Island Hopping in Istria: A Local's Guide to Hidden Coastal Gems

Ask most visitors to Croatia about island hopping and they will think of Dalmatia, Hvar, Brač, Korčula, island after island strung out in a line down the coast. Istria does not usually get a mention. Which is a shame, because the Istrian coast hides its own small archipelagos: clusters of uninhabited or almost-uninhabited islands tucked just offshore, with empty beaches, crystal water, and a fraction of the crowds you get down south.

There is no ferry to get between them, and most cannot be reached on foot. That is part of the appeal, you need a boat, which automatically filters out the bulk of the tourist crowd. A single day of island hopping from Poreč, Vrsar or Rovinj feels genuinely wild, and costs less than you would expect.

The Vrsar Archipelago: 18 Uninhabited Islands

The big one, and the one most worth your time. Just off the town of Vrsar lies a cluster of eighteen small islands scattered across a sheltered bay. They are uninhabited, no hotels, no restaurants, no infrastructure of any kind, which means beaches that feel like they belong to you for the afternoon.

Some of the islands are bare rocky outcrops only big enough for a couple of kayaks to beach. Others are larger, covered in pine forest and wild Mediterranean herbs, with small pebble or sand beaches tucked into their southern sides. The water between them is the colour of a swimming pool, shallow, warm, and so clear you can see the seabed from twenty feet up.

This is the best area in Istria for island hopping if your priority is nature over sightseeing. You can reach the archipelago by organised boat tour, by the guided Sea Kayaking Vrsar Archipelago tour, or on a private boat charter from Vrsar or nearby Funtana. Most tours include multiple swim stops and a chance to picnic on one of the beaches. It pairs beautifully with our sea kayaking in Istria guide if you want the active version.

Red Island (Crveni Otok), Rovinj

Red Island is actually two islands, Sveti Andrija and Maškin, connected by a narrow causeway. It sits about fifteen minutes by boat from Rovinj harbour, and the regular tourist ferries make the crossing roughly every hour in summer.

Unlike the Vrsar archipelago, Red Island has infrastructure. There is a hotel, a couple of beach bars, restaurants, and organised sunbed areas, but also plenty of wilder coastline if you walk ten minutes from the main beach. The water is stunning, with mixed rocky and pebble beaches and swimming spots on all sides of the island.

It is the easiest island hop in Istria: you can literally catch a boat in Rovinj, spend the day on the island, and be back for dinner. For a more active way to reach the same archipelago, the Rovinj Sunset Sea Kayaking tour paddles right past Red Island and St. Catherine on its evening route.

St. Catherine's Island (Sveta Katarina), Rovinj

Just a few hundred metres off Rovinj harbour, St. Catherine is a tiny forested island that feels a world away from the busy old town. Shuttle boats run back and forth throughout the day for a couple of euros, making it one of the cheapest and easiest island day trips in Istria.

The island has a small hotel, a single restaurant, and walking paths that loop around the shoreline. The views back towards Rovinj from the western side are some of the most photographed in Croatia, colourful stacked houses, church tower, boats bobbing in between. Bring a book, a towel, and let the afternoon go by.

The Poreč Islets

Off the Poreč coast there is a handful of smaller islets, Sv. Nikola being the most notable, sitting directly in front of the old town, that are great for a quick half-day trip. Sv. Nikola has a hotel, some beach bars, and well-organised swimming areas. A shuttle boat runs from the main town pier every twenty minutes in summer.

The smaller rocky islets further along the coast are harder to reach and best visited on the Private Boat Tour with Mikela or the Poreč Sunset Sea Kayaking tour. These are the ones you will have completely to yourself.

How to Hop Between Them

Organised group tour. The cheapest option. Large catamarans run full-day island-hopping loops from Poreč, Vrsar and Rovinj, typically visiting three or four islands in a day with swim stops at each. Expect €40–€70 per person with lunch often included. Great value but less flexibility.

Guided kayak tour. The active, eco-friendly way to island hop. Guided tours typically cover three or four islands in the Vrsar archipelago in a half-day, with regular swim stops. Small groups, beginner-friendly, €45–€60 per person. You also reach islands and beaches the bigger boats cannot approach.

Private boat charter. Maximum flexibility. Your skipper, your route. Perfect for couples or small groups who want to choose their own stops, swim as long as they want, and avoid the crowds at the standard tour beaches. €400–€800 for a half-day depending on the boat.

Public shuttle boats. The easiest for inhabited islands (Red Island, St. Catherine, Sv. Nikola). Cheap (€5–€15 return), frequent in summer, and no booking required, just turn up at the right pier.

Practical Tips

Bring water shoes. Almost every island beach in Istria is either pebble or rock, and they get hot in the sun. Reef-safe sunscreen is a must, these are protected ecosystems and the regular stuff damages marine life. A dry bag for phone and wallet if you are kayaking. A towel that dries fast and does not take up half the boat.

Pack a picnic lunch if you are going to the uninhabited islands, there are no restaurants, no cafes, nothing. On the inhabited islands (Red Island, St. Catherine, Sv. Nikola) you can eat on site, but prices are higher than the mainland and the quality varies.

When to Go

Island hopping season runs from May through mid-October. June, July, August and September are all excellent, warm sea, settled weather, long days. May and October are more variable but can still deliver beautiful days, just pack a light layer for the boat ride back.

Book one of the best island-hopping experiences on Ventoro: the Sea Kayaking Vrsar Archipelago tour, the Rovinj Sunset Sea Kayaking tour, or the Private Boat Tour with Mikela. Pick the one that matches how you want to spend the day.