A game of other halves: Jenny Cowley finds beaches and beauty in Croatia ... while her husband shouts at the football

By Jenny Cowley

Published: 17:07 EST, 28 March 2015 | Updated: 17:11 EST, 28 March 2015

When I booked a week of relaxation on the Istrian coast of Croatia last summer, I hadn’t anticipated a beer-soaked night of drama in the world’s best-preserved Roman amphitheatre, which was as exciting as any gladiatorial combat 2,000 years ago.

We were in the Pula Arena, one of Croatia’s most famous tourist attractions, watching the live broadcast of the opening football match between Croatia and Brazil in the World Cup.

The atmosphere was electric and as Croatia scored the first goal in the opening minutes, we were showered with beer, popcorn and celebratory chanting.

Jenny Cowley booked what she thought would be a week of relaxation on the Istrian coast of Croatia

I had naively thought I was going to get away from this football orgy by booking a holiday right at the start of the tournament but as soon as my husband and son, Matt, found out that the opening match was being shown live in the arena, I realised that for Matt’s girlfriend, Laura, and me there would be no escape.

Fortunately, this area has many attractions and we found plenty of time to explore. We were staying at Villa Zephyra, a newly built house on the edge of the pretty fishing village of Liznjan on the Medulin Riviera.

A few minutes away, the resort of Medulin offered us half a mile of sandy beach and plenty of restaurants, bars and shops. The villa was secluded and the only disturbance came from the men shouting at the TV while Laura and I amused ourselves walloping wasps by the pool.

It would be unfair to say the whole week was dominated by football. Nature has been very kind to this area – many of the beaches are surrounded by pine trees under which we could snooze and hide from the midday sun while being serenaded by chirping crickets.

Jenny Cowley enjoys a dinner free of footballing frenzy with her son Matt and daughter Laura

Travelling though Istria, one could be in rural Italy. Olive groves and vineyards stretch out in every direction. Here, wine and olive oil production are part of everyday life.

Croatian olive oil is 100 per cent pure from centuries-old olive groves. Croatia’s winemaking history began in about 2,200 BC and there are now 64 indigenous grape varieties and 17,000 registered vine-growers. Award-winning Malvasia is one of the most famous of Croatian wines, and Laura and I found it very quaffable indeed.

With local produce like this piled high in supermarkets and market stalls, self-catering is an absolute joy in this region.

Jenny's party joined Boat Trip Sandra on an excursion from Medulin harbour, which has Cathedral of St Euphemia watching over it

Many of the local beaches are impossible to reach without a car and we had to drive several miles down bumpy tracks to find some – but we were always rewarded by a secluded cove, often rocky but with a warm and unpolluted crystal-clear sea which was worth the backache and damaged suspension.

We joined Boat Trip Sandra on an excursion from Medulin harbour around the archipelago and to the southernmost point – the nature park of Kamenjak and its cliffs and underwater caves. We jumped off the boat and swam into caves with breathtaking chambers filled with stalactites and stalagmites.

A fish picnic was served on the boat, and we were plied with local beer and wine before heading to the island of Ceja for more sunbathing and swimming.

There are thousands of islands, large and small, off Croatia and we discovered an absolute gem. Just 300 yards from the mainland near Liznjan, the little island of Levan boasts the only natural sandy beach in the region. The owner of the island, Slaven, treated us to a lunch of cold meats, olives and fresh bread at his bar, Dreams & Sand.

He told us that his family had owned the island since 1928. He recently gave up his job as a broker in Milan to come home to renovate a few lighthouses which he now rents out to those looking for the ultimate getaway.

Until recently cows were the only occupants on the island and they would swim across to the mainland when they felt lonely and in need of a change of scenery.

The island now hosts weddings, parties, and corporate presentations. Apparently up to 70 boats can be moored up in high summer and there are plans for a children’s water park in the shallow waters around the bay. We felt lucky to have the island to ourselves, apart from a couple of nudists and a black labrador. It was an ideal place for us to have an afternoon siesta before the island’s partying began at sunset. Matt and Laura were tempted to stay on for the evening fun but, unlike the cows, they were not sure about the late-night swim back to the mainland.

The region is best known for its Venetian-era port towns on the west coast, and the best-looking one on Istria is the fishing harbour of Rovinj. 

The Old Town is a protected monument – a warren of cobbled medieval streets lined with ice-cream-coloured houses with terracotta roofs leading up to St Euphemia, the tallest church in Istria with a elegant bell tower modelled on that of San Marco in Venice. We wandered around the lovely harbour with its open-air cafes, market stalls and restaurants. Sitting outside a pretty lantern-lit restaurant, with not a TV screen in sight, we enjoyed a delicious supper of salted cod and blitva, made with garlicky potatoes and chard. 

Pula Arena, one of Croatia’s most famous tourist attractions, goes off as Croatia play Brazil in the World Cup

In the ancient fishing village of Vrsar, we wandered around the hilltop castle and down the street named after Casanova who visited in 1743 and seduced local beauties. Stone from the local quarries was used to build several palaces along Venice’s Grand Canal.

Just five miles away from our villa was Pula, Istria’s largest city, where ancient ruins stand alongside a working port and modern- day commerce.

The amphitheatre is the greatest attraction and hosts operas, ballet and pop concerts. Of course, centuries ago, it hosted gladiators and lions tearing into each other.

Back then, each of the arena’s four towers had two cisterns filled with perfumed water to be sprinkled on the spectators.

Throughout our evening there – and despite Brazil winning 3-1 – the only thing sprinkled on us was beer. In vast quantities.

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