A tour along the coast and the curves of Istria, Croatia, to discover the most beautiful beaches and the most characteristic villages, with the baptism of the Four Points Festival.
The Istrian peninsula, once Italian, is a truly unique land for those who love to travel by motorbike: beaches, hidden bays, ancient villages and seaside villages, but above all many beautiful roads full of curves and many off-road routes for those who love adventure .
We took advantage of the Four Points Festival to discover this magical land, rich in history and traditions. Starting from Milan on Thursday, we toured the length and breadth of the peninsula, both alone and accompanied by the event guides.
Content index
- The Four Points Festival
- From Trieste to Umag
- From Motovun to Rovinj
- Pula and Cape Promontore
- Istria: the most beautiful beaches
- Travel information and advice
The Four Points Festival
At its first edition, the festival dedicated to those who love to travel in motorcycle, it has already been a real success. The Four Points Festival it is not a rally nor a simple event, but a brilliant way to spend a weekend on a motorcycle, alone or in company to discover a beautiful area like Istria.
Available to lone bikers or groups of friends, there are plenty of itineraries different, guided or not, on asphalt o off-road, extra activities such as the enduro or moto cross course, up to the possibility of riding a real motorcycle of the Dakar Rally. There are those who sleep in tents and those in luxurious houses, music and party in the evening, as well as road contests to win motorcycle equipment.
For more information and for future editions in Andorra (Spain), Luxembourg and Sweden, please click this link Four Points Festival.
From Trieste to Umag
Starting from Italy, through the Friuli, you can not stop at Trieste, where it is a must to visit the Miramare Castle, Victory Lighthouse, Piazza Unità d'Italia and San Saba rice mill. The curves follow one another elegant and gentle, at a slow pace because every glimpse deserves a photo, especially in the stretch of coast before the Slovenian border, from Muggia to Lazzaretto.
After customs, we fill up with petrol, with a net saving compared to Italy. Then we continue towards Island, along the state road 406 which leads to Portrose. Passed customs between Slovenia and Croatia, very busy, you get to Umag, a small picturesque seaside village and home to the Four Points Festival.
From Motovun to Rovinj
Among the proposed motorbike tours, both guided and with the tracks provided by the organizers, we have chosen to go from the hills to the sea. So from Umag we follow the most beautiful roads leading to Motovun.
Perched on top of a 277 meter high hill overlooking the green valley of the Mirna River, Motovun it is a pretty fortified town that still bears evident traces of the Venetian domination. This little gem is an unexpected city of art and culture: art galleries and artists' studios give new life to the historic center, while important cultural events attract a growing number of international visitors every year.
From here we head back to the sea in the direction Rovinj. The road is beautiful and the curves invite you to go fast, but beware of the limits and controls.
Rovinj it is a charming village with a historic center enclosed within a small peninsula where you can walk through narrow and winding alleys, narrow houses with characteristic fireplaces, alleys and squares. Along the coast of Rovinj you will find numerous beaches, coves and bays where you can spend days in complete relaxation. If you are looking for a little coolness, visit the Forest Park of Current tip, easily reachable on foot from the center with a relaxing promenade.
Pula and Cape Promontore
After an excellent fish-based lunch, we head south, with a sun and many beaches that invite you to leave your helmet to dive into the sea.
On, the capital of the Istrian peninsula, is a seductive coastal city remembered by all for its iconic Roman amphitheater with the sea in the background. L'arena in Pula it is not the only testimony of the Roman era that you can see in the city: walking through the historic center you can admire the remains of Roman walls, for an temple dedicated to Augustus it's a triumphal arch. There is a good choice of beaches in the surrounding area, where you can sunbathe or keep fit by practicing several evenings, while in the evening you can have fun in one of the clubs in the center. Pula is a good base for exploring other famous locations such as park of Kamenjak, the village of Medulin and Brijuni islands.
We obviously could not fail to reach the extreme tip of the peninsula, in Croatian Cape Kamenjak, or better Head promoter in Italian: thirty kilometers of picturesque bays, valleys and hills to explore this beautiful area and enjoy the colors and scents of the eastern Adriatic coast.
The most beautiful beaches
Along the peninsula you will find bays, coves, hidden white pebble beaches and rocky cliffs. If you are looking for sandy beaches, the advice is to head to Pula where in addition to the flat white pebble and pebble beaches there are also sandy beaches. And then there are the beaches of the cities and around the villages to be discovered one by one.
- Katoro Beach (Umag)
- Kanova beach (Umag)
- Mareda beach (Novigrad)
- Koversada beach (Vrsar)
- Punta Promontore (Premantura)
- Bay of Lone (Rovinj)
- Valalta (Rovinj)
- Valkane Beach (Pula)
- Stella Maris (Umag)
Travel information and advice
Attention to Traffic Laws, in Slovenia and Croatia, they are all very respectful of limits and rules, especially the police ...
For this tour we used: motorcycles BMW R 1250 GS Rallye edition - Jacket / pants set Spidi Allroad - Helmet Sena Outrush R - Luggage SW-Motech Drybag 350 - Navigator TomTom Rider 550.
