5 days in Istria

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Istria is relatively small and you can see a lot in five days while staying in the same place.

Nicest drive is probably just outside - the coastal road south from Opatija via Mošćenička Draga is spectacular, then you can visit Labin on the way which has an underrated hill town. Opatija is worth a visit for its waterfront promenade in an interesting micro climate filled with old and new hotels.

Definitely do a tour of hill towns, Buje, Grožnjan, Motovun, Buzet are some of the more popular ones but there are many. Bale is worth a stop, and I have only driven through Vodnjan but many good olive oils are made near there.

If it is of interest I can also recommend NP Brijuni from Fažana.

This is a broad overview and you should be able to find something interesting in most places you visit, even smaller towns. For instance Svetvinčenat has a little castle and Pazin has a cave where the river flows underground and an interesting city museum.

In terms of where to stay -
- Rovinj is most popular place to stay in Croatia, is beautiful and has well developed tourism places and hotels, but the peninsula is pedestrian only so parking may be a challenge, and it is very touristy.

• Poreč is another main tourist city, not quite as beautiful as Rovinj but still well worth considering.

• Novigrad is another option on the coast, probably not as beautiful as Poreč but might be a little quieter than those two. It is still touristy though.

• Pula is the main port city. It should not be missed due to the Roman arena, Zerostrasse war raid tunnels and the town museum is also interesting, but the entire city waterfront is a port, so it may not be the best place to stay as a tourist unless you want true Croatian city experience. Verudela and Banjole areas are resort areas to the south of Pula with beautiful pine beaches, if you stay in Pula I would look there first. Medulin is a beach area not too far from Pula, but if you are staying outside Pula I would prefer Fažana on the other side of Pula.

• There are resorts in Rabac but I do not know anything about them.

You could also stay inland at any of the hill towns and there are lots of small towns near these places with villas for rent.

I hope you enjoy your time in Istra.

What time of year?

As mentioned already, Istria is a very small area, so you should stay in one place - no need to move accommodation.

Despite its small size, you have great diversity. Do you want to base yourself in a Venetian fishing village? A hilltop town? An Austro-Hungarian imperial town? A farm?

The fact that you have a car is a great start.

Ivan, thank you for such a comprehensive reply, very helpful!

We stayed in Ravinj for 3 nights and loved it, we would have liked to stay longer.

We were lucky to find an AirBnb within walking distance to the old town that included parking. We found it more convenient than I expected for taking day trips out of the city (hill towns, Pula, etc.).