Porec in Croatia - holiday resort in beautiful Istria

We visited Porec in Croatia. Are you getting tired of pictures of charming villages and towns in Istria? In fact, there are a whole bunch of these cosy seaside resorts with medieval quarters, marinas and crystal clear waters. We've already reported on Fazana, Rovinj and Vrsar. Now it's time for Porec in Croatia.

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Porec in Croatia

On the western part of the peninsula Istria, on the Adriatic Sea, is the holiday resort of Porec. Here you will find beautiful beaches, cosy harbours and lots of hotels, restaurants, cafés and bars.

One city - many conquerors

Porec in Croatia has a long and dramatic history. Already inhabited by Illyrians before antiquity, a few hundred years before Christ it was conquered by the Romans, who built a fortress and a town that is the foundation of the city that exists today. In the 5th century they built the Basilica of Euphrasius, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city has been ruled by many different empires, including the Byzantine Empire (from 529), the Republic of Venice (from 1267), the Austrian Empire (from 1797), Italy (from 1920) and Yugoslavia (from 1947). Today, Istria belongs to Croatia, but traces of other eras of history can be seen in both architecture and food culture.

Cobblestone streets and alleys

Porec is a charming town with cobbled streets and cosy alleys. There are plenty of small shops selling clothes, jewellery and handicrafts, and the town is full of restaurants and cafés. It is also home to the historic Marafor Square, which used to be a central square surrounded by important administrative buildings.

Harbour and boats

Porec is a harbour town and the quays are full of boats, ranging from fishing boats to boats that take tourists on tours. It's really cosy to just stroll along the quay, perhaps with an ice cream in hand.

Dinner with truffles

When it comes to food, Istria is known for wine, olive oil, ham and fish, among other things, but the most important ingredient in gourmet cuisine is... truffles. Our dinner at the restaurant Sveti Nikola therefore had to go in the sign of the truffle! After a small appetiser with fish and basil cream, we ordered a creamy mushroom and truffle soup for a starter.

The main course was beef fillet with foie gras, truffles and pine nuts, served with grilled vegetables. Finally, we went to the "chef's choice", with samples of different desserts. We were very pleased with the visit - both with the food and the beautiful view of the sea!

Aptitretare på restaurang Sveti Nikola i turistorten Porec — Appetisers at the Sveti Nikola restaurant

Efterrätt: Kockens val — Dessert: Chef's choice

Huge campsite and 'tourist train'

Where did we stay? Well, on the absolutely enormous campsite Bijela Uvala. We have come to realise that campsites in Istria are often very large. How about 500,000 square metres with 2000 pitches (including 390 cabins)? The campsite also has eight restaurants, three swimming pools and two shops.

We had a great view of the water from our motorhome. The only downside to the campsite was that it was not within walking distance of the city centre. Instead, we had to walk to a nearby hotel and jump on a "tourist train" that snaked between all the tourist hotels on the way into the centre. It worked great and we got some sightseeing on the way, but we don't offer photo evidence of us in the colourful train, haha.

Peter tittar ut från husbilen på Bijela Uvala i Porec, Kroatien — Peter looking out from his campervan on Bijela Uvala

See more near Porec in Croatia

There is a lot to see and experience in Croatia! Here are suggestions for some great places, not too far from Porec:

Hum - The world's smallest city
Rovinj - Charming medieval town in Istria
Vrsar - Small town in Istria with big surprises

Facts about Porec in Croatia

What country? Croatia
County? County of Istria
Language? Croatian (many also speak English)
Residents? 17 000 (2015)
Currency? Kuna (HRK)
Price point? Cheaper than Sweden
Time difference? None

Travelling to Porec in Croatia

Car: Driving from Zagreb to Porec takes about 3 hours (toll road). To drive from Opatija to Porec takes about 1 h 15 min. Travelling time from Pula is just under an hour.
Bus: You can take a bus from many different cities in Croatia.

