Premantura

Premantura sits right at the southern tip of the Istrian peninsula, just past Pula, on the western side of the Kamenjak headland. Its name has changed a few times over the centuries — the Romans called it Promunturium Polaticum, Venetian-era maps had it as Promontore, and Istria's turbulent 20th century, passing between Austrian, Italian and eventually Yugoslav/Croatian rule, left the area under several different administrations before it settled into modern Croatia.

The village's real draw is what's next door: Cape Kamenjak, a protected headland with cliffs, coves and clear water stretching along the coast, known for its wild orchids and as a rest stop for migratory birds. Just offshore, the small island of Fenoliga holds one of Europe's richer dinosaur trackways — around 150 footprints left by theropods and sauropods, discovered in 1975 and estimated at somewhere between 65 and 90 million years old depending on the source. A short walking trail near the cape recreates the site with life-size models, and the House of Nature museum in the village centre covers the rest of Kamenjak's ecology.

Premantura's coastline mixes rock, pebble and a bit of sand. Radovica, on the western side of the cape, is mostly undeveloped — no amenities, just rock and pebble. Školjić, on the eastern side, is more built up with sunbeds and a beach bar, and tends to draw a younger crowd. Closer to the village, Runke beach sits next to a small harbour with a diving centre and mooring for boats.

That harbour, along with a scatter of small, wind-protected bays around the headland, is why the area shows up often on Istrian sailing routes — it's worth a visit if you're chartering a gulet in Croatia heading along this stretch of coast.