mehart

Has anyone been to Rovinj?

Frances

Yes.
How can I help?

foodiern

Hi, I've got some questions. Warm enough for ocean swimming in June? 10 days too long or not long enough? "things to do" as a solo traveler w/out car? outdoor dining? Seafood? General ambience? Thanks

Grasshopper

I enjoyed Rovinj in late May, early July last year. It is a good base for the Istrian Peninsula, with or without a car. Buses are easy to take and you will want to visit Pula at a minimum. I think if you have 10 days, you should spend 3 or 4 in Rovinj, then take a bus to Rejika and hop a ferry south. Dubrovnik is wonderful. Or you could stop off on one of the islands along the way. Many here like Hvar.

I didn't swim, but I saw plenty of people doing so. I was a solo traveler, almost all dining was outdoors and seafood is plentiful. Enjoy!

Steff

We spent an evening in Rovinj in September and loved it. Very Italianate, beautiful town with winding stone streets, good cafes and restaurants. It would probably be a good base for exploring the rest of Istria, and you can take a day trip to Venice from there also. You don't need a car; you can take the bus all over the place.

Frances

Yes it was warm enough to swim in June (2002).We swam in the Limski Canal which was not too pleasant underfoot.We had big problems trying to find accomodation in Rovinj despite its size and this was this was the only place out of two weeks in Croatia that this happened.
We spent two nights there but fought shy of Pula even though we drove to the outskirts. It seemed too big and commercialised compared to the rest of Croatia we had seen.We ate out on the harbour both nights.
The town is pretty and Italianate and had it been the first place we'd hit I would be waxing lyrical about it. After Dubrovnik, Korcula, Hvar, Rab there were just too many people!
In short worth a visit if you're in the area.

Grasshopper

Frances, you are so right! Go to Istria first. Once you've been to Dubrovnik, you'll be ruined for the rest.

I stayed at Hotel Adriatic. Very simple but comfortable on the harbor and the edge of the old town. I loved the morning breakfast (included) outside on the patio. By day three many people were becoming familiar and gave me cheerful good mornings. I would avoid the big hotels on the other side of the harbor. They seem like big tourist conclaves. Also, take a boat trip to get out onto the water and see Rovinj from the sea.

Croatians are perhaps the most hospitable people I've come across in my travels. Slovenians are pretty close too.

bg_collier

Ten days in Rovinj is a lot. Not that there isn't 10 days worth of things to do, just that you can see quite a bit more in that time. As mentioned above, the Istrian Peninsula has an Italian flavour, and there are many interesting places just a bus-ride away. Consider Motovun, Labin, Pula, the hill towns around Buzet, and artisan town of Groznjan. You're also a few hours away from Cres Island. I spent a fantastic 5 days along the shore just outside the harbor village of Cres Town. Beautiful island. Enjoy your stay!

Regards, Bruce
Croatia Travel Photos -- http://www.brucegcollier.com/galleri...level2_all.htm