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RABAC AND LABIN
 Rabac,
on the east coast of Istria, was once a small fishing
village but is now a sought-after tourist venue, with
lovely bays and coves next to the turquoise Adriatic
sea.
There are white pebbled beaches and
plenty of peaceful spots for sheltered, private
swimming, though August gets very busy. The islands of
Cres and
Losinj are easily visible and excursions by boat are
offered from Rabac harbour. Sea sports lovers can enjoy
sailing and windsurfing and for walkers there are tracks
and trails offering a great choice.
There’s an excellent variety of restaurants overlooking
the bay with a choice of menus, and obviously fish is a
speciality. Cafes and bars are plentiful along the
harbour and prices are reasonable - staff are invariably
welcoming and have an excellent knowledge of English.
In
the tourist season, stallholders sell jewellery, bags
and crafts along the popular quayside walkways. Rabac
has a couple of small supermarkets (which they refer to
as ‘markets’) and the large trio of hotels at the far
end of the bay are open to non-residents for evening
entertainment. There’s a doctors’ surgery behind
the post office and supermarket down by the quay in
Rabac.
 Labin is the ‘sister’ town to Rabac, just a few
kilometres up the
hill.
The old town, with cobbled streets, is a charming place
with medieval, Italianate buildings and a small square
where you can sit outside the cafes and bars and ‘people
watch’.
There’s a museum and lovely views down over the wooded
hillside to the sea, Rabac and the islands.
The new part of Labin, a 15 minute walk down the hill,
is not so lovely, but it does
have a choice of shops and an excellent market every
morning providing fresh produce.
From the bus station you can get a bus to Pula (ask in
the Tourist Office in Labin for a timetable) or back to
Rabac. Or you could walk down the old mule path back to
Rabac. On the road from Labin (new town) to Rijeka
there’s a large supermarket called Plodine, about a 10
minute drive, on the left hand side, next to a petrol
station.
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