There are a lot of great cycling paths in Croatia, with beautiful coast lines and in national parks. If you want to avoid the masses of tourists and especially cars during season, I want to make a few recommendations for cycling routes with a lot of nature and beautiful views, off beaten tracks.
NORTH CROATIA: “PARENZANA” BIKE TRAIL IN ISTRA
By far, the most popular cycling destination is Istria. The kilometres upon kilometres of gently rolling hills and rural roads make cycling a delight. Because cycling is so well organized in Istria, it’s the easiest destination to arrange a self-guided trip. There are about 60 marked mountain bike trails, almost 2600 km worth, but not all of them are plotted on the Istria tourist board maps. So far, you can follow maps of 1500km of marked circular trails, about 70% of which pass through unpaved country roads or forest paths. Choose between cycling to Istria’s medieval hilltop towns or it’s charming coastal cities.
For more information on cycling in Istria, see www.istra-bike.com
NORTH CROATIA: “GORSKI KOTAR” NATIONAL PARK
Gorski Kotar is a green oasis in the heart of the Kvarner Region of Croatia. It’s a landscape which is blanketed with forests, sunny meadows, rolling hills, steep mountains, and crystal clear lakes, streams, and rivers. This region is a great example of how man and nature can coexist. The Cycling Trail of Gorski Kotar is a new cycling trail linking up the natural, historic, cultural and culinary attraction in towns and municipalities of this delightful mountainous region. The trail meanders along the old and little used forest tracks and paths and will be to the taste of those who seek virgin nature and can tackle rather demanding terrain… There is a detailed page on bike trails and tours in Gorski Kotar, find out more here…
SOUTH CROATIA: DALMATIA
Split-Dalmatia County has 3000 km of marked trails across the entire region. Choose from cycling routes on the islands like Brač, Hvar, Vis, and Šolta or the mainland from Split, Zagora, Omiš or Makarska Riviera.