Camp Pomer Inside The Bay Of Medulin

Camp Pomer at the innermost part of the sine of Medulin

As you can see, camp Pomer is located on the small peninsula inside the sine of Medulin. That makes the camp Pomer the northern most of the camps south of Pula. In the image above you can see the downtown Pula in the background, and a road that takes you straight there from Pomer. It is less than 10 km or 7 miles. Camp Pomer also features a nice size marina. Being so deep inside the sine, the marina is one of the better protected of the marinas around Pula, especially from the notorious southern winds and waves that can make up to a week of your summer very miserable.

The camp site is nicely built up in a pine forest. Lots of flat camping spots for tents and trailers.

The downside of Pomer being so deep inside of the sine of Medulin is that you will find the water for swimming by far not as clean as the other camps further south, like Stupice or Medulin itself.

But hey you can always drive down south and get into the crystal clear waters off shore of Kamenjak.

There is a decent size restaurant right at the entrance to the camp. For anything more, you can step to the village of Pomer, or drive to Medulin or Pula.

Pomer is the dark green peninsula in the middle, to the right up, Kamenjak. In the distance on the left, Island Unije near Mali Losinj Island in Kvarner

Camp Stoja Near Pula - Super Convenient

There are a couple of things that make this camp stand out among numerous other camps in the general Pula area. For one, its proximity to downtown Pula.You won't find any other camp this close. This is great for people who arrive by bus or train, like students and world travelers.

You will be able to take a bus to downtown Pula, or even walk. The bus station is right by the entrance to the camp and if you really want to walk it is just 3 km or 2 miles one way to the center of the city of Pula.

Camp Stoja. The best rocky beach is right at the tip, bottom left. Suburbs of Pula in the background.

The second attraction of the camp Stoja is its location on a small round peninsula. This provides for lots of rocky beaches and one which is the best is the one furthermost west. It gives you a feel of being on the southermost tip of Istria, Kamenjak.

There is another, smaller rocky-stony beach on the peninsula of Stoja. and I will let you find it on your own.

Despite the abundance of  rocky beaches, the top of the peninsula of Stoja is fully covered with fertile soft ground and  pine trees which provide a nice shade throughout even the hottest days of summer.

Thanks to the proximity of Pula, you will find night clubs, grocery stores and liquor stores within the walking distance from the camp.

Camp Stupice, The Southernmost Istrian Camp

The little peninsula in front belongs to the camp. Medulin island archipelago and in the background, Mali Losinj Island

What's so great about camp Stupice? As they say in real estate, location, location, location. As the southernmost camping site in Istria, camp Stupice is an ideal starting point for dinghy sailors, windsurfers, kite boarders and motorboat owners to explore the southernmost tip of Istria, the Kamenjak peninsula. Also, there is an unmatched multitude of small islands in the Medulin archipelago that are directly accessible from the camp.

By the time you are this far south, the sine Medulin opens up quite a bit, so if you are on a sailboat escaping from the oncoming storm that will be accompanied by powerful unpleasant waves from the south, you will be well advised to anchor your boat further into the sine, further north from the city of Medulin.

For windsurfers, sailors, and kiteboarders, the prevailing summerly Maestral is surprisingly strong considering that you are located in the midst of the ocean with no high mountains around.

If you are going to park your dinghy in the small space between the little peninsula sticking out from the camp site and the beach (see image above), then you should be advised that that space, although it seems quite safe, is not really well protected from the stormy seas that come with powerful winds and waves from the south, often accompanied with rainstorms a few times during the course of the summer.

Besides boating and swimming, what else can one do near Stupice? Going north from the camp, you can drive or walk to Premantura, the larges city around. The village has expanded quite a bit and features many new houses many of which will rent out during the summer. The village center features several restaurants, pasticerias (ice cream shops), and one or two night clubs.

Just a short walk across the Kamenjak peninsula from Stupice camp you will get to the northermost part of Kamenjak shore. Kamenjak is famous locally for its steep, rocky shore which allows for great snorkeling and diving, as well as simply enjoying swimming in the crystal clear waters, unmuddied by any sands. Also, in a few spots, jumping from high rocks directly into the deep waters is possible. Just be careful and check the water depth before jumping.

Kamenjak also features several nudist beaches, do not be surprised if you come across one as you stroll down south along the western shore.

Orebic - Trpanj: Going For An Ice Cream And A Horror Ride

A bunch of local tourist guides I have befriended during my stay invited me for a quick trip on the other side of the Peljesac ridge, the shore town of Trpanj. "Let's just go for an ice cream!"

