ISLAND-HOPPING CROATIA

Here are some memories and account of our week long trip, biking across islands, taking long naps on the boat, eating gelato while strolling a new city every evening and falling in love with Croatia.

We love going on family summer bike trips, such as in 2023 to Puglia, Italy and this year we decided to go to the northern islands of Croatia, located along the Kvarner Bay. The Kvarner Bay, is a bay in the northern Adriatic Sea, located between the Istrian peninsula and the northern Croatian Littoral mainland. The bay is a part of Croatia's internal waters. The largest islands within the Kvarner are Cres, Krk, Pag, Rab and Lošinj; all islands we biked across and sailed between. We went with a guided tour from the company Islandhopping (or Inselhüpfen in German) which was a great balance of following a local guide who could share lots of history, incredible meals cooked for us after we returned from each bike ride on the boat, and truly being able to relax without coordinating. Find the exact tour we went on here.

We started with a full day exploring the capital of Croatia, Zagreb, before taking a transfer bus to the starting point in Omisalj.

Zagreb, Croatia

Here is the route we followed and the islands we stopped at the bike around while the boat took us from island to island.

Day 1 of cycling & boating through northern Croatia

We started in Zagreb on a rainy, chilly morning grabbing cappuccinos at a local bar with all the folks headed to work & attempted to read the Croatian newspaper. 2 hour drive winding through the mountains to the coast, I snacked on salty, oily borek that was perfection. Boarded the Linda in Omisalj on the island of Krk and navigated almost four hours to the city and island of Cres. Thankfully we emerged from our naps with the rain clouds gone and sunshine highlighting the many colors of the water and islands we weren’t able to see before. Dinner was served with truffle polenta, fresh goat cheese salad and cheese cake for dinner (all cooked in the very small square kitchen onboard). We did a quick evening tour through the city, bundled up as it was very cold and very windy (the famous bora winds in this area that can get up to 300km/hr). Nightcap of traditional Croatian grappa called Teranino (yum! Like condensed glühwein) and Biska (nope).

Day 2 aboard the Linda

Started with breakfast on the back deck before getting our bikes ready for the first ride out of Cres. We had to adjust our plans because of strong winds & started with a steep ascent out of the harbor over the ridge to see back across the islands toward Rijeka and Krk where we were yesterday. The views over the islands and water as well as cherry trees and occasional bee hives making the local sage honey along the olive groves provided good distraction during the hard parts. It was a quick descent down and I caught my breath while trying to spot little sailboats out on the blue water. Went for a quick, cold swim (early summer season water temps) & biked back to the boat for lunch which was fresh caught fish. Navigating four hours meant more naps, more reading in the sunshine and more cappuccinos on deck with a little chocolate until we reached the island of Losinj (more in part 2). Truly spoiled with these incredible days.

Film photos from aboard the Linda

Day 2 Evening stroll through Mali Lošinj

Complete with ice cream, more jasmine-lined streets, getting lost in narrow alleyways & deck top picnic dinner with the sunset.

Day 3 Biking around Lošinj

I don’t think anything can top the bike path today - a narrow paved directly along the water with large forested Aleppo pines on the other side. Dream hotel in the Čikat area (coming back for brunch on their terrace one day). The city of Mali is known for its pristine air quality and was considered a “Luftkurort” or city for air quality recovering (health tourism focusing on the medicinal properties of the climate). We continued biking along the sea path until we crossed over the island to the other side to Veli Lošinj, a cute small port town with colorful buildings. Affogato before getting back on the bikes to head to the boat for lunch. Quick detour with my dad to go back down one of the baths and jump in the water for a swim. SO worth it!

The beautiful city of Mali Losinj where we stopped for a coffee and gelato break

Day 3 Evening ride across Molat

Second bike ride of the day across the island Molat which has no police, small hidden villages built to be protected from pirate invasions, and undulating hills with views over the ocean. My legs hurt from the morning’s ride but the evening light and incredible views made this ride so worth it and almost just as incredible as the morning. In the evening was Captain’s Dinner which meant with ate with the boat’s captain who gave us traditional Croatian grappa, Rakija Šljivovica, made from plum’s at Ivan’s, one of the guides’ farm! Followed by many rounds of karaoke. My cheeks hurt from laughing so much this evening.

Day 4 Biking up and down Dugi Otok

Not a lot of photos today because it was a tough biking day - Island hopping is fun but islands also mean steep hills and descents because you start at sea level. Quick swim to cool down (no wind today) and latte (that I had big regrets of on the hill I had to climb shortly after). The boat picked us up on a different end of the island, which meant different views coming back. Fresh figs, olive trees and bright yellow flowers lined the roads. Lunch on the boat was truffle and grated zucchini risotto (truffle comes from the Istria region in Croatia).

Sophia aboard an old wooden sailboat, catching the final sun rays of the day.

Day 4 Afternoon exploring the old town of Zadar

Too short of a nap before we docked in Zadar and started a tour with a local guide (Lucija who I would def be friends with if I lived here). Highlights were the Church of Saint Anastasia (with both gothic and Romanesque architectural styles), Church of St Donat (combination of architecture styles influenced by trips to Byzantine and Frankish Empries) and sea organ that is built to make sounds as the waves come in (see videos to hear it). 3000 years of history in a 360 degree view. Roman forum (marble columns), Church of St Donat (from medieval times), tower & socialist architecture. The city has a distinctly Italian feeling. Watched sunset sitting above the sea organ with glasses of Croatian wine and shared this moment with a lot of other tourists & locals. Humans just being humans.

The city of Zadar also caught on film

Day 5 Bike ride across Pag & evening in Rab

Rab stole all of our hearts (while Pag did less so and hence no photos of it included here). Windy, long bike ride across Pag which is the least forested island of Croatia and we felt it with the hot sun and no shade. The best part of Pag is definitely its sheep cheese made from milk from their 20,000 sheep (highly superior to manchego sorry). Boat ride to the island of Rab, which is the MOST forested and truly magical. We got lost in its limestone alleyways, found baby birds, admired its four bell towers, ate rab cake (yum! Orange marzipan cake baked in the shape of a spiral called rapska torta) and had hugos on the beach at sunset.

A moment for this stunning olive tree in the center of a courtyard

Courtyard olive tree in Rab

Day 6 Bike and swim on Rab & final boat trip to Krk

Active recovery day with a short bike ride next to the water and hour to swim. Time to stop in an organic local products store family-run for over 110 years (olive oils, local sage honey, olive tree wood). In Rab, visited a small store to buy more rabska torta made by this sweet lady who has been making it for 25 years. Quick anchored stop for a chilly swim, made better by warm cappuccinos.

Evening in the old town of Krk and a special dinner under an olive tree with new friends, sharing fluffy still-warm bread, homemade olive oil and honey wine. Special special days. This week has reminded me how much can be fit into a week, versus the ones that seem to just fly by. Rainy evening walk back to the boat.

Day 7 Final day on the Linda & bike ride across Krk back to Omisalj

Ride from Krk Town to Vrbnik, which is known for its wine so we biked through many vineyards. Exploration through Vrbnik including the “narrowest road in the world” (not so sure about that but definitely narrow!!). Continued to a small village on the beach near a mud bath and shared a large Erdbeereisbecher (Kindheit!!). The final segment rode along olive trees (surprise surprise), white and purple flowers and big fluffy clouds bringing in rain for the evening. Arrived back at our boat and first stop of our bike tour in Omisalj and we were all super sad to pull in and end the bike tour. Final views of Croatian islands within the Kvarner Bay and dinner on the boat, with more slivovitz (Croatian brandy) and watching the sunset while playing games.