ACI Marina Pula
ACI Marina Rovinj
Marina Parentium, Poreč
Vrsar Marina
Fažana Harbour
Watch a summer concert or gladiator show inside Pula Arena
Hunt for white truffles in the Motovun forest around Livade
Climb the bell tower of St Euphemia’s church in Rovinj
View the Byzantine mosaics of the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč
Tender across to the Brijuni Islands National Park
Pula Arena, Croatia’s largest surviving Roman monument
Rovinj’s Old Town and St Euphemia’s Church
The Euphrasian Basilica, Poreč (UNESCO World Heritage)
Livade and the Motovun forest, Istria’s truffle country
Brijuni Islands National Park
The charter season runs April to October, with the warmest, calmest sailing from June to September. Truffle season adds another reason to visit in autumn: white truffle hunts around Livade and Motovun run from September into November, so a late-season charter can combine good sailing weather with the region’s most celebrated harvest, well after the July and August crowds have thinned.
Pula Airport (PUY) sits just a few kilometres from the harbour, making it the most convenient gateway for a charter starting here. For itineraries leaning toward the northern half of the peninsula, Rijeka’s airport on the island of Krk, roughly 120 kilometres away, and Trieste across the Italian border, about 150 kilometres, both serve as practical alternatives, though Pula remains the natural base for most Istrian charters.
ACI marinas in Pula and Rovinj offer the easiest overnight berths, while Poreč’s Marina Parentium and the smaller harbours at Vrsar and Fažana suit a quieter stop. Fažana also doubles as the departure point for tenders and excursion boats to the Brijuni Islands National Park, a short crossing offshore, making it a natural base for a day exploring the archipelago.
Three to five days is usually enough to take in Pula’s amphitheatre, Rovinj’s old town, the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč and a visit to the Brijuni Islands, without feeling rushed. Many charters treat Istria as a compact standalone week when combined with a couple of nights ashore inland for truffle hunting, or as the northern leg of a longer Croatian coast itinerary.
Yes, guided hunts with trained dogs run throughout the Motovun forest around Livade, Istria’s truffle capital, typically arranged as a half-day excursion ashore. The region’s credentials are hard to beat: in 1999, hunter Giancarlo Zigante and his dog Diana unearthed a 1.31 kilogram white truffle near Buje, still recognised as the largest ever found and entered into the Guinness Book of Records.