Trpanj Peljesac Croatia (c) Ladislav Skacal - adriadatabanka.com

Sure I agreed and we got into what turned up to be a beat up old VW bus. So far so good. The day was coming to an evening and the trip sounded inviting. Never been to Trpanj before and getting out of town is always a good idea.

But I didn't know I was in for a scary horror ride as well. The ridges of Peljesac peninsula are steep and the roads are narrow, and winding. If you are coming from Germany, you will find nothing like an Autobahn here. You'll feel lucky if the road has not been eroded on the edges, inviting the fast and deadly way down the hill.

There are two parts of the trip. The first one takes you up the winding road of the south side of Peljesac up to the village of Donja Banda. That part was scary in itself but at least it wasn't so dark yet. But the second part of the trip was across the north side of the ridge. It was just as steep, the road was just as windy and the car was still an old beaten VW bus. But now, it was getting really dark. I could only hope the driver knew what he was doing.

Arriving at Trpanj, the city gave an impression of a denser, more city-like environment, probably because it was so squished between the sea and the steep hill in the back. There was a of dalmatian style ice cream shop!

Best Of Croatian Ice Cream by ms-skinnyfat.com

Ice cream tasted real good after the ride.

I made it back in one piece as well. I live to tell the story.

A Wine Lover On Peljesac? You Have It Made

It is known that no sailor will refuse a taste of a good wine. If you are camping on staying in one of the Orebic hotels and you want a taste of a really good local wine, you really have it made.

Just a short trip west from Orebic, perhaps 5 miles west on a curvy road up the hill, you will end up in a village called Potomje. If you have no car, check the bus schedule and you'll be able to take a bus there and back. A small village with a few houses and a few churches up on the slope up south toward the ridge is all there is to the village. The churches are nothing to sneeze at, they are as many as 6 centuries old!

Potomje (c) peljesactravel.com

But the village of Potomje is just the first step. If  you drove here, you can leave the car in the village. It is safe. You walk up that slope to the ridge, and a majestic view of the slope on the other side down into the blue ocean opens up in front of you. The slope is very steep going straight down into the ocean, and perhaps half a mile wide.

Vinery Putnikovic (c) peljesactravel.com

This majestic south-facing slope is, you guessed it, nothing but one big vineyard. Just take the road as it winds down toward the sea. If you are making this trip in the summer like I did, you will be astonished. You will have a chance to see just how big these black grapes can be in this place. Some were as big as golf balls it seems! No wonder, a product of the mild mediterranean climate, fertile ground, and a perfect, sun lit, south facing slope.

Walking down the slope you will end up at one of the wineries by the sea. It is usually not just the winery but also a home, and a small private marina with the boats for the house use, all in one. These people really have it good.

I spoke with the vineyard owner and got a few of the bottles of the red wine they make. The one I got was called Dingac. Also famous are Plavac and Potup varieties. Not only are the grapes huge but also the wine they make there is filled with thick, sweet taste and is alcohol rich. Alcohol content of 18% is nothing special there, the owner proclaimed.

Camps Antony Boy And Maestral

Located between the villages of Viganj and Kuciste on the southern shore of Peljesac penninsula, these two camps have ideal location for beginner to advanced windsurfers and kiteboarders.The Peljesac ridge is not as high here as it is at the camp Palme so you can expect the top winds will be a bit less.

Camping Maestral on the Peljesac Channel

However, the perfect east-west direction of the towering ridge and the proximity of the island of Korcula across the channels still warrant steady and strong afternoon maestral wind.

This is perhaps the second best spot on the whole Adriatic sea for windsurfing and kitesurfing, right after the city of Bol on the island of Brac.

The Venturi effect provides for up to 5 Beaufort strong Maestral winds. The name Maestral for the camps site is very appropriate.

Camp Antony Boy is one of the most modern camps on the Peljesac penninsula.

While both Antony Boy and Maestral camps have similar locations, the Antony Boy is more upscale and pricey.

Camp Palme On The Peljesac Channel - A Windsurfer's Paradise

Camp Palme has an ideal location for camping and sailing in the heart of the Peljesac Channel. A high ridge of the thin Peljesac penninsula is extra high and steep here before it twists further east and opens up space for the Orebic flat just a few miles further south east.

So sailing will be best just north west of the City.

