Campervan Hire Pula — a 5 to 7 Day Istria Loop: Kamenjak, Rovinj, Motovun and Opatija (2027)

Istria is Croatia's largest peninsula and one of the most rewarding regions to explore by camper: distances are short, the west coast has one campsite after another, and twenty minutes from the sea the interior begins, with hilltop towns, vineyards and truffle forests. Pula, at the southern tip of the peninsula, is a good starting point, with its Roman Arena, an airport and the Istrian Y motorway linking the south, the west coast and Učka. Below is a loop of five to seven days, about 450 km in total.

Days 1–2: Pula, Kamenjak and Fažana

• Pula. The Roman amphitheatre (the Arena), the Temple of Augustus on the Forum, the Arch of the Sergii and the Venetian Kaštel fortress above the town can all be seen on foot in a day. Leave the camper outside the old town, whose streets are narrow and largely pedestrian.
• Cape Kamenjak (about 12 km, 20 minutes): a protected landscape at the southernmost tip of Istria, with low rocks, dozens of coves and views across to the Kvarner. The tracks inside Kamenjak are gravel, so leave the camper in Premantura and continue by bike or on foot.
• Fažana (about 8 km north of Pula): a fishing village where the boats to Brijuni National Park depart. If you would rather explore Brijuni by your own boat, see our guide to boat rental in Pula.

Day 3: Rovinj and Lim Bay

• Rovinj (about 35 km from Pula, 40 minutes): an old town on a peninsula, crowned by the church of St Euphemia. See the campervan page for Rovinj.
• Lim Bay (Limski kanal) (about 15 km north of Rovinj): a drowned valley about 10 km long, with steep wooded sides and oyster and mussel farms. At the end of the bay there are several seafood restaurants, and viewpoints open up from the road above.
• Vrsar (about 20 km from Rovinj, around the bay): a hilltop town at the mouth of Lim Bay.

Day 4: Poreč, Novigrad and Umag

• Poreč (about 12 km from Vrsar): the Euphrasian Basilica with its 6th-century mosaics is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the main street, the Decumanus, follows the Roman town plan. See the campervan page for Poreč.
• Novigrad (about 15 km): a walled fishing town on a small peninsula. See the campervan page for Novigrad.
• Umag (about 15 km): a town in north-western Istria, with Savudrija lighthouse a few kilometres further north.

Day 5: the interior — Grožnjan, Motovun and Hum

• Grožnjan (about 25 km from Umag, 35 minutes): a hilltop town of artists, with galleries and a summer music school.
• Motovun (about 15 km): a hilltop town above the Mirna valley, whose walls look over Motovun forest, known for its truffles. A film festival is held here every summer. See the campervan page for Motovun.
• Hum (about 30 km via Buzet and Roč): a tiny fortified town that calls itself the smallest town in the world. From Roč to Hum runs the Glagolitic Alley, a series of monuments to the Glagolitic script along the road.

Day 6: Pazin, Labin and Rabac

• Pazin (about 30 km from Hum): the castle rises above the Pazin Chasm, which Jules Verne described in his novel "Mathias Sandorf".
• Labin (about 40 km from Pazin, 45 minutes): a hilltop old town with a mining past, and about 5 km below, by the sea, lies Rabac with its pebble beaches.

Day 7: Opatija and Učka

• Opatija (about 50 km from Labin on the coast road via Plomin, about 1 hour): an Austro-Hungarian resort with villas and the Lungomare seaside promenade from Volosko to Lovran. See the campervan page for Opatija.
• Učka: a nature park above Opatija; from the summit of Vojak the view stretches across the Kvarner to the islands.
• Return through the Učka tunnel and along the Istrian Y to Žminj: about 60 km, 50 minutes.

If you have five days, skip Umag and Grožnjan and leave Opatija and Učka for another time. If you are arriving in Croatia via Zagreb, see also our guide to campervan hire in Zagreb.

Where to stay overnight

• Campsites by the sea. Most campsites are on the west coast, from Umag and Novigrad through Poreč and Vrsar to Rovinj, and in the south around Pula, Medulin and Premantura. Book ahead for July and August. Most coastal campsites are open roughly from April to October.
• The interior. There are few campsites inland, so the simplest plan is to spend the day in the hilltop towns and return to the coast in the evening, which is always less than an hour away.
• No wild camping. Camping outside registered campsites is not allowed in Croatia, and many coastal towns also fine people for sleeping in a camper in a car park.

Roads and driving

• Tolls. The Istrian Y (A8 and A9) and the Učka tunnel are tolled, and campers usually pay a higher class than cars because of their height. Coastal and local roads are free.
• Old towns. Rovinj, Motovun, Grožnjan and Hum have narrow streets and pedestrian centres; leave the camper in the car park at the entrance to town.
• Lights. From the end of October to the end of March, dipped headlights are compulsory during the day too.

When to go

May, June and September are the best months: the days are warm, the campsites are open, and the roads and old towns are not overcrowded. In July and August the campsites are full and on Saturdays the roads to the coast are congested. In April the wild asparagus season begins in Istria, and autumn brings white truffles and the grape and olive harvests. In winter most coastal campsites are closed, but the towns are quiet and the camper has heating.

Campervan in Pula through Crystalium Booker

Camper Istra — camper for 4 people, Žminj has a double bed (140 × 200 cm), a kitchen with a fridge and gas stove, a bathroom with shower and toilet, air conditioning, heating, TV and radio.

• Price: €140 per day, minimum rental 5 days; 10% discount for 7 days, 15% for 14 days.
• Included: bed linen, kitchen utensils, gas cylinder, outdoor table and chairs.
• Pets: allowed, €60 per stay.
• Pick-up: Sutivanac near Žminj, about 30 km from Pula airport. A €1,000 deposit is paid in cash at pick-up; the water and gas tanks are returned full and the chemical toilet empty.

This is how booking works: you send an enquiry with your dates, we check availability with the owner, you pay the reservation to us, and the rest to the owner when you pick up the camper.

Next step

See all listings on the campervans in Pula page. For questions about the route or dates, get in touch through our contact page. Do you rent out a camper in Istria? List it with us.