Istria is a peninsula in the north of Croatia and borders the Gulf of Trieste in the north and the Kvarner Bay in the south. By far the largest part of Istria belongs to Croatia but also Slovenia and Italy have small areas. In the interior, Istria is mostly forested and criss-crossed by ridges. The west coast is rather flat and rocky. Sandy beaches are quite few but different pebble beaches. Some fjord-like inlets such as the Limski Channel (called Limfjord), many small bays, capes and islands dissect the coast and give it a fringed structure. The coast between Pula and Rijeka is steeper and less built-up.
Istria has a very well developed maritime infrastructure. At short distances there are enough marinas, harbors as well as bays with anchorage possibilities and buoy fields. Pula is the economic and administrative center of Istria. Not far from the landmark of the city, the imposing amphitheater, is the ACI Marina Pula. A little further south, the very well protected Tehnomont Marina Veruda.
North of Pula: Rovinj, Vrsar and Novigrad
From Pula the cruises start either north in the direction of Venice or south to Kvaner Bay. Who sails north along the coast, first passes the National Park Brijuni. The approximately 36 km2 large archipelago was once the residence of the Yugoslav leader Tito, who received celebrities from politics and society. Today, the port of the largest island Veli Brijun and also the bay Mikula (Sv. Nikole) on Mali Brijun can be visited by tourist boats. However, the ticket prices for entering the national park are quite high.
Further north is the picturesque Rovinj is situated. Yachts can berth in ACI Marina Rovinj, which reopened in the summer of 2018 after a long renovation period. Also, the port in Rovinj offers a few docking facilities with mooring lines, electricity and water.
Also worth a visit are the beautiful Vrsar and the cultural Porec, which attracts with a variety of first class restaurants & konobas. In both places, water sports enthusiasts have both a marina and a harbor at their disposal. In the very north of Istria are the romantic Novigrad and the port city of Umag.
Kvarner bay
In the south of the Istrian peninsula, at the foot of the mountain Ucka, the Kvarner Bay joins. The Kvarner bay is formed by the larger islands Cres, Losinj, Pag and Rab as well as the smaller islands Susak, Unije, Ilovik, Male Srakane and Vele Srakane. All other islands are uninhabited. In the south of Kvarner Bay Dugi Otok and then the National Park Kornati join.