Cape Kamenjak

Kamenjak is the last few kilometres of the Istrian peninsula, protected from building and left as low scrub, grass and bare limestone. A network of unsurfaced tracks runs the length of it, and every few hundred metres a path drops to a cove: some flat slabs, some coarse pebble, all with water that shelves quickly into deep blue. The coastline is long enough that even in August you can walk ten minutes and find space. Dinosaur footprints are marked on the rocks at one point, and orchids come up in spring across the scrub. There is almost no shade, almost no shelter and no permanent buildings, which is the whole point of the place.

What you actually see

• The cove network - dozens of small bays along the dirt track, each reached by a short scramble down bare rock.
• Safari coves and cliff jumps - the deeper inlets on the eastern side where the rock drops straight into clear water.
• The dinosaur footprints - marked tracks in the coastal limestone near the southern tip.
• Spring orchids - the scrub carries a dense flowering in April and May, with several protected species.

When to go

May and June for flowers, mild air and empty tracks; September for warm sea and thinner crowds. July and August work if you arrive before ten. The bura wind can make the exposed coast unswimmable and unpleasant at any point in the season. The entrance gate closes in the evening, so check the closing time before settling in.

Honest expectations

There is essentially no shade anywhere, and the limestone radiates heat all afternoon. The access tracks are rough gravel that will rattle a low car and coat everything in white dust. Entry to the water is over sharp rock, so shoes matter. Facilities are minimal, parking near the popular coves fills by mid morning, and the wind can end a day early.

Nearby

Premantura village sits at the entrance, and Pula with its Roman monuments is twenty minutes north.