EXPERIENCE THE HEART OF EUROPE

E-Bike & Boat Highlights of Istria
(8 days/7 nights, aprx. 141 mi./227 km)

The largest peninsula in Croatia offers an incredible backdrop for our e-bike tour Istria Highlights Plus. Situated between the Kvarner Bay and the Gulf of Triest, Istria is an oasis of superlatives. The 500m long coastline offers countless picture perfect beaches and fascinating historical harbor towns such as Pula, Poreč and Rovinj. The fertile hinterlands in contrast, are characterized by their medieval hilltop villages and colorful vineyards and the silver-green olive groves. Much like the landscapes typical for Tuscany.

In addition, Istria is graced with over 2300 hours of sun each year, assuring with great certainty that your visit will be a sunny one. The region has also made itself a name for its culinary delights: home to some of the world’s best truffles, olive oil and wine. Discover the vast diversity of this delightful region on board your deluxe ship, your floating accommodation for the week, and a reliable e-bike as your means of transport on land. 

This tour is part of our Islandhopping PLUS program. The PLUS tours offer our guests a PLUS all-round: a comfortable motor yacht, unlimited e-bike availability, as well as some pleasant surprises along the way.

The itinerary of the Istria Highlights PLUS tour is the same as the itinerary of the Istria Highlights tour, making them both great alternatives to each other should you have difficulties finding availability on this trip. 

For more and updated info please visit Islandhopping E-bike & Boat istria

1st Day (Fri) Omišalj (Embarkation) – Cres

Individual arrival to Omišalj, a charming pirate’s nest on the island of Krk. If you decide to arrive by car, we can gladly organize a secure parking space for your car for the week. If you are arriving from Zagreb, we can also arrange a transfer for you to the harbor of Omišalj. Check-in on board is possible from around 2pm. Once we have made ourselves comfortable in our cabins, we enjoy the first crossing to Cres. Our destination is the island capital of the same name, where we spend the night. The Venetian-influenced old town of Cres, with its beautiful alleys and many churches, entices you to take an extensive evening stroll.

2nd Day (Sat) Cres – Pula (approx. 17 mi./28 km by bike)

In the morning we enjoy our breakfast on board with a pleasant morning cruise to Pula. In the afternoon we explore some picturesque places in and around Pula. Via Galižana we go to Vodnjan and further through the fishing village Fažana before coming back to Pula where we can take part on an inspiring guided city tour before enjoying our evening exploring the town further at our leisure. The night is spent in Pula. 

3rd Day (Sun) Pula – Vrsar – Poreč (aprx. 25 mi/40 km by bike)

In the morning we enjoy our breakfast on board with another pleasant morning cruise this time to Vrsar. It is in Vrsar that the heartbreaker Casanova is believed to have sought temporary refuge from the husbands of his lovers. From here we cycle along the Limski Canal to Kloštar in the rural hinterland to our destination of Poreč. The town has a lively vibe with its long promenade and shopping streets. A visit to the famous Euphrasius Basilica with its magnificent early Christian mosaics is worth a visit and there is also plenty of time to go for a swim and relax in the afternoon. The night is spent in Poreč. 

4th Day (Mon) Poreč – Novigrad – Rovinj (aprx. 36 mi/59 km) 

In the morning we follow the “Parenzana”, an abandoned railroad line, which leads us to the famous artists’ village of Grožnjan. The picturesque artists’ village is a medieval jewel in the Istrian hinterland. It awaits us with romantic alleys, flower-filled squares and diverse galleries that have made their home in old natural stone houses. In the afternoon, we bike through rural Istria via Buje to Novigrad, where we can enjoy the evening and spend the night.

5th Day (Tue) Rovinj (aprx. 12 mi/20 km)

In the morning the boat takes us to Rovinj, the starting point of today’s cycle tour. You leave the town and follow an old railroad line to the Lim Canal. Near the town, the vast green wilderness of the local park is the perfect backdrop for an optional extension to the cycle tour past picturesque bays where you can stop for a refreshing swim. After a pleasant morning on your bikes and on the beach, you return to the ship and in the afternoon, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, you have plenty of time to discover the secrets of the town of Rovinj, often called the “Pearl of Istria”. 

6th Day (Wed) Rovinj – Fažana – Rabac (aprx. 22 mi/37 km)

Our morning bike ride takes us near the coast, mostly on natural forest paths to Fažana, with its quaint little harbor and promenade lined with colorful houses. We board the boat and enjoy a cruise along the coast to Rabac. Here, located on a picturesque bay on the east coast of Istria, we can enjoy gorgeous white pebble beaches, crystal clear waters and a beautiful harbor. Not to be missed is an evening cocktail in a local bar.

