Croatia for £34? I Think I’ve Found a Naturist Paradise

I really need somebody to confiscate my phone.

Because I found a £34 flight from Manchester to Pula and did the completely sensible thing of investigating what was waiting for me at the other end.

Big mistake.

Turquoise Adriatic water. Pine-covered coastline. Medieval towns. Little harbours. Warm September sunshine.

And some seriously impressive naturist resorts.

Croatia, where have you been hiding?

Welcome to Istria

Pula sits at the bottom of Istria, that heart-shaped peninsula dangling into the Adriatic at the top of Croatia.

This isn’t the Mediterranean holiday of endless sandy beaches and rows of sunbeds.

It’s prettier than that.

Think rocky coves disappearing into ridiculously clear water, pine trees reaching almost to the shoreline, little boats tied against stone quays and ancient towns where narrow streets eventually tumble out onto the sea.

Then add something particularly interesting for us.

Naturism here isn’t a novelty.

It’s been part of Croatian tourism for generations.

Valalta would be my first stop

Head north towards Rovinj and you reach Valalta Naturist Resort.

Now we’re talking.

This isn’t simply a hotel that happens to have a naturist beach somewhere nearby. Valalta is an established naturist holiday resort spread along the Adriatic coast.

You can camp, bring a motorhome, rent accommodation, swim, eat, wander around the resort and spend your holiday in an environment where naturism is simply normal.

That’s the bit that sells it to me.

Imagine waking up, stepping outside into warm Croatian sunshine and not having that familiar conversation with yourself:

Do I actually need to get dressed yet?

Nope.

Coffee first.

The shoreline stretches for kilometres around the resort, with coves, bathing areas and that almost impossibly blue Adriatic water.

And when you eventually fancy putting something on and exploring, Rovinj is nearby.

Rovinj looks like somebody designed a Croatian town specifically for travel photographs: pastel buildings clustered around the harbour, cobbled lanes climbing through the old town and the tower of St Euphemia looking over the Adriatic.

Naturist morning. Rovinj afternoon. Dinner beside the harbour.

I could cope with that.

Then there’s Ulika

Travel further north towards Poreč and there’s another one I’d be seriously considering: Camping Ulika.

It’s a dedicated naturist resort occupying its own green peninsula.

Pine and oak trees provide natural shade, the Adriatic surrounds much of the site, and there are pitches and mobile homes alongside restaurants, bars, swimming and beaches.

This feels particularly appealing if you’re somebody who wants to try an overseas naturist holiday but doesn’t necessarily want to spend the whole week lying on one beach.

You have the freedom of a naturist resort, while Poreč is only a few kilometres away.

Its old town sits on a little peninsula of its own, with Roman streets, Venetian influences, cafés and the UNESCO-listed Euphrasian Basilica.

That’s my sort of holiday.

Naked and lazy when I want to be.

Shoes on and exploring when I get restless.

And here’s where it gets dangerous

I checked the flights.

Jet2 currently has Manchester to Pula for £34 one way on 10 September, including 10kg hand luggage.

The flight leaves Manchester at 7.45am and lands at 11.25am.

So theoretically you could leave a grey Manchester morning and be standing beside the Adriatic before lunch.

There are also £34 Manchester departures showing again later in September.

Now do you see my problem?

Because once a destination stops being “Croatia would be nice one day” and becomes “I can fly there for thirty-four quid”, my travel brain becomes extremely irresponsible.

Why I think naturists should look at Croatia

This is what really sells Istria to me.

You aren’t travelling hundreds of miles just to find one little corner of a beach where naturism is tolerated.

You’re travelling into a region with an established naturist culture and proper naturist holiday infrastructure.

That’s a completely different proposition.

You can actually live naturism while you’re away.

Wake naturally.

Swim naked in the Adriatic.

Have breakfast outside.

Read beneath the pines.

Walk back from the water without immediately reaching for clothes.

Then, when curiosity gets the better of you, dress and disappear into Rovinj, Poreč or Pula for a few hours.

Naturism becomes the base from which you explore Croatia rather than the only reason for being there.

That’s exactly how I think a naturist holiday should feel.

One thing is definitely going in my suitcase

Water shoes.

Croatia’s beautiful coastline is frequently rock and pebble rather than Welsh-style sand, and sea urchins are perfectly capable of ruining an otherwise excellent travel story.

Not sexy.

Not glamorous.

Absolutely going in the bag.

And after discovering all of this?

So might I.

Because a £34 flight is one thing.

A £34 flight that leads to warm Adriatic water, beautiful old towns and somewhere I can spend most of the holiday naked?

Now you’ve got my attention.

Would you try Istria for your next naturist holiday?