Helena

23 May 2016 6:58

Croatia

city guide Europe, exotic food, history, Motorhome holiday Croatia

Helena

Administrator

24 Comments

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Imelda says:

Yes, there are plenty of small towns to stop at in Istria. Tourism has always been great along the Croatian coastline, Croatians know what tourists want - proximity to the sea, hence the large campsites that are almost all located near the sea.
What did you like about the truffle? I am not at all fond of this flavouring.
Forgot to tell you about the fast food "burek", a filo-style dough filled with cheese or minced meat. Fast food at its best?

23 May 2016 - 7:17

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Lina says:

Wow how wonderful you have it!!! Enjoy!!! Hugs

23 May 2016 - 8:45

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Ama de casa says:

Ohhhh... You got to see even more beautiful little villages and eat amazing food, but what I envy you most is that you got to ride the Little Train! 😀

You can't get enough of such lovely pictures from cosy villages! Show more!

And preferably pictures from the Little Train too... 😀.

23 May 2016 - 8:52

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Geddfish says:

It is special to have a guide when you are on a tour.
Also learnt a lot about the history of Istria, interesting.
Again a cosy village and great pictures you take! 😀 Feel free to show more!
Truffles, yummy 😉 And the arrangement of the plate teases the taste buds!
Also want to see pictures from the tourist train 😀 very practical!
Hugs from home!

23 May 2016 - 9:05

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Åsa says:

Why can't we see the train?

23 May 2016 - 9:20

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Steve says:

The towns and villages you visit are very cosy. However, I can't say the same for the campsites which are mostly huge.
Fantastic meals you are enjoying and not bad with window tables at that restaurant.

23 May 2016 - 9:27

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nils-åke hansson says:

Very nice food you try on the trip. Can imagine that there are huge campsites there.

23 May 2016 - 9:29

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Maria Nycander says:

Great food culture, many favourites! Enjoy your adventures

23 May 2016 - 9:30

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znogge says:

Oh, how wonderful you seem to have it!

23 May 2016 - 9:50

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Berit says:

Thanks for the tips! Another little Croatian gem... Are you going to Pula too? However, I would not like such large campsites......

23 May 2016 - 9:52

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Ditte says:

Always nice to have a mix of history and other info.
It sounds like you have a very good week, but also a lot to do in a short time.
Funny with tips on so many good restaurants because eating well is half the stay, I think.
We have visited Porec for a week and had time to discover a lot and we stayed with walking distance to the city and by the sea in a small charming hotel.
These big campsites are not for me, maybe now in low season when they are not filled up. But not otherwise. But there are others ...
Stay well!

23 May 2016 - 10:51

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Lennart says:

Nice country!

23 May 2016 - 12:11

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Imelda, we like truffles! Agree that burek is good too and great fast food! We haven't eaten it this time, but we did when we travelled through the Balkans with our own motorhome last year!

Lina, it's not hard to enjoy when you're travelling in Croatia!

Ama de casa, haha, some people get to ride the little train 😉.

Geddfish, we didn't actually go on a guided tour in this city, but I did some reading 😉 But I agree with you, you always get more out of a city if you take a guided tour!

Åsa, haha, ok what a lot of "nagging" there was about the train 😉 You'll have to use your imagination, because the train wasn't captured in the picture... 😉.

Steve, the villages and towns are really incredibly cosy! Actually, we also like smaller campsites, but here it is often large campsites that apply. If they are green and nice and there is a good distance to the city, it still works great, I think.

Nils-Åke, we have had very good food on this trip!

Maria, there is very good and tasty food in Croatia we have discovered. There are also boring tourist restaurants of course, so if you want to be sure to get good food, it's good to read up a little before!

Berit, we've been to Pula and seen the amphitheatre before, so we'll skip it this time.

Ditte, glad you've been to Porec and liked it! There are very good restaurants, but it is good to have some tips beforehand, because of course, as in all tourist resorts, there are also some boring tourist restaurants. But this time we have really got good food!

23 May 2016 - 12:21

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Rolle o Carina says:

You are enjoying the trip and so are we! 🙂

Have a wonderful time......

23 May 2016 - 19:18

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Anette says:

I'm not quite sure but I think we were at the same campsite 10-12 years ago. We have made two trips to Istria. Nowadays it is only Italy and France, the rest of Europe will have to wait until we have moved home from Asia.

