are shaded parks with big trees where one could sit and enjoy the sea breeze. Little by little Porec center comes into view.
It was a warm day but we still looked for a cup of cappuccino in town. We came across a small place and ordered some coffee. When it arrived it came with a strong message. “May you live in interesting times.” Well, we already do , coffee cup, we already do..
Porec center is pretty much car free. When visiting with the car, you have to park outside the center. Street parking is possible by putting in the change in the park machines. It was Sunday when we were there with the car and it was apparently for free.
Porec center has the feel of a medieval city and one does not have to have a very great imagination in order to imagine filming an episode of Game of thrones here. The stone paved streets made the already warm summer day seem unbearable.
The Euphrasius Basilica is a highlight in Porec. It is in the list of Unesco World Heritage Site and is the home of some pretty awesome mosaics on gold backgrounds. I decided not to go inside as it was such a super hot day and rather uncomfortable but I put it here as a reminder to myself what to do if I am here again in a more comfortable season.
What to do in Porec
Porec is by the coast and therefore a lot of activities are centered on the water.
1. Hang out on the blue-flag beaches and swim in the crystal clear waters. (See section on Beaches in Porec)
2. Water sports such as jet skiing, paragliding, sailing , kayaking are popular here with lots of beaches with vendors offering the services.
3. Check out Porec center with its Euphrasius Basilica , a Unesco World Heritage Site and quaint narrow, pedestrian only streets of cobblestone. (See section on Porec Center)
4. Go on some short excursions offered by boats or water taxis in the harbour. They offer dolphin safaris, a boat trip along the Istrian coast to Rovinj and Limski Canal and more.
5. Taste some awesome Istrian cuisine. Fresh Seafood is a popular serving often served with locally produced olive oil and truffels. Check out the next section about the restaurant we tried out. Also here is the link of popular Istrian cuisines.
6. Go wine tasting.
7. Go olive oil tasting and get some world class oil for home. Check out my olive oil tasting experience in the section below.
8. Visit the surrounding areas of Porec with its caves Jama Baredine . Link Here.
9. Take a water taxi to nearby SV. Nikola, where there is a beach reserved for naturists. Link Here for Water-taxi and Here for Blue Taxi Boat
10. Get some truffels to bring home with you. The fertile Istrian soil produces this highly prized commodity.
Food we tried and recommend in Porec
We had a half board hotel with Breakfast and Dinner included and normally forego lunch. However we got a recommendation from one of our colleagues to try the Ancora Restaurant in Porec center. It is a small family run restaurant with friendly staff. I especially liked that they were attentive and after we finished the bread , they brought another fresh basket without us having to ask for it. Oh yes, and the coffee here is good! I ordered the fish platter which had wonderful fresh tasting fish, mussels, calamari and crayfish on a bed of boiled potatoes and I definitely recommend it.
Here is the address of the Restaurant and the link to the website:
Ul. Bože Milanovića 11, 52440, Poreč, Kroatien
Should you get bored of Istrian cuisine, you can also try the Chilli Fusion Street Food.
Olive Oil Tasting Experience in Croatia
On the way home, we dropped by to Umag another coastal town in Istria. Nearby there was an olive oil tasting establishment. There are normally plenty of options both with big producers and small home grown ones. Inside the building were big barrels of olive oil . There were five different types that I could try. I thought I would like the stronger ones, but they were too bitter for my taste. I ended up buying the mild and smooth ones as well as one that has a spicy after taste! Special indeed in both taste and experience. Here is the link for Sapparis. The other one I would have gone to was a little out of the way but produces organic olive oil . Here is the Link for Omajolas.
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Croatia is such a beautiful country to visit. I have not had the luck to travel to Porec, yet. I would love to do a roadtrip around Europe, and drive all around; Austria, Croatia, you name it. The photos of the beaches in Porec you included look absolutely amazing! I hope to get a chance to travel here.
Same reason. Though Airbnbs are available, right now, with the pandemic, somehow hotels feel a bit safer. Being is Austria is cool because you could head to both east & west Europe for a weekend. I’m yet to head to Croatia and I was planning my trip before Covid, but now, we don’t know! The beaches look nice. The very thought being surrounded by jelly fishes sound scary though. Haha. Wow, I’ve never heard of Olive Oil tasting. I would definitely try that!
Porec sounds like a place that has enough to do without straining yourself. Kind of reminds me of Mirissa in Sri Lanka with its lovely beaches, yummy food and activities like dolphin spotting. I would add wine tasting to my evening –nothing like a glass or more to relax you by the beach.
Porec sounds like a great adventure with a range of activities to choose from, water adventure sports and the beaches look very inviting! I’d probably check it out the next time I’m in and around Austria. Safe travels!
Porec seems to be a perfect weekend getaway. With the beach and water activities, one can be guaranteed to have a fun and exciting weekend. But I also love the idea that you simple enjoy a cup of coffee in a car less town. Looking forward to visiting in the future. The fish platter looks delicious.
That’s one thing that I love about some of the oldest cities in Europe. They are not made for cars, allowing us travelers to do a lot of walking. It was also strange for me to read about the high prices. I would have never thought that prices would be high. From what I know, most hotels are looking to lower prices to entice travelers. At least you got the beach almost for yourselves.
I had never heard of Porec before. But the town looks like an amazing place and I would love to visit it. As you said, Euphrasius Basilica is definitely the highlight and that’s the first place I would go. Thanks for introducing this place to me, I have added it to my list.
Istrian coastal town of Porec looks amazing with lovely blue waters. Porec center is very colorful, and love those narrow stone paved streets. Sunset at Spadici beach looks stunning. Thanks for sharing offbeat place.