Rovinj and the Istrian Peninsula: The Croatia Road Trip Most North Americans Don't Know Exists
- tailormadetravels
- May 23
- 7 min read
Updated: May 23
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Most people planning a Croatia trip head straight for Dubrovnik, Split and the Dalmatian islands. And honestly, they should. That route is spectacular and earns every word written about it.
But there's another Croatia sitting quietly in the north that most North Americans have never heard of. Europeans have been going for years. We stumbled onto it and spent the rest of the trip wondering why nobody had told us about it sooner. Possibly because they wanted to keep it to themselves. Rude. But understandable.
This is the Istrian peninsula. And this is the road trip guide we wish we'd had before we went.
Why Istria Feels Different from the Rest of Croatia
Istria pushes up against Italy on its northern border and the Italian influence never really left. The food leans heavily pasta and truffle. The pace is slower and more unhurried than the Dalmatian coast. The crowds are mostly European rather than the global tourism machine that descends on Dubrovnik and Split in summer. And the gelato is extraordinary in a way that makes all other gelato feel like an apology.
It also has something the Dalmatian coast doesn't. A genuine sea to sky experience. Coastal towns on the Adriatic one day, medieval hilltowns overlooking stunning inland valleys the next. It's a different kind of Croatia and it's completely worth your time.
How to Get to Istria
You'll need a car for this trip. The secondary roads are half the experience. Stone villages, rolling hills, scenery where you pull over every twenty minutes because you can't believe what you're looking at. The toll highway exists and is efficient. Take the secondary roads anyway. You can thank me later.
Option 1: Fly into Pula. Pula has its own international airport with direct connections from several European cities. Straightforward, easy, car rental available at the airport.
Option 2: Fly into Venice and take the catamaran to Pula. This is the entry we love. Fly into Venice, spend a few days, then take the high speed catamaran across to Pula. The crossing takes about three and a half hours and runs from June 1st to September 20th in 2026. Tickets run between 79 and 89 euros each way and it's foot passengers only so you'll rent your car from Pula rather than bringing one from Italy. Worth every logistical consideration for the harbour arrival alone.
The first thing you see pulling into Pula by boat is a Roman amphitheatre looming over the port. Don't tell Rome but it's in better condition than the Colosseum. Still used for concerts today. We stood on the deck with our mouths open like absolute tourists. Which, to be fair, we were.
Pula: One Day is Enough and It's a Good One
Give Pula a day. There's genuinely enough here to fill it and it sets the tone beautifully for everything that follows. The Roman amphitheatre is the obvious starting point and it earns the attention. Walk through it, go downstairs into the underground passages and take your time. This is one of the most well preserved Roman structures in the world and almost nobody outside Europe talks about it. Nobody warned us either. We arrived expecting a charming coastal town and got a Roman amphitheatre on the waterfront. Croatia keeps doing this.
Pula has a compact and walkable old town, good restaurants and a relaxed pace that eases you into the Istrian mindset. One day here before moving on is the right call. The rest of the peninsula is waiting.
Where to stay in Pula: Search Pula hotels on Booking.com
Rovinj: Use It as Your Base
Drive from Pula to Rovinj. About 35 minutes on good roads.
Rovinj is the kind of place you arrive in planning to stay three nights and left several days later wondering how that happened. It reminded me immediately of Korcula the moment I arrived. Same old town feel, same fishing port history, same narrow stone alleys that lead you unexpectedly to the edge of the Adriatic. The Italian influence is strong here and the al fresco pasta every single evening was something we had absolutely no complaints about. None. Zero. We tried very hard to find a complaint. We couldn't.
The old town sits on a rocky peninsula above the Adriatic, filled with narrow cobbled streets, art galleries and waterfront cafes. The bell tower of St. Euphemia church is the defining landmark and climbing it gives you panoramic views over the town and the sea. Walk the harbour promenade in the evening when the light goes golden and the fishing boats come in. Find a table outside. Order the pasta. Order another glass of wine. This is what slow travel actually feels like and it turns out we are very good at it.
Park Forest Zlatni Rt is worth an afternoon. Follow the promenade south from the old town and it takes you into a beautiful forested park with walking trails, cycling paths and small pebble coves where you can swim. We picked up gelato on the way, rented bikes and jumped in the ocean when it got too hot. Nobody needed to be asked twice.