23 May 2016 - 19:38

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Matts Torebring says:

We what work you do and put in! Now you are listing so many nice places, that my memory fails me if we have been there or not. Maybe we only saw a signpost to Porec, but the strange thing remains that the water is so clean and turquoise coloured. On the other side of the "bay" (Rimini Italy) it is not clean at all.

23 May 2016 - 19:53

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Nilla says:

Porec is one of our favourite cities in Croatia! We stayed at Zelena Laguna. From it we cycled into town, a bit far, but you needed to move after all the lazing in the sun 🙂.
There was a restaurant on top of a city wall - with absolutely stunning views of the city.... Ohhh I want to go there now 🙂
Have a wonderful journey!

23 May 2016 - 20:16

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BP says:

Another cosy town/village on Istria. Oh what food!!! Since the restaurant does not print prices on its website, I assume that it is a really luxurious restaurant. Since you have eaten at great places, I assume that the Croatian Tourist Board is paying the bill. No more than right considering what fantastic ambassadors you were (last year) and are for Croatia.

23 May 2016 - 20:24

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Rolle and Carina, a great trip!

Anette, nice that you have been to Istria and maybe also to this particular campsite! We also like France very much!

Matts, it's not easy to remember actually. We also forget I should say and mix up a lot. Therefore, it is fantastic with the blog, also for ourselves 🙂 A little funny that the water is dirtier on the other side, but maybe it is because there is sand there and not stone?

Nilla, what fun! Zelena Laguna was right next to our campsite. We actually thought about renting bikes, but the weather was a bit unstable in the evening so we refrained and took the little "train" 😉.

BP, yes it is true that the Croatian Tourist Board has paid for these dinners as this is a press trip. I looked at the menu at this restaurant and if I remember correctly, the main course cost about £200.

23 May 2016 - 22:38

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BP says:

Answer: BINGO! Am sooooo proud of you! Hope they paid the motorhome too;-)
Great that the Croatian Tourist Board chose you for the press trip. As I said - I am very proud of you. You are soooooooo worth it!!!

23 May 2016 - 23:19

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Comment by post author

admin says:

BP, press trips have long been offered to journalists, but nowadays it's not uncommon for travel bloggers to be included. "We love travelling and blogging, and these collaborations allow us to do it even more. We think it's incredibly fun with press trips, but it's also more work than many might imagine, we don't sit on the sidelines 😉.

24 May 2016 - 7:27

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Marias Memoarer says:

What a lovely little place! 🙂

05 June 2016 - 12:22

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Malin says:

Hello!!! Do you know of a nice family campsite in either northern Croatia or western Italy that is close to a cosy village or town within walking distance? Have tried camping at Lake Garda which was very successful. Seems hard to beat this and have not found similar. Grateful for some tips.

12 March 2019 - 18:22

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Hi Malin!
  
  Camping Bi-Village in Fazana is very large, but is suitable for families and is within walking distance of Fazana: https://www.freedomtravel.se/2016/05/fazana-en-parla-pa-istriens-vastkust/
  
  Camping Porto Sole in Vrsar is also large, but even here it's within walking distance of the pleasant little town: https://www.freedomtravel.se/2016/05/vrsar-liten-stad-med-stora-overraskningar/
  
  13 March 2019 - 8:12
  
  Reply

Porec in Croatia - holiday resort in beautiful Istria

Porec in Croatia

One city - many conquerors

Cobblestone streets and alleys

Harbour and boats

Dinner with truffles

Huge campsite and 'tourist train'

See more near Porec in Croatia

Facts about Porec in Croatia

Travelling to Porec in Croatia

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24 Comments

Imelda says:

Lina says:

Ama de casa says:

Geddfish says:

Åsa says:

Steve says:

nils-åke hansson says:

Maria Nycander says:

znogge says:

Berit says:

Ditte says:

Lennart says:

admin says:

Rolle o Carina says:

Anette says:

Matts Torebring says:

Nilla says:

BP says:

admin says:

BP says:

admin says:

Marias Memoarer says:

Malin says:

Helena says:

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