Okay, we aren’t staying in downtown Pula all day. We will drive 15 kilometers south to a nature preserve. Our server last night told us it’s incredible, and we want to see some of the Istrian beaches before leaving tomorrow.

We start the day with a bit of playground time. There’s an awesome one across the street, sheltered by tall trees. Then we load up the car and head to Kamenjak.

Because it’s a nature preserve, you have to stop and purchase tickets to enter the narrow peninsula. This feels like a special place–somewhere you’d want to camp, if you were into that.

It’s 11:25am now, so we decide to head for food rather than get set up on a beach. We read about a place above some cliffs people dive from. It’s called Safari Bar. We follow signs, slowly (the speed limit in the park is 20kph). The parking lot is just anywhere you can find a spot on the grass or gravel. We walk toward a tall lookout and some swings. We can’t see the restaurant (if you can call it that), but we know it’s around here. As we walk down, there are paths to follow. And we slowly come upon little nooks of tables tucked under trees, some with thatched roofs. It’s incredibly magical. Definitely one of the best surprises of this trip.

We find a little table, made of marble, surrounded by wooden benches under a canopy of branches. It’s so amazing I can’t stop smiling. Then we notice there are even more things to play on, all around, just between tables here and there. The kids run off to enjoy the thing that spins around (can’t remember the name) while Stefan orders us some sandwiches and beer.

The local beer is not great. But the food is so good! And inexpensive! One sandwich has gyro meat and sauce on it, and the other has fried cheese with the same sauce. We also get a plate of sausages that the kids love. And the fruit cups are a big hit. This place is incredible, and I can’t recommend it enough. If you’re visiting the beaches down here in Istria, stop here for an imaginative retreat.

The beaches around here are not super easy for kids because they don’t offer shallow entry to the water. But the park offers some good options fro families. We get back in the car and drive 5 minutes or less to another spot. The beach is very narrow and winds around a cove that doesn’t allow boats. We find a spot between two groups of people and set down a blanket. Instead of sand, the beach is covered in stones the size of golf balls to tennis balls.

//Stefan note: pebble beaches are the best

The kids are excited to play with their beach toys, but after a few minutes they realize it’s not as much fun with stones as it is with sand. So they don their round floaties and jump in the water with Stefan. Then Oly says he wants to swim with me, so I’m in too. The water is crisp when we first get in, but then it’s incredibly comfortable. And it’s the most beautiful light blue. Once we walk past the initial rocks, the bottom is soft sand. The four of us play out there for quite some time until the kids say they’re ready to go back to shore.

We dry off and warm up in the sun. Oly snuggles in next to me and almost takes a nap.

We see a small kiosk around the cove, and we walk that way to find a snack. They don’t have a lot of options, but we get the kids a popsicle and Stefan and I share a beer (again not good).

It’s relaxing time when we get back to the apartment. We work some more. And Stefan goes for a run before the sun sets.

//Stefan Notes: thats right zach

I make a simple pasta dinner that doesn’t turn out very well, but we open a bottle of Barolo to make it nice. The kids even get to drink sparkling juice in wine glasses to feel fancy.