Rovinj Croatia
You are exactly where you are suppose to be!
We arrived to Croatia (via ferry from Venice) after a slight rerouting to Poreč then a short van ride to Rovinj. Thank goodness for drinks on the ferry and meeting new friends.
STOP….Magic Ahead!!!
Not knowing really where to go, a group of us wondered the night streets of Rovinj in hopes to find our Airbnb. I thought the worse case scenario we could get help from the concierge at the hotel our new friends were staying at. Then….I came across a sign that everything was gonna be alright and Croatia was gonna be pretty awesome!!
Lovely man on the street playing my favorite, music from the movie Amelie, on electric piano at night in Rovinj Croatia.
See View Apartment Angelica Airbnb
Airbnb by day…then by night! A large music festival was going on the two nights we stayed in Rovinj. Gotta a front row seat to some REAL Croatia Music. Our airbnb was at a GREAT location and our host, Graciela, was fabulous. She helped with food recommendations and even arranged for a car to take us the 45 min drive from Rovinj to the Pula Airport for 50 euros! There was everything you would need at the apartment but not spare sheets. We would find this is a thing in this part of the world.
Introducing….The Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is the main attraction in Croatia. The clear blue waters are mesmerizing and are a prime spot to swim, kayak, or enjoy a cocktail.
Bez Glutena: GF Food & Drinks
Rovinj is a hot spot and has a lot of tourists. This makes it very gluten free friendly. Most all restaurants had gluten free specific options or could accommodate a request for gluten free food.
But making sure to ask the right questions is really important as well as knowing how to say gluten free in Croatian, even though most servers in this area speak 4 languages!! Italian, Croatian, English, and German!!
Tip: Bez Glutena means gluten free in Croatian
My Top Places We Eat/Drink:
There are a LOT of places to eat in Rovinj, choices are ENDLESS!
Bookeria is a local hot spot. They offer all meals but this was our breakfast place. The menu specifies GF and other food allergies making it super easy to navigate. GF Homemade sausage AHHHHMAZING!!! GREAT food…great service and can be really busy and well worth the wait!
Stella di Mare is a bit touristy BUT has gluten free items on the menu as well. This place has good food and drinks, good service and is on the water. It is cash only.
Sunset cocktails at Mediterraneo Bar on the Adriatic Sea edge in Rovinj.
Mediterraneo Bar has a great selection of classic cocktails at the waters edge. Go at sunset, may be a bit busy cause the sunset on the Adriatic Sea with a cocktail in hand is epic!! My whiskey sour was a little unbalanced but still was delicious. I highly recommend this place. Just look at that sunset!!! REALLY!!
The first few days in Croatia went off to a great start...full of adventure and exploring…our next stop…the countryside walled city of Motovun.
Final Tips
Language
Like I mentioned before, most Croatians speak English but it’s good to know a few phrases. Most everyone was really nice and appreciated my poor attempt at Croatian.
The language (and sometimes the people) can come off a little harsh but really aren’t. I spent a lot of time asking questions and getting to know people, most everyone really opened up and were excited to chat!
A few helpful phrases:
Dobar Dan : Good Day
Bok: Hi
Hvala: Thank you
I used an app by Nemo to learn Croatian and to help translate. It was really handy…download here
Shopping
There are so many cute little shops that carry local wine, spirits, cheeses, truffles EVERYTHING (the Croatian Peninsula is a truffle MECCA), clothing, souvenirs, works of art, olive wood items, and more. Exploring the stone streets is the best way to spend the afternoon…before hitting the beach!
Money
Most all places take credit or debit cards but there are a few places that are cash only, accepting either both Euro & Kuna (Croatian currency). It’s smart to have Kuna on hand while in Croatia.
I used the yellow ATM Bankomat and had no problems. Fast & easy way to grab Kuna. These ATMs were all over the islands as well.
NO AMEX ACCEPTED ANYWHERE IN CROATIA…they raised the fees in Europe so NO ONE accepts this card…will prove to be a pain when we picked up car rental but that’s for later blog.
More info about Croatian currency HERE
Cell Phone Service
T-Mobile SIM cards can be purchased at any Tisak (newsstand) or there is a T-Mobile shop in Rovinj but the Tisak works great. It’s about $10 for 1 week worth of data.
I don’t own my new phone so I couldn’t get a SIM card. Since I have Sprint (owned by T-Mobile) I braved it and used my phone. Emily, my travel companion, got a SIM card and it worked great but she couldn’t make phone calls in Croatia.
All our airbnbs had wifi as well as a lot of public places in Croatia. Connecting to wifi made it super easy to access my phone & maps without using any data.
I made a bunch of phone calls and was charged $.10 a min but had unlimited international texting and data…which Sprint told me before my trip I didn’t have this on my plan but ended up I did? So I was only charge $18 for the calls I made, that’s it.