Walking Croatia's Istrian Peninsula

Our trip starts in Pula, a cosmopolitan seafront city, where charming, cobbled streets and Roman ruins sit alongside modern urban developments and the Uljanik shipyard. There are no activities planned for today, so you're free to arrive at any time. Your tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm to welcome you to Croatia, and for those who wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. If your flight arrives later in the evening, there will be a full trip briefing after breakfast on Day 2. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Pula Airport (PUL), which is around a 10-minute drive from our hotel. If you arrive earlier in the day, you might like to take a walk around the historical centre, visit the Roman amphitheatre or enjoy a drink on Kandlerova Street soaking up the atmosphere.

This morning, we'll drive south to the town of Premantura from where we'll take the coastal path towards the southernmost part of Istria, the Kamenjak peninsula. Kamenjak National Park is characterized by its rugged terrain and beautiful coastline, dotted with secluded coves and hidden beaches. We'll follow the hiking trail to Cape Grakalovak where there are fossilised dinosaur footprints preserved for around 150 million years in the limestone cliffs. Continuing along the coastline, we'll reach the rustic Safari Bar for a welcome refreshment (only open in high season). Not far from the safari bar is the Velika Kolumbarica Bay, where daring cliff divers use the rock formations for their jumps into the turquoise sea. Leaving the coast, we'll head inland crossing to the east side of the peninsula continuing across bush and grassy areas keeping an eye out for the 30 or so orchid species native to the area. At Portic Bay there is the opportunity to cool off in the crystal-clear waters or with an ice cream! In the afternoon, we'll drive to the pretty town of Buzet where we'll spend the next three nights. The Medieval town is perched high on a hill above the Miran River Valley. While we're here, be sure to try some local truffles and olive oil! The town is known as the Istrian 'Truffle Capital' and is also well known for its olive oil - Istria has been declared the best extra virgin olive oil region in the world for the sixth year in a row. Today's 9.5-kilometre/5.8-mile circular walk is expected to take around three with 144 metres/472 feet of ascent and descent.

This morning, we'll take a short transfer to Groznjan with some time to explore before starting our hike along the Parenzana Trail. The Parenzana was a railroad that operated from 1902 to 1935, connecting 33 Istrian settlements from the Croatian city of Porec to the Italian city of Trieste. This 123-kilometre/76.4-mile disused railway line has been converted into a scenic gravel path, a popular hiking and biking challenge for both locals and travellers. With its tunnels, viaducts, bridges and beautiful lookouts, the 20 kilometres/12.4 miles between Groznjan and Motovun is one of the most attractive parts of the whole Parenzana Trail. Starting in the small village of Zavrsje, with its medieval tower, we'll enjoy views of olive groves, drystone terraces, vineyards and the Adriatic Sea glistening in the west while passing through four tunnels, over four viaducts and several old bridges. We'll stop for lunch at a family-run restaurant in Oprtalj before the route continues to descend toward the Mlinska valley reaching the village of Livade, before eventually heading back to Buzet. Today's 14-kilometre/8.7-mile walk is expected to take around five hours with 600 metres/1,968 feet of ascent and 500 metres/1,640 feet of descent.

This morning, we'll drive to the charming ancient hilltop town of Motovun, with time for a stroll and a coffee before we start today's walk. If you fancy it, you can take a short walk around the city walls for panoramic views and visit the exhibition of local landscape photography housed in the tower above the outer gate. To start our walk, we'll descend to reach a 222 metre/728 feet long stone tunnel taking us to the Krvar viaduct. At the halfway point of this scenic walk, we'll visit a Tikel agriturismo in the village of Spinovci for lunch (not included). After a delicious lunch, we'll take a small diversion from the trail to the nearby peak of St. Thomas which offers views of the surrounding countryside, Mirna River and the Adriatic. Next, we'll continue back along the trail until we reach a life-size model of the U20 locomotive that once used to chug away on the thin winding Parenzana line. We'll walk over to the Sabadin viaduct and towards the southern entrance of Vizinada. Here, we'll take some time to wander the quiet streets and enjoy a coffee before driving back to Buzet. Today's 12-kilometre/7.5-mile walk is expected to take around 4 hours with 400 metres/1,312 feet of ascent and 300 metres/984 feet of descent.

