Quick Guide to Your First Visit to Poreč

The only issue: Among so many highlights, where to start? You surely can’t skip savouring the traditional Istrian cuisine that features top-quality wines and award-winning olive oils. Spend magical evenings listening to live music or watching movies under the stars. Get lost in the winding stone streets of the former Roman city, count all of its ancient sights, take in the enchanting atmosphere of its fishing harbour or enjoy one of the events and festivals that take place here.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS

Don’t miss traditional Istrian mainstays: handmade pasta with truffles, a hearty stew called maneštra, Istrian prosciutto and cukerančići, a local biscuit sure to please any sweet tooth. Here are some of the best restaurants in Poreč.

MIRAMARE RESTAURANT

With its scenic location at the Valamar Collection Isabella Island Resort on the small island of Sveti Nikola, the restaurant Miramare offers seafood feasts paired with gorgeous views. Try the fish carpaccio with powdered olive oil, trout caviar and sashimi with rhubarb. Getting here is a breeze; a small boat runs to the island every half hour from the Poreč harbour.

RESTAURANT SPINNAKER

A creative menu featuring locally sourced ingredients, a great wine list showcasing top wines from Istria and beyond and its spectacular location on the Old Town waterfront make restaurant Spinnaker – inside the Valamar Riviera Hotel – a real find for those who love food.

PARENTINO WINE BAR

This slick little wine bar near the Valamar Riviera Hotel has a terrace facing the yacht right on the waterfront. It’s a great spot for coffee and croissants in the morning, fine beers during the day and top wines in the evening. Inside, it’s all marble, glass and leather.

TRATTORIA LA PENTOLA

A rustic trattoria with a terrace right by the sea, with striking vistas, Mediterranean flavours and Italian cuisine that features handmade pasta.

MUST-SEE SIGHT 

EUPHRASIAN BASILICA 

The Euphrasian Basilica has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 – and it’s no wonder. The basilica, atrium, baptistery and episcopal palace are outstanding examples of religious architecture, while the basilica itself combines classical and Byzantine elements in an exceptional manner.

NATURE 

BAREDINE CAVE

The Baredine Cave boasts stunning under-ground lakes – and its deepest point at 132 me-tres beneath the earth. This cave is a treasure chest of stalagmites and stalactites, underworld sculptures created through time by the patient work of water. It’s a light ride by bicycle, through forests, vineyards and olive groves.

Pearl in the string of islands – Sveti Nikola

Listed among the 10 most beautiful small islands in Croatia by The Guardian, Sveti Nikola – home to Valamar Collection Isabella Island Resort – is an uninhabited islet covered with pine trees and surrounded by crystal-clear water. Once owned by a Venetian merchant family who built an elegant castle here and restored the 14th-century lighthouse, the island is a perfect place for spotting dolphins.