Use Rovinj as your base for two to three nights while you explore the hilltowns. Everything is within an easy drive.
Where to stay in Rovinj: Search Rovinj hotels on Booking.com
The Istrian Hilltowns: Hum, Motovun and Buzet
This is where Istria earns its reputation as little Tuscany. Drive inland from Rovinj and the landscape shifts from coastal to rolling green valleys with medieval stone villages perched on hilltops above them. It's the kind of scenery where you pull over every twenty minutes because you can't believe what you're looking at. Our average driving speed through Istria was considerably slower than the speed limit suggested. The scenery was not sorry about this, and neither were we.
Hum
The world's smallest town. Thirty people. Two streets. Seven minutes to walk the whole thing. It sounds like nothing and it's completely worth the detour. The stone buildings huddle together at the top of a small hill with an archway gate that takes you inside. No cars. Dirt paths. A restaurant on the edge with valley views that go on forever. They make a centuries old mistletoe brandy here called Biska. We didn't try it. This remains one of our few travel regrets and we think about it more than we should.
Motovun
Motovun sits above the Mirna river valley on a hilltop that requires a climb. A steep, relentless, nobody warns you climb. There is apparently a bus that takes you to the top. We did not find this bus. We would like to have words with this bus. We climbed. Every. Single. Step. The valley views at the top are worth every single one of them. Mostly. We're still deciding.
Buzet
Another hilltown, another spectacular valley view, another reason to pull the car over and just stand there for a moment. Buzet is the truffle capital of Istria and if you're going to do a truffle hunting experience with a local farmer and their dogs, this is the area to do it in. We didn't manage it on this trip. It's firmly on the list for next time. We say this every time.
Truffle Country
This entire region is serious truffle territory. Truffle oil appears on menus everywhere. Truffle pasta is the dish of Istria. And if you want to go full Istrian you can book a truffle hunt with a local farmer and their dogs who sniff out the truffles in the forest. It's one of those experiences that sounds slightly absurd until you're standing in the woods watching a dog work and suddenly you completely understand why people come back to Istria specifically for this. We did not do it. We are aware of the irony of writing about truffle country without having done the truffle hunt. We are going back.
Practical Tips for the Istrian Road Trip
Rent a car. There's no way around this. Istria is best explored by car and the secondary roads are genuinely part of the experience.
Base yourself in Rovinj. It's the most central, most beautiful and most practical base for the whole peninsula. Four to five nights here gives you time for the hilltowns, the park and the coast without feeling rushed.
The Venice catamaran runs June to September only. If you're travelling outside those dates fly directly into Pula. The route is operated by Adriatic Lines in 2026 and tickets can be booked through Ferryhopper or directly with the operator. Foot passengers only, no cars on board.
Go in May or September. The summer crowds are mostly European rather than global but Rovinj still gets busy in July and August. May gives you quieter streets, better prices and hospitality that hasn't yet hit the end of season wall. September gives you warm water, golden light and the first hints of autumn colour in the hilltowns.
Eat al fresco every single night. There is no reason not to. The weather is warm, the restaurants spill onto the streets and the pasta is excellent. This is Istria. Eat accordingly.
Planning to visit Europe this summer? The EU's new Entry Exit System is now fully operational at all Schengen borders. No pre-registration needed but budget extra time at border control on your first entry.
The Honest Bottom Line
Istria is the part of Croatia most North Americans completely overlook. Europeans have been quietly enjoying it for years and good for them for keeping quiet about it for so long. But it's too good not to share. We're sharing it. Reluctantly. Because once everyone knows about it, the gelato queues are going to get longer.
Go to Istria. Drive the secondary roads. Climb Motovun. Find the Biska brandy in Hum and actually try it unlike us. Eat the truffle pasta. You'll wonder why you didn't know about this sooner.
Looking for more Croatian itinerary ideas? If you're looking for island hopping in Croatia or if whether Dubrovnik is still worth visiting in 2026, click on the links.
Have questions about planning your Istrian road trip? Drop them in the comments below. I'm happy to answer everything I know.
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