Enjoying Rovinj from all Angles, the Pearl of Istria

Walk around the old town of Rovinj. Rovinj might remind you of Venice and it is normal as it used to belong to Venice so it was kind of built the same way. It is very nice to walk around the paved streets with colorful house, you can stop on the main square or along the port to have coffee. Walk up the street Grisia which has a lot of houses with windows and balconies with different architectural styles mixed like Renaissance, gothic, neoclassical, baroque. And there are a lot of nice shops with crafts and souvenirs. This street goes up to the church Santa Eufemia.

The church Santa Eufemia is dominating Rovinj on the highest point of the peninsula and is visible from everywhere. It was built between 1725 and 1736 and it is the biggest baroque style church of Istria. The belltower is 61 meters high and was inspired by the campanile of San Marco church in Venice. At the top, there is a statue of Saint Eufemia the Saint Patron of the city.
You can visit inside the church and you will see the sarcophagus where rests the patron saint behind the altar. The ceiling has very nice paintings. And you should definitely go up the clocktower for an amazing panorama of Rovinj and its surroundings.

In the old town along the port, have lunch at Da Piero for good food with a very nice view of the sea. The delicious specialty here is the special fish plate with seafood including mussels, shrimps, squids and gratinated scallops. The local white wine is always a good choice.
Open hours Monday - Sunday 10:00 - 23:00. You can book a table on their website.

Here you can take a small boat to visit the bay of Rovinj but also and especially the islands across. It is kind of on demand. You can usually get a panorama little tour. Then you can be dropped at red island where you can stay as long as you want and the boat will come back to pick you up whenever you want. Red island is a nice place to walk around and to have a swim with nice beaches. You can also navigate around or be dropped on Katarina island which is much smaller but also a beautiful place for a stroll and a swim. I recommend to do everything if you have time as both places are worth visiting. And of course you can spend the whole afternoon there.

This is simply the best ice cream place in Rovinj, I went there several times and they make home made ice cream in the Italian style. I have talked to lots of people that tried other places but they always end up coming back here as they didn't find better. They even have vegan lactose free dark chocolate ice cream for those who are intolerant.

Mulini Beach is the most popular beach in Rovinj. It has several options like organized beaches with sunbeds, bar service, etc. But you can also just put your towel and there are lots of stairs to get into the sea. The sea is very clear and transparent and warm in the summer. But be careful, it is rocky and there are some urchins so better to swim than walk from the stairs.

Rovinj Excursions organize lots of excursions but one of the most popular ones is definitely the sunset dolphin cruise. This excursion is a nice one and it is on offer every night in Summer. The chances are pretty high to see dolphins, they are seen almost every night from far or close to the boat. I saw myself several of them and it is always a beautiful thing to see them jumping at sunset time. Drinks and snacks are included with soft drinks and wine. The local wine is pretty good in Istria even the cheap one.
Check the time of the excursion according to the sunset with them directly at the pier or on the website.

For a change of Istrian seafood, you should go to this Mexican restaurant. It has not only great Mexican food but also great atmosphere. And on some nights, there is music and even some dancing. And of course, it is a great place to enjoy a margarita in the evening. There is also a Cuban bar called Havana Rovinj right next to it if you just want a cocktail after dinner.
Closed on Monday.

Go back to your hotel to have some rest as tomorrow you will explore more of the Istrian coast before going back to Pula.