Rovinj is the second most visited town in Croatia, Dubrovnik being the first. They say there are over 100,000 tourists in the country at the moment. Seriously, it feels like they are all here!
Rovinj is a walkable town with a car free zone in the old town with the church of Saint Eufemia at the top of the hill overlooking the city.
The bell tower is an exact replica of St. Marco in Venice but smaller. My apartment is below this church, so there is no way to get lost!
I've arrived at a good time as the Rovinj Music Festival is taking place this week. Several of the concerts have taken place in this church. I even got to experience a Croatian Opera!
There are cobblestone streets which can be treacherous. With so many tourists visiting, the stones have been worn down over the years and can be very slippery. I've tried walking in sneakers, flip flops and water shoes and constantly slip. I'm surprised I haven't seen people falling down everywhere.
A scenic town with narrow alleys, art galleries,
A busy harbor with small boats and beautiful yachts,
lots of restaurants and cafes, Rovinj is a photographers dream. I have also heard it has the best gelato in Istria,
which I'm determined to prove, one ice cream cone at a time!
There are some beautiful hotels here in Rovinj. I walked the grounds of the Hotel Lone the other day walking home from the beach. It's a a grand design hotel with sprawling grounds and beautiful restaurants. A bit expensive with rooms starting at $590.00 a night. As my good friend Michele said, out of our budget!
There are also The Mont Mulini Hotel, and the Gand Hotel Park.
Mulini beach and Lone Beach in front of these properties is very crowded and quite the scene during the day. Day beds and an umbrella costs $100.00 a day. Steep price to pay to be right on top of your neighbor.
I prefer my little plastic chair under the pine trees in Punta Corrente Forest for $8.00 a day!
This is a beautiful park with jogging and cycling paths along the water. It's a great place to get away from all the tourists in the city and only a mile walk from my apartment. Nice to find a beach where you don't have to jump off a rock to get in and out of the water! There is also a rock climbing site in the area.
Some good restaurants I've found are Veli Joze for Italian just below my apartment,
Maestral for simple fish and meat dishes,
Tutto Bene and Konoba Jure, serving typical Croatian cusine. I also found a little takeaway Thai food restaurant called Wok To Go! Delicious curries, pad thai and vegetarian entries. I usually stop on my way to the beach.
One of the most romantic restaurants in town is Puntulina. I tried making a reservation but was advised there were none available until the beginning of September and It's only the middle of July! If you plan on visiting, I highly recommend booking this restaurant far in advance. The views at sunset are stunning.
A great place for a cocktail in the evening is Mediterraneo
and Monte Carlo Bar.
Arrive early because they fill up quickly when the sun begins to set! The reality is, you can sit in any restaurant or cafe facing the water and get a great view of the sunset.
Time to walk to the beach. Laundry is hanging to dry and morning exercises and meditation completed!
Namaste
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