Fazana – a pearl in Istria

Croatia is a favorite holiday destination for many Norwegians, even though it doesn’t make the top 5 list of countries where we spend our summer vacations. It’s almost hard to believe we don’t flock to this land of turquoise seas, a long coastline, historic cities, and delicious seafood inspired by Italy, a favorite cuisine among Norwegians.

We went to Fazana on a familiy vacation with 3 generations. We rented a house in the small fising town, about a half-hour north of Pula. Perfect for us, since we get direct flights with Norwegian from Oslo to Pula, at least during the summer.

Finding a vacation home that meets all our criteria isn’t easy: enough bedrooms and bathrooms, a pool, close to both the beach and a town with restaurants, and easily accessible by flight. We felt we hit the jackpot with Novasol, as both Fazana and the house were just a 5-minute walk from the town and beach.

Charming town

I was a bit unsure about the town itself since I didn’t find many pictures of it online. There was plenty of information about the sea, the ocean, and the national park on the islands nearby, but not much about the town itself.

We were very pleasantly surprised on the first evening when we strolled down for dinner. It was incredibly charming! We looked at each other, smiling with pure joy and surprise at discovering this hidden gem we knew nothing about.

The town has just over 3,500 inhabitants, but the number probably doubles in the summer. It’s truly a vacation destination, especially popular among Germans. We heard a lot of German, and many restaurants had menus in German. We were constantly spoken to in German, but we managed not to get too annoyed by it.

The town is right by the water, with the beach continuing on both sides, north and south. Restaurants line the waterfront, adorned with flowers, colorful chairs, and a charming, relaxed atmosphere.

Many restaurants offer similar dishes, not all of them culinary highlights, but there were plenty of pasta and risotto dishes that the whole family enjoyed.

Pool and beach

During the day, we often relaxed by the pool and split up for lunch. Some of us enjoy going out for lunch. On arrival day, we asked our chauffeur who picked us up from the airport to take us to the supermarket. We stocked up on heavy items we thought we’d need for the week. Later, we found another supermarket just a 10-minute walk from the house for restocking. There was also a greengrocer, a bakery, and a small fish market on the way back from town.

Coming from sandy beaches and fancy beach restaurants in France, we weren’t entirely comfortable with the rocky beach. We had to buy sandals and shoes to get into the water. But the color of the water is extraordinary. I could sit and gaze at the sea-green ocean, lost in reverie. It rivals the waters of Cancun, Mexico.

There were no toilets in the small beach bar, but public toilets were nearby. Since the beach is 200 meters from town, it was easy to have lunch at a restaurant, use the facilities, and stay hydrated.

Favorite restaurants

It was wonderful to be so close to both the beach and town. We strolled back and forth in the evenings for dinner or shopped for groceries to grill at home in the garden. I was charmed by the town, and we tried many of the restaurants. Our favorites included the cozy backyard of La Bodega, which also had delicious food, possibly the best I had during the entire stay.

Our celebratory dinner for my parents’ 55th wedding anniversary was by the water. It had a fancier atmosphere with white tablecloths and impeccably dressed waiters. Sapore di Mare is right on the town square and along the beach promenade.

You can’t get more central than that, yet we didn’t feel like we were on display, even as the whole town strolled by to enjoy the evening. The fresh seafood and family-friendly dishes were delightful.

As we dined, the sun set, and we enjoyed the moment with many others who gathered on the pier to watch the sunset.

Boat trip

Besides lounging by the pool and beach, we booked a boat trip to see some of the fantastic islands just off Fazana. Brijuni National Park can be visited by boat, where you can rent bikes and cycle around. There’s also a safari park with rumors of dinosaur sightings and ruins for history enthusiasts.

We opted for our own tour, taking a boat ride around the islands before ending up at a cave and some cliffs where we jumped into the sea from the boat and swam around. Very popular with the youngsters.

Some of the bravest climbed the cliffs and jumped in again, while the rest of us enjoyed some cautious swimming and snorkeling.

The boat was comfortable for the trip, though not perfect for swimming. We struggled a bit to get back on board, but we managed. Overall, it was great to book the boat trip through Seatours Istria and Elen Taxi Boat.

After our swim, we landed at Beach Bar Otok on the island of Sveti Jerolim. It had a nice lunch restaurant where we ate, swam, and admired the peacocks before being picked up in the afternoon.

Spontaneity is possible

We planned this in advance since we were a group of nine, but it’s easy to arrange spontaneously. Many boat companies line the beach promenade every day and evening, offering day trips to the islands or sunset cruises to spot dolphins.

We also took a half-day trip to beautiful Rovinj, but that’s a story for another post.

Overall, we were incredibly pleased with the house we rented from Novasol, both its location and the town of Fazana. It was perfect for a week-long family vacation. We will definitely return to Croatia.

If you know Croatia well, feel free to share tips on other hidden gems I should visit. You can leave a comment, follow me on Instagram at catrines.reiser, on Facebook, or email me at catrine[@]catrinesreiser.no.