Nature is the best outdoor recreation ground

Running in northwestern Istria has been attracting more and more fans. This is no surprise, since there are so many trails that you could run a marathon on a different route each day. Running on coastal paths will bring you a healthy dose of negative ions that will fill your lungs with fresh air and clear all negative thoughts. Inland trails, among which we warmly recommend any section of Parenzana, are rich in greenery and charming stone-built towns perched on hills. If you do not mind carrying your mobile phone while running, be sure to take it with you and snap a photo worth a thousand words.

Walking or Nordic walking on picturesque trails and walking paths of northwestern Istria gives you an opportunity to slow down and fully savour the healing power of the surrounding nature. If you take the coastal path from Umag to Savudrija, you will discover a romantic lighthouse and hanging boats of Savudrija. If you prefer to explore green inland areas, we recommend you to visit the Škarline nature park next to Brtonigla or Butori waterfall immersed in a breath-taking forest panorama of the upper Bujština region. Along the trails, you will come across fantastic konobas, so you can enrich this experience by treating yourself to a local specialty or a glass of wine.

Do you like experimenting with the latest wave riding trends such as kitesurfing or are you a faithful fan of the good old windsurfing? Whatever your answer, northwestern Istria boasts several locations with very favourable winds. One of them is Savudrija, where strong jugo wind blows in the autumn and spring, making big waves only experienced surfers can ride. If you are new to windsurfing, below the Aminess Maestral Hotel in Novigrad you can find the best windsurfing school in Istria, while to surfboard fans we recommend visiting Dajla. Northwestern Istria is becoming an increasingly popular area for stand up paddle boarding and there are many sports centres where you can rent the equipment.

It is impossible to visit northwestern Istria and not stumble upon groups of cyclists in their colourful jerseys and shorts who have become permanent guests of our region. In fact, the entire local territory is a long cycling route, intersected every now and then by a variety of amenities that you can check out in the bike e-book. No matter if you are a passionate mountain biker, a road racer, or simply enjoying recreational cycling and exploring the destination, northwestern Istria will make all of your ‘tin’ wishes come true.

Owing to the kilometres of paved promenades stretching from Savudrija all the way to Karigador and Novigrad, northwestern Istria offers great rollerblading trails. By engaging in this fun leisure activity that burns fat, lifts the mood and keeps your joints healthy, you will get a great training session in a beautiful seaside ambiance. And the best thing of all is that you will need nothing but your rollerblades! Everything else is already there for you.

Most of us work in closed spaces and are eager to spend our leisure time in the nature, enjoying the fresh air. It is precisely for this purpose that the towns of northwestern Istria offer gyms in the open. Umag boasts as many as three, two by the seafront promenade leading towards the marina, and one at Stella Maris. If you are staying in Novigrad, you can work out at the promenade next to the Karpinjan beach or at the Aminess Maravea Camping Resort. You can even bring your pet as there is a dog training ground there, as well as Istria's very first beach bar for dogs (and their owners, of course), where your pet can enjoy a non-alcoholic beer.