Medulin

Medulin sits at the southern tip of Istria, built around a harbour tucked between Cape Kamenjak and Cape Marlera. It began as a small Roman port called Mutila, spent centuries as a fishing village under Venetian rule from the 13th century onward, and only turned into a tourist destination in the 20th century.

The population numbers show how seasonal the town is: Medulin's municipality counts just over 6,500 permanent residents, but in July and August that swells past 10,000 as visitors arrive for the beaches and campsites. The main landmark on the skyline is St. Agnes Church, with its twin bell towers, standing near the harbour and main square.

The best-known beach is Bijeca — roughly a kilometre of sand, one of the few proper sandy stretches on this part of the Istrian coast, with shallow water that makes it popular with families. South of town, the Kamenjak nature park adds cliffs, coves and hiking trails, and there are Roman-era remains to explore at nearby Vižula.

One detail that survived from the 19th century: in 1872, the Pošić brothers from Rovinj built windmills on the hills above the harbour to grind grain using the coastal winds — they're still standing as local landmarks.

Medulin isn't usually a full-week destination on its own, but given its position on the peninsula, many gulet cruises in Croatia call in here as part of a longer Istrian route.