The beginning of summer, the start of the holidays and a birthday celebration were the reasons we went off to Istria for a few days. Istria was not a random choice, as we had wanted to visit Brijuni for some time. This group of fourteen small islands off the western coast of Istria is probably best known for the residence of former Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito. We were delighted to discover that Brijuni is actually a little paradise on earth just across the border, which has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by the Temple of Jupiter, and their predecessors, the Illyrians, who are said to have named the peninsula - Istria.
We parked in Fažana, went for a walk around the town, had a cup of coffee and boarded a ferry to Brijuni at 11 am. The ferry ride lasted just over 15 minutes. After disembarking, the female guides, wearing blue T-shirts with paddles inscribed with the guiding languages, spread out on the platform. We went to the guide who was giving a tour in Croatian. We took a tourist train around the island.
We drove past the coastline, where visitors were already swimming, golf courses, a vast forest, an artificial causeway where they used to raise fish, and the strait that separates Veliki Brijun and Mali Brijun. We reached the north of Veliki Brijun, where there is a safari. At first, we were fascinated to see zebras, buffalo, llamas and an elephant named Lanka from afar. The train made a 10-minute stop so that we could see the animals for ourselves. I was most impressed by the zebras.
At the second gate, we left the safari and drove through the forest to the centre of the island, and then to the southern part of the island, where there are beautiful beaches, clear light blue water and the remains of ancient excavations with Jupiter's temple.
The train ride was followed by a walking tour of the island. We continued with the group for a while and then went off on our own exploration. Fortunately, we had our swimsuits and towels with us, so we went past the oldest olive tree in Croatia to the southern part of Veliki Brijun, where we took time to read, swim and relax.
We ordered a pizza and a beer at the only self-service restaurant we could find. We paid 13 euros for a pizza served in a box, and 5 euros for a beer in a can (which you take out of the fridge yourself). For such an island and the number of daily tourists, I would expect more restaurants, bars and cafés; above all, lower prices and better hospitality.
At 6 pm, we were delighted and full of good impressions as we took the ferry back to Fažana. Brijuni really impressed us with its nature, clean water, beautiful beaches, diverse history and interesting architecture. We explored the island on foot, but we could have rented electric bikes, scooters or mini electric cars. It's not allowed to use your own means of transportation.
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