Izola

Izola, the island, was one until the channel to the mainland was filled in, by the early nineteenth century. Fish canneries built from the late nineteenth century, later joined as the Delamaris company, made it the largest fishing centre of the Slovenian coast, and the harbour is still a working one, with boats landing and a fish market. The old town behind it is a knot of narrow lanes with Venetian doorways and washing lines, less restored than Piran, and the waterfront has become the coast's main eating and drinking strip.

History

A Roman port and settlement, Haliaetum, stood south-west of the present town from the 2nd century BC, and the town grew up on a small island in the 7th century, settled by people from Aquileia. A thermal spring found in 1820 brought the first tourists, and from 1902 to 1935 the Parenzana narrow-gauge railway linked the town with Trieste and Poreč (Wikipedia, Izola).

What to look for

• The working harbour - fishing boats, nets and the landing quay.
• The old lanes - a dense unrestored core with Venetian doorways.
• The waterfront strip - the coast's main run of bars and fish restaurants.
• The former island - a town whose shape still follows its island outline.

When to go

April to October; summer nights on the waterfront are the busiest. Spring and autumn are quieter and the fish is as good. Winter closes much of the strip.

Practical notes

There is no sand and the swimming is off concrete platforms. The old town is scruffy in places and less photogenic than Piran. Parking in summer is very difficult.

Nearby

Koper is east, and Strunjan is west.

Key facts