14/06/2026
Fabulous first day in Croatia in the beautiful town of Rovinj.
I know many of my clients have been concerned about delays due to the new European Entry Scheme which I finally got to experience. The self service machines that scan your passport before taking your photo and finger prints are easy to operate, if a little bit sensitive to the way you present your passport, but I still had to go through "manual" passport control where it seems the machines hadn't recorded my photo. The queues looked awful and it felt as though we waited ages but I when I checked the time between landing and collecting the hire car from the friendly people at Sixt it had only taken around 40 minutes.
The drive from P**a took just 50 minutes, we chose a route avoiding tolls as it only addec 6 minutes to the journey. The old town in Rovinj is pedestrian only so the hotel has parking on the outskirts and ferries guests and their luggage to the hotel by golf buggy.
The Melegran is small and friendly but in a great location and beautifully appointed with a liitle var off reception. Breakfast is served in a restaurant a few meters walk away. There is no lift.
The town has a harbour with boats offering tours to neighbouring islands and the Lim Fjord and dolphin watching tours. We wandered the harbour front with its bars, restaurants and ice cream sellers, visited Saint Euphemia church (you can climb the church tower for a few Euros), took a swim from one of the rocky beaches and enjoyed browsing in the craft shops and galleries. There is a lovely relaxed atmosphere and everyone was very friendly. The food was delicious - deep fried olives stuffed with sausage meat was a first!
If you want more of a beach based holiday or a hotel with a pool you there are a number of great options on the outskirts of town.
To book your next adventure get in touch on 01643 888220 or email [email protected]