7th Day (Thu) Rabac – Njivice – Omišalj (aprx. 26 mi/43 km)

In the early morning, we cross to the island of Krk, where a final cycling stage awaits us. The route will lead us from Njivice to Omišalj. The largest island in Croatia and home of the delicious Zlahtina white wine impresses with its diverse landscapes. Don’t miss the opportunity to cover yourself in the mineral rich mud in the bay of Soline – it will not only leave you looking ten years younger, but also makes for a wonderful holiday memory! Back in the harbor of Omišalj, our boat awaits us with a delicious last evening meal on board which can be spent in great cheer in the company of the fellow travelers, crew and guides.

8th Day (Fri) Omisalj (Disembarkation)

After breakfast disembarkation until 9 am and individual trip home or extended stay in Croatia.

Itinerary changes
We reserve the right to make changes to the planned itinerary due to changing wind and weather conditions as well as organizational requirements.

Requirements E-Bike Level 1:  

Exclusive e-bike tours for Islandhoppers with a good fitness level. The tours, including the meters of elevation, can be ridden comfortably by e-bike (12 – 38 mi. / 20 – 60 km and 656 – 3280 ft. ft. / 200 – 1000 m of elevation gain per day). 

All bike tours require a healthy basic level of fitness from the participants and prior experience in bike riding. Please take note that around 30% of the tours take place on natural paths and gravel roads. The described tours are primarily designed as fully guided e-bike tours. If you wish to cycle alone, please talk with your tour guide on site about the options available. 

Guided group pace: 

On our e-bike tour programs, the riding pace is determined by the cyclists on e-bikes. Guests who are taking part on these tours on a gravel bike should have the necessary physical condition to keep up with this pace. We thank you for your understanding.

Requirement to wear a helmet

Helmets are mandatory on our bike tours. It is advised to bring your own, well fitted, helmet with you as our rental helmet numbers are limited (reservation required).

Catering

The on-board chef is a member of the crew and prepares the breakfast and one or two warm meals a day. The catering consists of 2 x full board and 5 x half board. Catering starts with the dinner on the arrival day and ends with the breakfast on the departure day.

Bringing Children
We believe that only children with a good physical condition and previous bicycle tour experience and a minimum age of 10 are able to master the cycle tours with their own strength. Please note that the minimum height for a rental e-bike is 1.50 m (4.9 ft.). Follow-me bikes, bike seats and bike Bungees can also be hired for accompanying children. Our sales experts are happy to provide you with more detailed information on request. It is mandatory for all participants on our tours to wear a bicycle helmet. When travelling with children, we recommend our Multi-Adventure Tours in Greece and Croatia which are specifically curated for families and offer family-friendly pricing.

Language

Due to our international audience all Islandhopping tours are conducted bilingually, in English and German.

Deluxe Ship Andela Lora (shower/toilet in each cabin)

The 2012 finished Andela Lora is an extraordinary elegant steel ship. With an impressive length of 40 m and a width of 8.50 m, it is one of the largest ships in our Croatian fleet.

17 spacious guest cabins with air conditioning as well as shower/toilet are at the guest’s disposal. The ship has a swimming platforn at the stern, which enables an easy access to the sea .

In addition to that the Andela Lora offers a cozy salon on the top deck and numerous comfortable spaces to relax on the sun deck.

For more information about the Andela Lora please visit: www.inselhuepfen.com/en/andela-lora

Hybrid Bikes

Those choosing to rent a hybrid bike will receive a reliable, low maintenance, aluminum frame bike in the suitable size. Our hybrid bikes are equipped with 28 inch hollow chamber rims with puncture-proof touring tires, high-quality derailleur gears and break systems, a carrier and a sturdy bike stand, touring saddle as well as mudguards and a pannier rack. All components are selected based on our twenty years of experience in bike tourism, insuring that they fulfill the necessary criteria to provide the rider with an uncompromised cycle experience.

These high-quality hybrid bikes are rented for 80 euro per week. Unfortunately there is no possibility to reserve one particular bike-brand in advance.

Bike

E-Bikes

Clients who wish to be supported by a tail-wind and seek to hire an e-bike will receive a high-quality pedelec, powered mainly by a Bosch motor capable of covering long distances, and characterized by their light weight and great components. Alternative drive systems may also be used. Standard components of our e-bikes in varying frame sizes include, 28 inch hollow chamber rims with puncture-proof touring tires, high-quality derailleur gears and break systems, a carrier and a sturdy bike stand, touring saddle as well as mudguards and a pannier rack. With our e-bikes you will conquer the hills with a smile, they are a true declaration of independence for all who wish to cycle and seek the support of a little push.

These high-quality hybrid bikes are rented for 245 euro per week. Unfortunately there is no possibility to reserve one particular bike-brand in advance.

E-bike

If you would like to book this trip directly, please follow this booking link:

Direct booking of the E-Bike & Boat Tour Istria

If you have any questions about this trip before booking, please contact us by email at:
info@islandhopping.com