Cycling Croatia - "Istria and the Apsyrtides Islands"

Istria lies next to the Adriatic Sea. The the Romans considered Istria the perfect place to visit and settle. Today people from around the world are rediscovering the incredible land of this part of Croatia.

Be it wine, olive oil farms or enjoying white truffles, Istria's pleasures are many. History and Mediterranean weather combine to form an intriguing mix.

Our tour cuts diagonally across the peninsula. We then cross over to the the islands of Cres and Krk. These are Croatia's two largest islands. The relaxing atmosphere and quaint fishing villages make this tour a standout.

Day 1 - Ljubljana

Arrive in Ljubljana and check out the lively street scene. The old town is under the dramatic hill top castle and the cafes line either side of the Ljubljanica River. This is the perfect place to kick back and watch the world go by. Ljubljana is full of bike paths, making it easy to explore the city on two wheels.

Day 2 - Divaca (SLO) to Motovun (HR)

We hop on the 9:30am train with our bikes for the short ride to the town of Divaca. Divaca is not far from the Croatian border. From Divaca, we head south towards the border. After crossing the checkpoint, we take some quiet backroads to the dramatic hilltop town of Motovun in the heart of truffle territory.  71k

Day 3 - Motovun to Rabac

We exit Motovun taking the scenic and less traveled backroads on our way thru Pazin, the heart of Istria and home to the gorge that inspired Jules Verne's 20,000 leaques under the sea, on our way to Rabac, which is on the Coast. 62k

Day 4 - Rabac to Cres

This morning we make the short ride over to Brestova to catch the short ferry ride to the Island of Cres. The boat ride takes a half hour. We land in Porozina and start climb up the spine of the island before descending back down to the coast and the lovely fishing town of Cres. 52k

Day 5 - Cres to Vrbnik

Today the morning is free to explore where ever you like. In the afternoon we ride our bikes to the ferry on the other side of the island and cross from Merag to Krk, which is the second largest Croatian Island. We continue on thru several small towns to the village of Vrbnik, from where the mainland is clearly visible and there is an opportunity for time on the beach. In the morning you are free to explore the town or take a ride further down the island of Cres. You can add another 100k in the morning or any other distance that suits.  38k

Day 6 - Vrbnik to Brod na Kupa

We ride the quiet roads of Krk to Silo where we have a powerboat ferry us and the bikes across the straits to Crikvenica (while the van takes the bridge on the northern tip of the island. From Crikvenica we take the mountain road off the coast which has dramatic views and little traffic. We spend the night in the small town of Brod na Kupa near the border. 71k

Day 7 - Brod na Kupi to Ljubljana

We immediately cross the border and have a climb but after that we head north up a valley towards Ljubljana. Closer to LJU There are some old roads that parallel the main one that provide some nice riding way from the traffic. 87k

Day 8 - Ljubljana to Lake Bled

We have added an additional day to bike up to Lake Bled, which is the most picturesque spot in all of Slovenia.   The airport is about equidistant from both Ljubljana and Bled so it is no less convenient to end in Bled.  It is also easy enough to return back to Ljubljana via train or bus if you care to spend additional time in town.  We'll head out of Ljubljana on one of the many bike paths and then take the back roads to Bled.  For anyone wanting to explore Slovenia even further, we would also be happy to help you with that. 70k

Included:
8 nites accommodations at hotels and inns
Breakfast and dinners (except dinners on nights in LJU and Bled)
Stocked support vehicle and driver

Excluded:
 Lunches (can be had in local cafes for 6-10 euros)
 Beer, wine booze
 Entrance fees to museums, attractions
 Airport/Ferry Transfers