Today we'll be following the 7 Waterfalls Trail which starts in Buzet, the trail takes us from the banks of the Mirna River to quaint villages, forests, bridges, mine shafts and of course, waterfalls. We'll begin walking through the forest and soon reach the first waterfall, Zagon. The second waterfall, Bacva (the Barrel), at nearly 9 metres/29.5 feet high, is one of the most photogenic thanks to the small bridge suspended above the turquoise pond. Continuing on, we'll come to view the third and highest waterfall, Vela Pec, watching the water tumble 26 metres/85 feet down the smooth rock. Old mining shafts, bridges, villages and shepherd huts are peppered along the trail offering an interesting window into the history of the area. The mines were first opened in the 16th century and miners looking for work came from Slovenia, Germany, Italy and Romania. As a result, Istria has the highest percentage of minorities in Croatia and hearing Italian or Romanian in Istria is not a rare occurrence. Between the third and fourth waterfalls, there is a short steep climb, partially secured with fixed ropes and metal steps to make the climb easier. After the ascent, we'll come out to a wider path, which brings us to the fourth waterfall, Mala Pec. From here, it takes an hour of walking to reach the next waterfall at the tiny village of Kotli where we'll stop for lunch. It's a picturesque spot with an old watermill built onto the rock face by the falls where the river has hollowed out cauldron-like forms into the stone. On our way back to Buzet, we'll pass by the final two waterfalls, Zelenšcak, and Grjok, with its wonderful wide pond and rock ledge. From here it's about a 40-minute walk through a small canyon to get back to our waiting bus. We'll travel to Vrsar on the coast, our base for the next three nights. Vrsar is a relatively unknown gem, the old town set on a small hill, is surrounded by inlets with beautiful views and stunning sunsets. Today's 14-kilometre/8.7-mile circular walk is expected to take around 5 hours with 350 metres/1,148 feet of ascent and descent. The trail is uneven in places with tree roots and there are some river crossings on larger boulders which can become slippery.

Today is a free day to relax in the quiet little town of Vrsar or to walk up the hill for views of the Vrsar archipelago. There is also the option to take a tour of Rovinj, wandering through the cobbled old town with a knowledgeable local history guide offering an insight into the history and culture of the city. There is also the opportunity to explore Brijuni National Park independently, a striking archipelago of 14 islands and islets, an interesting mix of nature and history - it was Tito's presidential residence during his dictatorship. Throughout the island, there are more than 200 visible dinosaur footprints left in the limestone, alongside Bronze-age fortified settlements, Roman villas and the Byzantine castrum. You can explore on foot or rent a bike or electric car.

This morning, we'll drive to the town of Vabriga, or more precisely Santa Marina Bay - a picturesque fisherman's marina. Today's walk follows the coastline, the first point of interest is the town of Cervar Porat where it's possible to look around the remains of the big estate from Ancient Roman times (villa rustica, oil refinery, amphora workshop and brickyard). We'll continue, passing the devastated ruins of a Roman village, on a wide land trail not far from the coast along the olive groves and around the Busuja bay to the cape of a beautiful peninsula which has the same name and offers views north towards Novigrad. For the last 3 kilometres/1.9 miles before Porec, the trail becomes busier, joining locals to stroll along the seaside promenade. Entering Porec, we'll end the walk at the UNESCO-protected basilica of Euphrasius. It's one of the most intact, surviving complexes of the 6th century with stunning examples of Byzantine mosaic art adorning the apse of the church. As with anywhere in Istria, you can find excellent food and wine in Porec and you might like to savour a glass of Istrian Malvazija wine in the Round Tower. This 15th-century fort was built to protect the city - it was recently restored with a bar that provides a magnificent view of the whole city. In the late afternoon, we'll return to Vrsar by bus. This evening, we'll gather for a final meal together in a local restaurant. Today's linear 13-kilometre/8.1-mile easy walk is expected to take around 4 hours on a mostly flat route.

Our trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Vrsar, There are no activities planned for today, so you're free to depart from Vrsar at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Pula Airport (PUL) which is around a 45-minute drive from the hotel.