If you are one of those people that see laying on the beach as a perfect vacation ingredient, perhaps you could satisfy your needs with water sports.
In Istria, there are many water sports to choose from, no matter where you are staying.
Almost every town in Istria has some water sports to offer.
Those activities depend on the climate, so you are more likely to experience kiteboarding and windsurfing on local islands and southern parts of the peninsula.
Luckily, you can reach any destination in a short time, because Istria is not too big. For instance, the distance between Umag on the northwest and Medulin on the south is only 89.53 kilometers or 55.63 miles.
That means you get from one place to another in about one hour.
See if you can satisfy your adventurous soul with one of the water activities Istria offers…
Ski Lifts (Wakeboard Cable Parks)
Water ski lifts provide different activities, from water skiing, mono-skiing, to wakeboarding. What you choose depends on your experience. These adrenalin-pumped sports are available in Poreč and Pomer while another ski lift is planned to be open in Pula (Valovine Beach) this summer.
Kitesurfing
This sport is growing in popularity every year, and with a good reason. Some popular spots for kitesurfing in Istria are on the southern coast.
Ližnjan and Medulin, two neighboring towns provide different experiences. For instance, Ližnjan is under influence of NE winds while Medulin has SW air flows. In Ližnjan, the sea is wavy and deep, while Medulin lagoon provides calmer, shallow waters.
Windsurfing
You can find windsurf stations all over Istria. A windy climate where winds vary from landward breezes to gale force winds from north and south attract many windsurfing enthusiasts.
Medulin, Pomer, and Premantura on the south, Novigrad, and Rovinj on the north are making sure that windsurfing sessions are available no matter where you are.
Diving
Diving alongside the Istrian Riviera can leave you speechless.
Did you know there are 23 shipwrecks you can explore on your undersea adventure?
Additionally, the Adriatic is loaded with fish, sea crustaceans, sponges, corals etc. Scuba learning and rental centers are many, where you can get your PADI certificate and explore the gorgeous underwaters.
Some Scuba Centers where you can learn to dive are:
Rovinj – Dive Center Rubin
Pula – Orca Diving
Premantura – Scuba Libre Dive Center
Labin – Girandella Diving
Medulin – Diving Center Shark
Stand Up Paddling and Metta Float Yoga
When it’s time to slow down and relax, you can become a “paddler“. Stand up paddling or SUP-ing is a connective, meditative water activity that can leave your soul refreshed, as well as your body.
It’s easy to learn, and even easier to get hooked on.
If you love doing yoga, you can spice up your SUP-ing game and try Metta float yoga – which means doing yoga on a stand-up board.
And for ultimate wellness experience, join a night yoga or SUP class, a board with lights will make the water seem magical. SUP and Yoga courses are available in Pula and Medulin.
Canoeing and Kayaking
While you can rent a small boat in some harbors, canoes, and kayaks are much more widespread. These two paddling activities are somewhat different.
Kayaks usually have closed decks and use a double-bladed paddle, while canoes can have open or closed decks, and you will need more power to row-their paddles are single bladed.
This boating sports are available in many Istrian towns, including Pula, Rabac, Poreč, Bale, Rovinj, Červar Porat, and Premantura.
Parasailing (and Paragliding)
Parasailing is recreational activity when a boat tows a person, and you hover over the sea with a special parachute. Paragliders can also be seen all over the peninsula, even this is a different sport, as it makes the flyer launch himself off the ground by foot.
You can try one or both sports in Pula (Verudela Beach) or in Novigrad.
Flyboarding
Did you ever want to become a mermaid? Tony Stark perhaps?
Well, you can become both in Poreč.
Flyboard or as some call it, “rocket boots” give you speed, power and flexibility so you can experience a fishlike life for a day. At first, this sport seemed extreme, but equipment is developing, and now, you can have the ultimate control and maneuver power on your first time.
Why is flyboarding so great?
Because boots strapped to your feet, let you jump high in the air and dive into the sea at a speed of a jet.
Sea Trekking
Forget about Caribbean or Canary Islands, walking on the sea bottom is available in Pula (Verudela Beach). If fly boards seem too hard, maybe this underwater sport will be a better fit for you.
Sea walking or sea trekking means you get a special helmet and you get to explore the undersea using your own two feet. And who knows, maybe you find Bikini Bottom on your marine trip.
Those who live by the sea can hardly form a single thought of which the sea would not be part.
What Hermann Broch said stands true. Life in Istria revolves around the sea. Even in the central part, you can find water sports on rivers. That said, is no wonder why Istria is abundant with activities on the water. And don’t be fooled that the mentioned sports are the only offer. Many more, like Jet Skiing, are easy to spot on nearly every beach.
Wave sounds and sea adventures that Istria offers can fill your vacation with unforgettable memories in a blink of an eye.