Cycling on island Rab, Croatia
Rab is a small island, but full of interesting sights and locations, a lot of them easily accessible. Cycling through island Rab is probably the best way to explore it. Spring and autumn are the best to get the most from it because you can avoid the summer crowds. But summer also has its charm, when you ride on a rocky road to the beach, and it’s really hot, it is really rewarding and refreshing, jumping to the sea directly from your bike.
There are more than 150km of different bike and hike trails on the island, you really can just drive anywhere, you don’t even need to make a plan, you can just go and explore.
Where to stay
The most popular and more crowded are the villages on the south-west, down the shore from city Rab to Barbat. More touristic, but still very beautiful, is Lopar, and my favorite, quieter, Supetarska Draga. For the beaches, I’d say Lopar is the best. If you want more a medieval city vibe, you will choose Rab city. Bringing your bike, or rent it there, it really doesn’t matter where you stay, because the whole island is very accessible. The island of Rab is 22 kilometers long, and its widest part is 10 kilometers.
We stayed in Gonar, which is a part of Supetarska Draga. Sometimes if you can’t decide where do you want to stay, just open Google maps, and search around for the most beautiful location. That’s how my boyfriend found us a very great spot for our summer vacation.
Location was perfect, very quiet, but still a short walking distance to restaurants. The best part, we could see the sea from our room, because it is so close. The owners are really nice and very helpful. You can find them here.
What to explore
Kamenjak
Kamenjak is the highest point of Rab, 408m. There is a restaurant Kamenjak, you can hike or bike to the restaurant, but it’s also accessible by car. The view is spectacular, especially at sunset.
Kalifront peninsula
One of my favorite places on the island, the Kalifront or Dundo forest, is one of the rare preserved Mediterranean holm oak forests. It is under the protection of the Department for Natural Heritage and you can’t go there by car. Only on foot or bicycle. It offers the best, mostly easy trails through the park, and a lot of beaches. In the end, you get to cape Kalifront to cool down in the clear sea.
Mag Bay
Mag Bay (Uvala Mag) is located near Mišnjak. It is easily accessible by boat but you need to put more effort to go by foot or bike. The trail starts near the ferry port, where you can park your car. It’s quite hard to drive on rocky terrain, but the beach is really nice. For the more adventurous ones, there is also a motocross trail right next to the beach.
Premužić trail
There are more Premužić trails, this one goes from Supetarska Draga to Lopar. This trail is actually not recommended for cyclists, well you definitely need a mountain bike. I’d say it probably a lot better with full suspension bike, but with a hardtail is totally doable. You might just rather walk on some parts of the trail.
This trail starts near the church of Saint Peter in Supetarska Draga and arrives in auto camp in Lopar. The trail crosses the main ridge in the middle of the island, which is the valley of the Fruga. The length of the trail is 8 km, there is no drinking water or catering facilities, so it is necessary to take the water for the tour. Part of the trail is exposed to the sun, and part goes through the woods. The end part of the track is exposed to wind bora, but it offers a really great view.
Town Rab
Rab, a capital city od island Rab is a historical monument of culture, with rich building heritage from the antique to middle age. You can visit many cathedrals, climb on the bell tower to see the view, go to harbor or visit a park. In summer there are a lot of festivals, like knight tournaments during the Medieval Summer Festival Rabska Fjera…
Just a walk through the town is very pleasing and you can admire the great old architecture.
Near the island
Island Rab is really near the continent, so you might want to visit some other nice destinations near.
The closest is Zavratnica Bay, located near Jablanica, where you can park your car, and continue by bike.
Zavratnica
You can start in Jablanica, where you can park your car, and continue walking or biking to the bay. There is an entry fee, around 20hrk, we managed to pay in euros also. But it’s good to have some change prepared.
It’s not to crowded all the time, but many boats come to the bay, so it could get too crowded from time to time.
There is a shipwreck in the water, you can see it from outside because the water is low here. Water is quite clear and it’s a good place for snorkeling.
I would definitely recommend hiking on the hill above the bay, for a really breathtaking view.
