Rabac Bay

A steep, forested valley drops from the medieval hilltop of Labin all the way down to Rabac, where the coast opens into a scallop-shaped bay of luminously clear water and pale-pebble coves. Until the 1960s Rabac was a tiny fishing hamlet — 'the pearl of the Kvarner' as the guidebooks of the day called it — and even after decades of resort development the setting still delivers: a slim promenade curls around the whole bay, backed by pines and holm oaks, with a string of Blue Flag beaches (Girandella, Maro, Sveta Marina) that shelve gently into the sea. The water clarity here is exceptional, thanks to the karst geology and the lack of any large river outflow along this stretch of eastern Istria; snorkelling around the northern headland toward Ripenda you'll see plenty of bream, wrasse and, in late summer, the occasional shoal of small barracuda. Rent a kayak to reach the wilder unmarked coves further south, or take the very steep footpath up to Labin (about 45 minutes uphill) for a spectacular perspective back down over the bay. Evenings on the promenade have the easy, family-holiday atmosphere of an Italian riviera town — gelato, pizza al taglio, and the small evening market beside the port. Come outside July and August and you'll find prices sensible and the beaches uncrowded.