Road Bike & Boat: Kvarner Bay

Would you like to indulge your passion for road biking with like-minded people, discover a beautiful piece of Croatia and treat yourself to the luxury of hopping from island to island by boat? Do you want to get fit for the start of the season? Would you like to improve your riding technique under the guidance of professionals? Then this road bike training camp through the north of Croatia is perfect for you! Experience the charm of the Kvarner archipelago with your ship as your floating home and your bike to keep you active. A dream-like, diverse island world awaits you; protected by the mighty Velebit Mountains in the East and the Istrian peninsular in the North West. Train during the day and enjoy the peace of the idyllic harbours in the evening. Start on Friday!

TOUR PROFILE: The cycling routes require distinctive basic condition and riding technique, which you should have acquired by steady road bike cycling. The routes can reach an altitude of 200 to 500 meters. The daily routes, of 30 – 120 km, cover hilly and mountainous terrain and can be completed without time constraints. You will also come across some longer and rather intense and steep climbs.

Individual arrival in Omišalj on the island of Krk. Check in on the ship from 1 pm. The boat will leave the harbour at 3 pm and take us to Porozina, the ferry port on the island of Cres. From here we will start our first cycling tour which will lead us through the idyllic, mountain village, Predošcica and then on to the city of Cres. In the evening, your guide will lead a walking tour through the old Venetian style town.

Today’s tour will take us from Cres City to Lubenice and then later on to Osor. This small artist town has been inhabited since Roman times and is connected to the island of Lošinj by a swing bridge. Here you can find out where the Croatia currency got its name. Next, we will cycle on to the picturesque port of Veli Lošinj; a small harbour with numerous fishing boats and the mighty Church of St. Anton. Here there will be enough time for an ice cream and a coffee before we continue on to Mali Lošinj.

The herb island Dugi Otok is one of the highlights of this trip. We will cross the entire island on a fantastic, almost car-free road. Incredible views of the island landscape as well as the deep, blue surrounding sea will not cease to amaze you. We will start today’s tour in Božava and make a very worthwhile detour to the lighthouse of Veli Rat on the northern most point of the island. We will finish the day’s ride in the village of Sali, at the southernmost point of the island. In the afternoon, there will be a further, optional tour to the Telašćica nature park.

Today we will begin our tour from a lonely jetty on the island of Murter heading first towards Šibenik and then on to Skradin. Later, the tour will take us around Vrana Lake, Croatia’s largest fresh water reservoir, and on to Biograd. Here, our ship will pick us up and in the afternoon we will sail on towards Zadar, a city rich in both culture and historical heritage. In the evening, our guide will offer a tour through the interesting old town of Zadar with its world-famous sea organ and “Greeting to the Sun”.

From Zadar our cycle tour will take us to Nin, whose history dates back to the Roman times. The old town, situated on an island, is home to the smallest cathedral in the world, the Church of the Holy Cross, built around 800 AD. Our tour will then lead us on to the island of Pag, famous for its excellent cheese and saltpans. Already in the Roman times, salt was extracted here. Over the centuries, the people who lived here built numerous stone walls to protect them from the wind throughout the rugged yet charming landscape. The ship will pick us up in Lun and we will sail to the island of Rab, whose four famous bell towers characterize the image of this beautiful city.

The island of Rab is one of the sunniest places in Europe. Today we will first take a relaxed tour to the town of Lopar which lies in the north of the island. Here, the ship will await us so that we can continue on to the historical town of Krk, the capital of the island of the same name. Here we can unwind. In the afternoon, we will have time to relax after the efforts of the previous days and recharge your batteries for tomorrow’s final tour. In the evening, we are welcome to accompany our guide on a tour through the captivating old town with the impressive Frankopan Castle and the cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

From Krk we will first cycle to Stara Baška and then across the island to Vrbnik; an old pirates nest perched on a clifftop overlooking the sea. While here, make sure not to miss the second narrowest street in the world! Our journey will then continue through the interior of the island before we finally head back to the sea to Klimno, where the nearby Bay of Soline is the perfect spot for a healthy mud bath. Our last destination for the day will be the harbour of Omišalj. Here we will end our eventful journey with a final meal on board followed by an evening with crew, guests and tour guides.

Disembarkment until 9 am and individual departure or extended stay in Croatia.

• 8- day trip on a motorized yacht with crew
• 7 nights in a twin cabin below deck with shower/toilet
• 7x half board
• Guided road bike tours as described in the itinerary
• bed linen and towels
• Overview maps for the daily cycling tours
• German- and English speaking tour guide
• flat rate for visitor's tax

• Rental bike (Road bike Cube or Orbea) - € 120,-
• E- Road Bike (Orbea) - € 180,-
• GPS- data for free
• Beverages on board (list), payable to the captain
  
• Transfer from Airport Rijeka to Omisalj or back - € 15,- per person/way
  
• collective Transfer from Airport Zagreb to Omisalj or back - € 60 per person/way and € 60,- per bike/way.
  Departure Airport Zagreb 12:15; Departure Omisalj 08:00

Comfort Ship LINDA (all cabins with shower/toilet)

At 31 x 6 m, the Linda is a sleek wooden motor yacht rebuilt in 2006. There are 14 cosy guest cabins each with a private shower and WC. The spacious and tastefully furnished salon with its wooden tables and upholstered benches provides a welcoming atmosphere. The large sundeck and the two shaded decks at the stern have sun mats and comfortable lounge chairs at the guests’ disposal; the perfect place to unwind during the cruise.

Catering:

The on-board chef is a member of the crew and prepares the breakfast and the dinner. Catering starts with the dinner on the arrival day and ends with the breakfast on the departure day. One meal a day is taken ashore and is not included in the tour price.

14 persons per date

Arrival possible on 14.04.2023