Kamenjak Cape

Cape Kamenjak, rt Kamenjak, is the southernmost tip of Istria, a long, narrow, protected cape of low karst, coves, cliffs and wild macchia, reached through the village of Premantura. It is one of the most popular nature escapes on the Istrian coast, a place to swim in clear, shallow coves and to walk a coastline that has been kept deliberately undeveloped.

The cape has been a protected area since 1996, and its karst meadows hold rare orchids, the native protected sea daffodil and, on the rock slabs at its very tip, real dinosaur footprints. A single rough track runs the length of the cape, and in summer there is an entry charge per vehicle, which keeps some of the pressure off the most popular coves.

The famous fixture is the Safari bar, a low-impact open-air bar and grill built into the pines near the tip of the cape, reachable on foot or by the small train that runs the track. Beyond it are the cliffs and the open sea, and the coves along both sides of the cape give a choice of sheltered swimming.

For photographers, the rocky coves with their clear water and the bare karst at the tip are the shots, and the dinosaur footprints are a curiosity. Take water, sun cover and reef shoes, and arrive early in peak season to claim a cove.

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