The Island of Krk, Croatia

With cheap flights opening up for the summer with Ryanair we thought we’d take a quick trip to the island of Krk in Croatia. We’d never heard of it before but Google maps told us it was only around the corner from our beloved Istria – so, how awful could it be!?

Not awful at all. In fact, we think we may have just stumbled upon another unspoiled gem to add to our list of European weekend break suggestions that no one else seems to know about!

Krk island, Croatia, is exceptionally beautiful with a laid-back vibe, friendly locals and a banquet of local dishes to add to its appeal. It’s also the largest of all the Adriatic islands and diverse in terms of who it might attract. The Krk bridge, joining it to the city of Rijeka on mainland Croatia, makes it a popular holiday spot for campervans and caravans, although most campers we encountered were from Germany. And, the 1,000 year old towns, well-equipped city beaches, small secluded coves and amazing places to eat, only ensure that everyone’s tastes are covered.

So…Which Krk Town To Stay In

Due to the fact we were only flying to Krk island for a long weekend, we chose somewhere based on the hotel and the location. We wanted to be somewhere fairly central to make day trips easier and stay at an all-inclusive hotel to keep costs down. It turns out we chose well…

PUNAT

Punat is a lovely little harbour town with plenty of friendly locals to welcome you – it’s not so touristy that residents have been forced to relocate. In fact, almost every family in Punat has its own local olive grove which you will notice as you approach the town by road. But it does have a local working harbour so there are plenty of cafes and tavernas for sailors and holiday-makers.

It’s a really pretty seaside town in the protected Puntarska Draga Bay with miles of coast to take evening strolls and watch the sunset. There is a beach a ten-minute walk from the centre of Punat and because of the calmer waters in the bay, it’s the perfect place to hire a kayak or paddle board. And we even noticed some public bikes to hire outside of our hotel too.

Punat did turn out to be the perfect place to make day trips from, most between a 10 and 20 minute drive. We visited the local towns of Vrbnik, Baska, Dobrinj and Krk Town. All of which we recommend a visit.

The Faulkensteiner Hotel in Punat, Krk

Whilst we would like to review The Faulkensteiner Hotel in full in another blog post, when time allows, we would absolutely recommend you to book this hotel now.

For us, our weekend in Krk, Croatia, was a budget trip so we felt that booking a hotel with a Half-Board option was the right choice. We hadn’t really intended this trip to be centered around food as our previous holidays to Croatia have been very much food-focused. This trip was more about a slow weekend with a bit of sun in a beautiful location on a low budget. However, despite the Faulkensteiner Hotel being a German chain, the food served was absolutely incredible! Fresh fish every day, free-range pork and beef and the choicest salad and vegetables you could wish for. And of course, this being the island of Krk, all the cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil you desire! And breakfast was no different – you name it, they had it. Our half-board option also included wine and beer with our evening meal and in true Croatian style, the wine was fantastic.

We have been told by several local restauranteurs in the Istrian region that the Croatians are very self-sufficient and have no need to import produce and we’ve always felt this is noticeable in the taste. Thankfully the island of Krk seems to be the same in this regard and we were not disappointed – a happy accident of our booking with the Faulkensteiner Hotel.

But aside from the food, the location of the hotel was right on the water, it has a beautiful (and heated) swimming pool, the rooms were very modern and serene, and the staff were excellent. We’re even planning a little return trip with some friends in late September!

For the best deals at the Faulkensteiner Hotel, click here.

Our Travel Details:

We flew Ryanair from Stansted airport to Rijeka airport (located on Krk Island, Croatia)

We stayed 3 nights at the Faulkensteiner Hotel, bed, breakfast, evening meal & drinks with meal. We booked a side-sea view room with a balcony.

Flights and hotel were booked 1 month before we travelled.

We went in the May school holidays

Hotel cost £130 p/n for 2 people

Flights cost £68 each.

Car hire was £30 for 3 days with Sixt via Ryanair.

Things To Do On Krk Island, Croatia

We chose to visit a few towns on Krk that we’d read about before but it seems there are still plenty of places for us to visit on our next trip. Some of our highlights so far are…

Krk Town

Also known as the City of Krk, this historic old town is the capital of Krk Island. It attracts the most tourists of all of the towns on the island of Krk but it’s still reasonably quiet for such a beautiful capital city.

You can visit the Frankopan Castle and walk some of the old city walls for a small fee, or you can just enjoy a stroll through the narrow cobbled streets of Krk. There’s also a monastery and a cathedral and don’t miss the picturesque Vela Placa Square.

We loved all of the information plaques dotted around the town to give you a better idea of Krk’s historical story. One of the shops we went in even had a glass floor, allowing you to see the old Roman foundations – the town of Krk really celebrates its heritage.

But mostly Krk town is a lovely place for a drink and a spot of people-watching, whether that be from one of the cafes along the harbour or one of the beach bars on Punta di Galetto Beach.

Vrbnik

The coastal town of Vrbnik is built on a high cliff above the sea and is one of the most tightly packed towns I’ve ever visited. It was built as a fortified city by the Croats although there’s been a settlement here for over 4,000 years and there are still some remaining walls from 1200 BC! But you really get that feeling of protection and a close-knit community as you navigate the labyrinth of tight cobbled streets. In fact, one of the tourist attractions of the town is Klancic Alley – allegedly the narrowest street in the world… Breathe in!

But Vrbnik is more than just an old city with a charming centre, it’s also famous for its wine. You will pass the Kuca Winery on your way into the town and during the day it’s an excellent choice for a bit of official wine tasting. However, we preferred to sample the famous Žlahtina from one of the local bars in the old town. Nada Restaurant is perfect for a plate of meats and cheeses to accompany your Žlahtina but the views are what make this place worthwhile in our books. And we discovered later that Nada is probably the most famous restaurant on the island and the cooked food is award-winning, somewhere we will definitely be returning to.

Many people visit the area around Vrbnik for the secluded beaches and hidden coves, they’re a little more protected from the winds on this side of the island.

Baska

A crescent-shaped beach bay, the town of Baska is very popular with holiday-makers! But even if, like us, you’re not much of a beach-bather the town is still worth a visit. The drive alone is a beautiful scene as you track and cross the only river on the island, Vela Rika, and make your way down the gentle southern slopes of the island of Krk. And, at the end, you’re rewarded with a very pleasant beach town framed by an impressive mountainous backdrop.

There’s your typical beach bars, restaurants and ice cream stops but there’s also a picturesque old-town area towards the northern end of the town that we thoroughly enjoyed wandering.

There’s a definite summer buzz about Baska and it’s the kind of place Czech holiday-makers spend a horizontal week soaking up the rays. The prevailing winds probably make the extreme summer temperatures more bearable too. We liked it and especially appreciated the picturesque drive to it and all the great beach bars, but we were glad we booked our hotel back in Punat.

_________________

Some towns that we have marked to visit next time we stay on Krk island are Omišalj and Njivice.

---

So, is it worth visiting Krk island? Absolutely! We think it’s the perfect place for both a summer holiday or, as we discovered, an easy weekend break idea from the UK. We will definitely be returning and we think there is still so much more to discover about the beautiful island of Krk, Croatia.

Booking.com

pin for later…