Cycling route Koper – Istrian villages and coast
Cycling trip guide
Distance
48.3 km
Time
4:02 h
Elevation
720 m
Difficulty
Difficult
A challenging cycling trip through the ups and downs of the Istrian villages of Korte, Parecag, Sečovlje, and Malija. Followed by a ride along the cycle road of the former narrow-gauge railway along the St. Bartholomew Channell to Lucija. The route is mostly on local roads. The trip is suitable for well-prepared cyclists due to the moderate climb at the beginning and the steep climb at the end of the trip. You can go by mountain-bike, trekking or road bike.
Cycling tour on Komoot application
he start of the Izola-Piran-Tunnel Parenzana cycle tour is in Izola from the Ladjedelnica car park. You can find several parking lots in Izola. From the car park, turn right towards the centre of Izola. Drive 500 m to the roundabout by the post office and the bank. There take exit 4 into the alley and continue straight on for 500 m along the main road. Then, in front of the Moby Dick restaurant and pizzeria, turn left and continue along Leninova Street to the main road, passing houses and blocks of flats. With your help, the cyling route Koper-Istrian villages and coast can become even more interesting. If you are logged in to the app, you can add your pictures and comments. The gpx file allows you to download the route on your navigation device. You must have WIFI or mobile data turned on.
The start of the Istrian hinterland and coast cycle route is in Koper, from the Bonifika parking lot. From the car park, turn right past the Health Centre and the Police Station, through the underpass and straight across the little bridge over the stream to the bus stop. You are on the other side of Koper in the Olmo area.
Cross the roundabout and turn left. Go 1 km to a large semaphored junction before which you turn right on the cycle path. From here, go 2 km past Hidria inustrial complex, the Mercator Hypermarket shopping centre and straight through the roundabout by the petrol station.
Continue on the pavement until the narrowed section. Here you will join a short stretch of road which, after 50 m, joins a local road. Follow the local road, which used to be the main link between Koper and the hinterland. Here you will follow the same gradient for 13 km. The section is very suitable for cyclists as the road is not busy.
After a gentle climb of just over 20 minutes, you will reach the flat part where, after 200 m, you will turn right up a 20% incline towards Gažon. After 1 km you will see a wide square in the village of Gažon. Turn left here and follow the road between the houses past the church.
From here, follow the road past the cemetery and then follow the road down to the roundabout where you cross the main road. Drive straight ahead past the Trije Lovci Inn up the hill towards the centre of Šmarje village. Follow the flat road until you reach the football pitch again some 200m further up the hill.
You will then climb past the chapel to the centre of the village, where you will see the cooperative house. From here, follow the path straight ahead to the crossroads, where you turn right towards Pučam. You will follow 5 km of flat terrain, where you will enjoy the drive under the trees. At the Puče crossroads near the Par Malna inn, turn right up a slight hill and follow the road to a fork on the left towards the villages of Nova vas and St. Peter.
You will continue along the local road past fields, olive groves and vineyards to the square in Nova vas, where you will turn left along a narrow road surrounded by houses. You will then descend to the primary school in Sv. Peter. From here it is a 1 km climb to the village. From here you continue along a flat stretch of path past the village. When you reach the end of the trail, you will go down a winding road along olive groves to the village of Dragonja, where you will be able to catch your breath.
In the village, turn right and drive straight ahead to a semaphore-controlled crossroads. Continue straight along the main path between vineyards, pear groves and green beds to the Sečovlje border crossing. Just before the border, turn right onto the local road, which will take you to Sečovlje, between fields and apple groves. Drive straight on until you see a bicycle crossing on your left under a bridge.
You will arrive at a large gravel parking area. The ruins on your left are the remains of a former lignite mine. Drive straight ahead until you see a sign on your left for a cycle road that will take you along the salt pans from Sečovlje to Seče. The road was part of the Parenzana narrow-gauge railway linking Trieste and Poreč and passes by the Sečovlje salt pans.
At the end of the road, turn right and after 100 m at the crossroads turn left, passing the former Droga Portorož industrial complex. You'll find yourself on a local road along the St.Barhtolomew Channell, which is given a special character by the boats moored on wooden piers.
After 4 km you will first see "Škver", a shipyard where wooden vessels are made. Then you will see a small mandrake, home to the Fonda fish farm. 100 m further on you will see the macadam car park of the Ribič restaurant.
You will take the cycle road, past the local beach and recreation areas to the parking area of the Ribič Inn. Here you can enjoy views of the sea, Portoroz, Piran and neighbouring Croatia.
You can ride safely through the campsite, as bicycles are allowed. At the campsite, you will ride a good 2 km to the main entrance. In your case, the exit.
After the new health centre in Lucija, you will reach the roundabout. Take the third exit towards Portorož. Drive to the first roundabout where you turn right and then left between the blocks before the overpass up a steep short hill.
You will be on the Senčna pot Street, which leads you to the tunnel of the Parenzana narrow-gauge railway that connected Trieste and Poreč. Along the way, you will have a very nice view of Portoroz and the bay in some parts.
Before you reach the tunnel, you have to go down a slight incline and immediately turn right. You will see the entrance to the Tunnel. Drive carefully through the tunnel as it is not well lit. In the summer months, it will keep you cool.
After a few minutes' drive through the tunnel, go 1 km down the road to the crossroads in front of the Strunjan campsite. Turn right here and after 200 m, at the end of a slight incline, turn left towards the main road and the roundabout in Strunjan. Before the roundabout, turn right on the local road and continue for 1 km until the next crossroads.
You have now arrived at the crossroads and choose the narrow curved asphalt road. We suggest you take care, as a cyclist or tractor could come at you from the other side quite quickly. Continue along the narrow road to the hunting observation post at the bend by the peach orchard. Continue along the winding road through the valley and up to the local road where you turn right uphill.
After 500 m of quite a steep uphill, turn right onto the cycle road, which will take you through the valley and up a slight incline to Šalet, another tunnel of the narrow-gauge railway. Enter the tunnel and head straight down to Izola.
You have reached a crossroads where you continue straight ahead to a road between vineyards. There, cross the main road in the Izola area, Livade, straight ahead along the road towards the centre of Izola. Keep going straight until you reach Dante's Street, where you turn right along the main road through an alley to the roundabout by the bank and post office, where you take the second exit, which leads to the caravan park and the coastal road to Koper.
There you turn left in the direction of Koper and continue straight ahead for 3 km along the cycle road to the first point of interest, Rex, where a boat was sunk in II World War.
From here, drive along the former Izola-Koper Coastal Road to Žusterna, where you can enjoy views of the sea, neighbouring Italy and, if the weather is nice, the Alps.
In Žusterna, near the town beach and the water sports centre, continue along the cycle road until you reach the roundabout for bicycles. Take the second exit towards Koper. Follow the cycle road past the recreation areas and the new park.
At the park you will see a gravel parking area and a roundabout. Turn right here to leave the Bonifika stadium where your car park is.
