Your trip
Two dreams in one package
- Your ship, MS ANTONELLA, will take you from port to port.
- By bike you will climb the panoramic heights of the Istrian islands in the north of Croatia.
You will not forget this trip so quickly:
- You can enjoy the cycling tours as ‘classic cycling tours’ on country roads and country lanes.
- But you can also look forward to exciting sporty, steep mountain bike trails.
And the best: You can combine everything spontaneously and flexibly as you wish – and let yourself be spoiled by the Croatian hospitality on the ship and the many beautiful ports.
The nice and experienced crew knows how to guide you into each day with stories and tips. A local tour guide accompanies you with fun and good tips on bathing bays, excursion destinations and cycle routes.
Your ship is the MS Antonella. Please also take a look at the tour 231,“Istrian Islands of Croatia“, which has the same route. It offers other dates on a very similar ship, MS Kalipsa.
Day by day
Arrival, stopover in Carinthia
Wherever you come from and however you arrive – take your time!
You travel by car?
Drive one or even two days. Take a break in Carinthia, at the Wörthersee, climb the Krn in Slovenia’s Triglavski National Park, visit Ljubjana or the enchanting lake world of Plitvica Jesera.
We are happy to help you with tips.
Arrival to Opatija
Please look to be on site by approximately 11:00 am. Park as indicated in the travel documents. Please reserve a pitch when booking.
Do you have a little more time? Treat yourself to breakfast in the Mediterranean harbor of the old Habsburg spa town on the Adriatic Sea.
Hire
Embarkation as described in the travel documents. Please be at the quay on time.
At 13:00 the ship departs, course: south-southeast, towards the island of Krk.
Once you arrive in Malinska on Krk, get on your bike at your leisure for a first short tour of the island. Suggested tour: approx. 18 km.
Round tour of the island of Krk, ~ 50 km
We start and end the tour in the port of Krsk, capital and namesake of the island. We quickly leave the city and drive up the hills towards Lakmartin, pass the only inland lake on the island, Jezero Ponikve, and approach the mountain town of Kars, situated in the karstic rocks. We cycle through rustic chestnut and fig forests and enjoy again and again the wonderful view of the island and the sea.
From Kars we turn southeast towards the east coast and cycle on to our second stopover, the east coast town of Vrbnik. We pass the abandoned ‘ghost town’ Dovolo and admire again and again the fantastic view of the island, the sea and the Slovenian-Croatian mountainous region of Gorski Kotar.
From Vrbnik the way goes once more over the island heights to the west coast via Punat around the Punat bay with the small monastery island Kosljun to the island capital and old seafaring town Krk.
Depending on the route, you will ride another quite strenuous climb and finally take a downhill trail that plunges wildly and steeply down into the valley – or you can shorten the route via little-traveled island paths over the island ridge. The destination is the port of Krk.
The proposed tour is a quite demanding mountain bike day tour with some steep downhill sections at the end. It is just under 50 km long and takes you up almost 1,000 meters in altitude and steeply back down to Krk. You can shorten the tour at will and make it easier. For a suggested route, visit: https://www.komoot.de/tour/932381269.
Island of Rab – from Lopar to Rab, ~ 25 to ~ 40 km
Today we are heading south by boat and by bike. The boat will take you to the port of Lopar. By bike you will follow the sun rising in the south in a relaxed way and cycle through stony forest and field paths along the coast over the northern ridge of the island to the capital of the same name, Rab. There in the port the ship is waiting for you with lunch. 
In the afternoon, take a look around the picturesque old town of Rab with its four bell towers, the harbor and the former monastery of St. Justine.
Alternatively, get on your bike again and follow our tour suggestion through the nature reserve of the west coast with its beautiful bays, olive and fig forests. You will pass the North Cape and the Kalifront lighthouse and follow the west coast line back to Rab from one bathing bay to the next. Wonderful.
You can also shorten or change the tours on this day almost at will. You can find a suggestion on komoot. However, you can also get detailed information on board.
Island of Pag – South is the sense, ~ 40 km
From Rab, the boat will take you to the northern tip of the island of Pag, to the port of Tovarnele.
The long northern arm of the island leaves you little opportunity to get lost. And so you cycle along the famous olive gardens of Lun always straight towards the port town of Novalja.
Allow yourself a detour or two from the highway to the west or east coast. You will find beautiful and often downright deserted beaches and small village harbors.
From Novalja it is not far to the destination Mandre. You just follow the coast and reach your southernmost point today.
Like all other tours, this one can be varied spontaneously according to your mood. You can find a suggestion of just under 40 km and 450 meters of altitude on komoot.
The ship will then take you to the “flower island” Ilovik.
The two-island day: Ilovik and Lošinj, ~30 km
We start in the port of Mali Losinj and cycle through the largely natural south of the island with a view of the flower island Ilovik via Veli Losinj back to the ship in Mali Losinj.
