Every year, we look forward to spending our holidays in Croatia, exploring different islands.
Last year, we visited Ugljan; this year we randomly picked Rab. We like the slow island life, so we chose a location in northern Croatia to shorten our travel time.
To get to Rab, you need to take a car ferry from Stinica, operated by Rapska Plovidba. This company primarily operates around Rab Island, taking you from Stinica to Mišnjak.
Supetarska Draga - Kampor
Supetarska Draga is a small town where we stayed at our Airbnb. It's a quiet, local town away from mass tourism. The bay is partially covered by Saline, a great spot for bird watching. However, the closest shop was a few kilometres away by car, and the nearest beaches were abound 2 kilometres from our apartment. Our apartment was located on the hill, so great for a bit of a workout! Running was especially fun ☺︎
One spontaneous hike took us from Supetarska Draga to Kampor via a forest trail near Vršanov vrh. After reaching Kampor, we walked along the seaside back to Supetarska Draga, a 10-kilometer hike that took nearly 4 hours. The May sun was already quite strong in the mornings.
We made several stops along the way. Uvala Mali Mel which is a small bay with a view of the Boljkovac rock formation. Gonar's beach, with the nearby Gonar restaurant, is perfect for a sunset dinner.
Another adventurous path led us down to a secluded beach overlooking Maman Island. I wouldn't do it twice 😅 It was a steep and rough terrain which could have easily been a disaster if one of us slipped. Also the grass was very tall which was scary, given how many snakes we managed to see in our first day! In the end, I wouldn't probably recommend this route if you are not well fit.
From here, there was no route leading to Supetarska Draga - we had an option to either go back the same way (we looked at each other with horror) or to try walking along the seaside. We chose the second option which worked quite well, it was challenging but manageable, involving some climbing and holding onto rocks.
This hike definitely showed us the raw and untouched beauty of Rab!
Rab, the Old Town
In the evenings, we often visited Rab town. As vegans, we found plenty of dining options. We highly recommend Capo Fronte, a hidden gem with delicious and fresh dishes. It is a quiet restaurant, the staff were very nice and we ended up taking some additional dishes with us, just to try out and support them.
We also visited Banova Villa Beach Bar, where we enjoyed a vegan Pina Colada along with tasty meals, including a hamburger, tortilla and salad.
Lopar
I was eager to visit Lopar, especially the San Marino beach with its view of Velebit National Park.
The beach was indeed nice and not too crowded, but it somehow felt overly touristy. Even when coming to Lopar, all we saw were apartments, hotels or beach bars. We only spent an hour there when we decided to leave.
Before leaving, we discovered a delicious vegan burger at the San Marino Camping Resort Restaurant.
On our last day, we visited Lopar again and discovered Sahara Beach, a secluded spot reached after a 20-minute walk. Compared to San Marino beach, it's perfect for a remote getaway with no restaurants or bars.
On the way back from Lopar, we stopped at the Panoramablick viewpoint.
Kampor
A beautiful sunset spot west of Kampor is Uvala Veli žal, where the colours during golden hour are stunning.
Kalifront
Kalifront, a peninsula west of Kampor, is the greener part of the island of Rab covered with old oak trees. To explore this part of the island, you can either do so by foot or by renting a bike.
We rented bikes and explored the peninsula from Rab all the way to Pošta Beach and Sv. Mara Beach, a six-hour journey filled with scenic trails. We managed to get lost multiple times, so definitely stick to the marked routes as the trails can be challenging and poorly marked.
Our Sweet Zadar
Whenever we can, we visit Zadar. Though Rab is not by any chance close to Zadar, we made the three-hour drive to meet our family there. Zadar is one of my favourite places, as I studied there for a semester.
On our way back, we made a short stop in Nin. The whole day we laughed why Waze was pointing us to drive through Pag, which is an island. To get to an island, you should drive through another island.
It's weird, isn't it??
Actually, it is very easy to miss that you are on an island. Once we realized, we were already half way through Pag and laughing at ourselves that we are travelling to an island through a different one. It was a funny roadtrip, involving two ferries, long waits, and some ukulele singing in the car.
Final Words
I often say that I will be happy to be back. I am not sure I can say the same about Rab. Maybe because it was weirdly too touristy and too remote at the same time. And that there were fewer hiking trails than I prefer.
But I'm glad I visited.
Love,
bye bye ♡