When I was there for a number of weeks, I had a chance to observe the locals come out on the strongest days of Mistral in the summer. They knew exactly when the wind will be blowing at its strongest. The view of that local guy was picture perfect. He took a smallest, hurricane sail, and he had to make do with a huge volume, long and fat Mistral board. As he speeded off from the beach and into the waves coming toward him, you would see an image you can see nowehere else - a huge board 90% high up into the air, and a big guy in complete control of the smallish sail, holding onto the boom and standing on the tail of that huge Mistral board which was pretty much the only part of the huge board besides the fin that was still touching the water.


Why is camp Palme ideal for windsurfers and kiters? The steepness of the ridge, the ridge's perfect northwest-southeast direction and the proximity of the next island over, Korcula, make the Peljesac Channel, and especially this spot by camp Palme an ideal location for high speed windsurfing, kitesurfing, and sailing.

The view from camp Palme over to city of Korcula

You can see in the picture above a few speeding windsurfer sails. They are pretty close to the shore of the Peljesac penninsula. Most windsurfers are like this, they will just pick the spot that feels like it has the strongest wind and stick there, cruising in and out. But when the conditions are just perfect, like the first day of Mistral after the period of stormy weather is over, you can take your windsurf all the way over, to the island of Korcula. The wind will be so strong and will last well into the evening, so you will be able to make the trip back and forth across the channel no problem.

Windsurfing The Mistral

You'll be able to leave your vessel at the beach at the banks of the City of Korcula and take a stroll to the city if you are not too tired. If you are familiar with Venice and Dubrovnik, the two competing pearls of the Adriatic sea, city of Korcula is more like Dubrovnik. Its silhouette is dominated by a strong and high stone wall that protected the city from the dangers of the pirates coming from the sea. The inner city is a mesh of curving streets and 3-4 floor houses built of stone. The legend has it that the famous explorer Marco Polo was born in Korcula and only later traveled to Venice and onwards to his travels to East Asia, China, bringing back to Europe many dishes and clothes that were until then only to be had in China. Venice, of course, vehemently disputes Korcula and claims itself as a birth place of Marco Polo.

Stone Throwing At Camp Baska Voda In Southern Dalmatia

You know what is the very best thing about the Camp Baska Voda, for kids? Its the stones and rocks, baby!

Western, italian side of Adriatic features sandy beaches pretty much exclusively. But on the eastern side, it gets more interesting. The southeastern Adriatic will often feature long sandy beaches, and northeastern Adriatic will have multitudes of rocky beaches, great for snorkeling and diving.

But the camp in Baska Voda has something not many other camps have. It has a stony beach, and rocky hills extending into the water too! Stones and rocks, baby!

So we got there to Baska Voda at the end of the long trip one night. Having setup our tent, the kids that have been there longer and have pretty much gone there to Baska Voda every summer, have shown us what is the best thing to do around there.

We played a game of   throw the stone, hit the stone. So a bunch of kids goes up on the rock overlooking the sea, and everyone takes a bunch of stones with them.

Then the first kid will throw the stone up in the air and toward the sea. The other kids, lined up near the first kid, will throw their stones and try to hit the first stone while in flight.

It was a lot of fun, this game, but the next morning we had to drive on, further north.

Night Riding The Levant Wind Near Velebit

An old dalmatian sailor told me of his unusual trip from Zadar to Rijeka with his small sailboat. The boat had a keel but was hardly even a one tonner. It was just a 20 something sailboat with a small cabin, a small jib and sail you can see all across the dalmatian ports, something like this:

Small boat with a cabin on the Adriatic Sea

What was so special about his trip? Well it is quite a long trip for one. He, being an old experienced sailor, knows about the winds. In the summer, everyone knows Maestral is the prevailing wind when the weather is nice. Maestral is named as such - Veneto Maestro, or the "main wind". So everyone takes advantage of this, and sails late morning to late afternoon, while this wind is strong.

But fewer sailors know about the cousin of Maestral, the Levant, or Levanat in Dalmatia. And  even fewer take advantage of it. Why? Because even if they know about it, this wind is in its power at night, after midnight to after sunrise.

Levant is usually not as strong as Maestral. However, what happens in the northern Adriatic between Zadar and Rijeka is that there is this extremely steep and high mountain range called Velebit running all along the shore.

So what happens at night in the summer is the cold wind from the Velebit comes rushing down the slopes of the entire mountain range and provides for the boost to the normally weaker Levant.

So, this old dalmatian sailor was telling me about this amazing trip when he picked the night right after a hot and sunny afternoon, the first sunny afternoon after the five-day stormy weather streak in the middle of summer.