You can ride this beautiful southern trail across the island as a mountain bike trail or as a country road bike ride. You can find a suggestion on komoot. Information is of course, as always, also available on board.
The second two-island day – Lošinj and Cres, ~ 45 km
Today the way back north leads along the beautiful panoramic route in slightly hilly terrain along the west coast of the islands of Lošinj and Cres .
Due to the narrowness of the islands, you can vary little – but photograph and enjoy all the more. A beautiful day awaits you on the way from the port of Mali Lošinj via Osor to the picturesque fishing village of Martinšćica.
There the boat is waiting to continue to Mošćenička Draga.
You can find a suggested route on komoot.
Istria and Opatija, ~ 20 km
A last longing look at the Adriatic Sea. Finally, we recommend a nice round trip along the cliffs with a view of the islands. As always, you can find a tour suggestion on komoot.
Individual journey home
Disembarkation around 9:00 am.
Stay one more day or head for home. We wish you a good trip – enjoy the long drive and treat yourself to a break in Slovenia or Austria.
Services
contain
- 1 x overnight stay with half board on the outward journey in Carinthia / Austria (Spittal or Villach)
- 7 x overnight stay with half board on the ship
- 2 x towels per person, changed once during the week
- unlimited drinking water on board from the water dispenser (refill possibility)
- German speaking tour guide, information package and tour map
- Service telephone
not included
- Parking at the start & finish Opatija. Please indicate when booking if you want to reserve a pitch for about 75 € / week.
- Spa and port taxes, payable in cash on the spot. Please calculate with approx. € 60,- per person and week.
- Entrance fee to the national park, payable in cash on site. Please calculate with approx. € 15,- per person and week.
- Bike service fee for the crew, payable in cash on site. Please calculate with approx. € 10,- per person and week.
- Cabin cleaning: Please calculate about 15 € / week and cabin, payable directly to the crew on site.
- saddlebag if necessary, payable in cash on the spot. Please calculate with approx. € 15,-.
Country information
Entry Croatia
EU citizens and Swiss citizens (who do not have any special circumstances, e.g. dual citizenship, primary residence abroad or provisionally issued travel documents) require a valid identity card or passport for entry into Croatia, which must be valid for at least the next three months after the end of the journey. must be valid for 6 months. If you have another citizenship or more than one citizenship, or if you have special legal requirements, please contact us before booking your trip.
Information in connection with COVID 19: Due to the current situation, please inform yourself about the current travel advice and hygiene rules for Croatia from the German Foreign Office before you travel: Current travel advice and hygiene rules.
Here you will find current information from the German Foreign Office on Croatia (www.auswaertiges-amt.de):
Questions
MS ANTONELA is a classic motor sailer. It was built in 2007. She is 33 m long, about 7 m wide and has 4 decks. The on-board language is mostly German.
The ship has 18 cabins. All cabins are outside, the upper deck cabins are above the waterline.
The cabins are narrow with just under 9 square meters and functionally equipped with bunk beds. There is little storage space for luggage. Therefore, you travel better with a bag or duffel bag than with suitcases.
Quite simply, you have the choice!
The islands offer great mountain bike trails over the most beautiful dirt and forest roads with some steep, exposed, karstic rocky areas. If you want to do some real mountain biking, this is the place to be – and always in front of stunningly beautiful scenery. If it gets too bad once in a while – just descend and enjoy the slowness and tranquility of a foot descent to the sea.
If you want ‘civilized’ cycling, then you are just as right here in this great island world.
The cycling tours on the islands are mainly on paved country roads through the hilly landscape with from port to port. To a small extent (< 10 %), you will be traveling on stony terrain or gravel paths.
The bike routes are suitable for families and children only to a limited extent, as the routes often run along public roads.
The total length of the proposed routes in the week is about 250 km. The climbs are mostly pleasant and easy to cycle, but some can be longer or steeper. All in all: have a good trip!
Helmet duty! You are on the road with your mountain bike – mostly on good trails. But you can also take trails in rough terrain and with steep descents. A helmet goes without saying here. In Croatia, children and young people up to the age of 16 are required to wear a helmet. For adults, wearing a bicycle helmet is not mandatory, but recommended. If you book a rental bike, you will receive a helmet at no extra charge.
Bicycles! Rental bikes are included in the price of this trip. You get a mountain touring trekking bike ladies or men with 24 speeds, designed for roads as for rough terrain. E-bikes are available on request in limited numbers.
Yes, in principle this is possible. It’s getting tight. Please ask at the time of booking. We investigate the possibility in each individual case.
Yes! If you come directly to the port of departure in Opatija without an overnight stay in Carinthia (AT), we will credit you an amount of € 40,- per person in a double room and € 65,- in a single room. Please indicate this when booking. Discount for a third person in double cabin with 2 full payers on request.
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