The trip from Zadar to Rijeka is several dozens miles long, and even the big ships will take all night to cross the distance.

But by picking the timing judiciously, knowing the map well, and taking advantage of the rushing wind down from the Velebit range, he was sailing like a maniac in the middle of the night with his small boat. And in a single night made the distance that would normally take the whole day or a couple of days.

He wouldn't go into much detail but I can only imagine a super speedy small boat, rushing through the smooth seas in the middle of the night, and a big yellow moon there to light the path...enchanting.

 Certainly something to brag to your grand kids about!

The Amazing Vransko Lake

Why is Vransko Lake so amazing you ask? Well who would have thunk there can be space for a big lake on such as skinny slim island as Cres!

As you are driving along the meandering road somewhere near the crest of the hill which basically IS the island of Cres you will come out from behind a curve and suddenly a magnificant view of the big lake will reveal itself. It looks somehing like this, only more majestic when you first see it:

You can see the road going north to south (left to right on the pic) to the left of the lake. From the point of view of this picture you can also see the Croatian mainland with the steep mountain range Velebit in the background, and a few small isles between the Velebit and the Cres island.

You can not help but stop the car even though you are late and in a hurry to get to your destination on Mali Losinj. You walk around by the side of the road, tempted to descend to the lake and check it out.

As soon as everybody has recovered from the unexpected and beautiful view of this majestic lake, the immediate question that everyone asks is  - is the lake salty or not??

Brestova-Porozina Ferry Trip

This is your starting point on the Croatian Mainland, Brestova:

The road from Rijeka is somewhere in the middle in the green part of the hill in this picture. The hill is pretty steep, no too far from the biggest hill around, the Ucka mountain. Looks like the main attraction of Brestova is its close proximity to the Island Cres which makes for a short and sweet trip across the channel. As you can see, the trip is totally worth it, here is the Porozina landing:

In the background you can see the suburbs of Rijeka, the biggest city on the Croatian shore.

So you finally made it to the island of Cres. You are now officially off the Mainland, and as soon as you start driving south on the only road down the island, you will feel quite lost on this skinny island in the middle of the ocean. Good luck!

Camp Cikat On Mali Losinj

Stony Beach At Cikat Mali Losinj

Camp Cikat on Mali Losinj (Little Losinj) may be the biggest camp on the island but it is not all that big at all.Not big for the numerous tourists that want to enjoy this remote piece of land in the middle of the Adriatic sea.

Location

 
Athough it is located in the middle of the Mali Losinj island, the camp is still the southernmost camping place around that you can get to easily by car.

And just to get to the island is an adventure in itself!Here's what you do. You need to get to Rijeka, Croatia which is the biggest city around. Then you take the main road to Pula which takes you south by the sea, first through the famous city of Opatija, well known for its old hotels catering for at least the past century to the Balkan's rich and famous. Pass also Lovran and since the weather will be nice you will see on your right the slopes of Ucka, the highest mountain around. Keep on the oceanfront road until you hit Brestova.

Brestova-Parazina is the ferry you need to take to get to the island of Cres which is one of the biggest islands in the Adriatic. It is a long, north-south elongated island which you must drive across to get to your final destination, Mali Losinj.

Best to get to Brestova early in the day because there is a big crowd of tourists from Germany, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, and recently from Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and many other countries that want to enjoy their summer in an unspoiled paradise.

If you come too late in the day, you will spend hours upon hours in the line of cars and trailers patiently waiting and moving ahead every time the ferry lets another load of cars on. It goes slowly, I tell you. But it must be worthy since so many people are determined to make it to the island!

Getting Up At Sunrise

Rocky Adriatic Beach

Imagine waking up to the chirping sounds of crickets that have just woken up at sunrise.

The winds are calm and the heat of the sun is starting to bring out the musky smells of the sappy juices coming out of the trunks of pine trees all around you.

You get out of the tent and a beautiful view of the light blue sea and smallish waves on it is inviting you to get closer.

You get up and put on the flip flops. The ground around the tent is covered with spiky pine needles. The path to the beach is covered with small sharp stones, and the beach nearby is rocky and steep. Yeah, flip flops will do just fine.

Everyone in tents and campers around you is still sleeping. The couple of italian girls from Milano has just arrived late last night, and the german campers in the low lying section have been dancing and partying in the neighboring city all night.

Nobody else will get up anytime soon. Time for a quick refreshing swim in the calm waters. Most people will come swimming much later when the sun is up. They think the water is real cold this early in the morning. But of course, it is not! It is just perfect and I have the whole ocean to myself!