Koper South Tour
Address
Koper
GPS
45.546108849523, 13.711881637573
Level of difficulty 2 | Gastronomy 2 | Length 3 km | Time 40 – 60 minutes
If you want to get to know the bay of Koper, you can approach the port in the old town from Koper-Žusterna in the south. Busy promenades and parks define the character of this little tour just as much as occasional entertaining waves.
General information
Navigation rules
When getting on the water and along the first 600 m to the small boat harbor, avoid bathers.
In the harbors, of course, also avoid all boats, because SUPs are obliged to do so as they always are the more maneuverable means of transport.
Please avoid any rubbish, as the local SUP club invests a lot of time and effort in regularly cleaning the banks.
Dangers and risks
Be careful on the promenade with your SUP in your hand, as many cyclists and rollerbladers pass by during the bathing season. Always walk on the side of the pavement and make sure the SUP is not positioned at an angle into the cycle path.
The quay walls and some stone steps are full of small but sharp mussels. iSUPs can be cut open quickly here, as can barefoot paddlers. If you plan to get off and go on land, you should do so in bathing or neoprene shoes!
You shouldn't paddle too close to the quays and jetties, not only because of the mussels, but also because of the boulders in front of them. Even if you can glide over them, falling into the water can cause serious injuries. In addition, waves sometimes bounce back strongly on the quay (between the dog beach and the harbor) and overlap with incoming waves, creating a real challenge for balance.
Winds of up to 3 bf are always possible, with northeast winds blowing most of the year. The result is sometimes very irregular waves, but these are very easy to manage on your knees. After all, Koper-Žusterna is the northernmost windsurfing spot in the Balkans. Stand-up paddlers should always keep this in mind.
Regatta paddlers and sailors train regularly, especially in the area in front of the Hotel Žusterna and in the direction of Izola. Various rowing and paddling clubs have their containers in front of the hotel, and these are naturally very busy on sunny days.
Directions
Car drivers have it easy in Koper, as there are plenty of parking spaces everywhere. From the city center, which you have to circle because of the one-way streets, you can drive to the Žusterna car park right on the shore in just a few minutes.
If you are travelling by bus, it is best to take line 4, 5 or 6 to Žusterna. With the Koper Card Plus you can use public transport more easily, flexibly and without cash. It is ideal for stays of several days.
Nevertheless, you can still get around quite quickly on foot. From the city center, walk along the riverside promenades towards the south which takes around 25 minutes (approx. 2 km).
National and international bus, train and flight connections can be found via the comparison portals Omio, Busbud as well as RailEurope. Those arriving by plane have several options, as the nearest airports are in Ljubljana, Zagreb and Triest.
Parking
The paid Žusterna car park is located directly by the sea (1.3 € per hour / as of 2024). If it is full, you can use the parking garage in the nearby Hotel Žusterna. However, the hourly cost here is 5 € (as of 2024).
Swimming
The Slovenian Riviera is not only known for the sea, but also for its thermal baths. Already in April, the air and the sea have an average temperature of up to 17°C. The average air temperature rises to 28°C in summer, and the water temperature is still inviting even in October, with average highs of 19°C. The beaches in the city area include the following:
Tour
From the Hotel Aquapark Žusterna along the shore to the harbor and back again.
Length
3 km
Time
40 – 60 minutes
Start and landing
Near the small pebble beach between the containers of the water sports clubs and the Žusterna parking lot.
SUP rental
Active Koper
Pristaniška ulica 8, 6000 Koper
Phone +386 51800070
Halo SUP
Kvedrova 10, 6000 Koper
SUP Club Naredi Nekaj za Naravo
Istrska cesta 70, 6000 Koper
naredinekajzanaravo@gmail.com
Bumpy shore ride
The weather can sometimes fool paddlers. After days of rain, we are happy that it is at least dry today and that the remaining clouds are giving the sun a fair chance to shine. And so after breakfast we head to one of the many water accesses in the area of the Aquapark Hotel Žusterna around the Plaža Žusterna beach.
Near the small gravel beach next to the water sports center, the water is calm and you can see the old town of Koper with its modern port facilities behind it - a structural sequence you don't find at many paddling spots. The container ships stand for days in the only cargo port in the country waiting to be loaded or unloaded. Meanwhile, the arriving ships anchor offshore in the bay and wait for days for their turn.
With a light tailwind and pleasant water conditions, we paddle to the right and initially head for the city's dog beach. The tailwind gives us a little boost and we're looking forward to a nice round trip that should take us to the harbor. We might even manage to get very close to one of the large cargo ships if conditions allow it.
In the morning the long park on the shore slowly fills up and the beach promenade is already quite busy. We approach the dog beach and notice how the waves are getting stronger and want to push us straight into the small marina behind it. So we give in to their will and let ourselves glide under the bridge, which leads to a short and unplanned detour to the boats moored in the Badaševica Canal.
From there we paddle back again and want to get along the quay to the small old town harbor. But from now on we have to buckle up, because the wind is blowing much stronger from the southwest and over the waves it has produced, giving us a little balance challenge. We take our time on the almost 600 m to the harbor and adapt to the play of the waves - bending our knees, staying relaxed and focused. It's fun and challenges us to stay on our SUPs.
Thanks to the pier, the harbor is much quieter again and we can rest our tired thighs a little. If you want, you can also go ashore and get some refreshment. A food truck with seafood is parked on the quay today. But there are plenty of other options here too, especially since the lively market district is not far away.
However, we move on and expose ourselves to the winds again, quickly realizing that we will not be able to paddle to the cargo ships after all. The conditions have simply become too difficult for a tour that, according to our original plan, should have continued for several kilometers.
Slightly disappointed, we decide to turn around early and paddle back the same way. Since the sun is now completely hidden again, it is probably a better idea to repeat our harbor tour on a nicer day. But because we have so far done well and stayed dry without touching the water, we treat ourselves to a little break at the Beach Volley Bar.
You can land on the stone steps in front of the bar, but you have to be aware that there are some very sharp edges and step surfaces here. The mussels are not the best friends of SUP boards, and they can quickly suffer cuts on their outer layer. So it's best to land a few meters further on at the dog beach and play it safe! We leave the boards where they are and take the rest of our equipment over to the bar.
There always seems to be something going on here, after all, the loud music attracts people even from a distance. A quick internet search confirms that the bar is a popular meeting place at all times of the day and is especially known for its balkan- und latino parties in the evenings. After two espressos we are recharged again and ready to paddle all the way back to the pebble beach in Žusterna, while standing up to the oncoming wind and waves.
The last kilometer back to the water sports center is easier, however, because we can head straight into the waves with our noses first, instead of constantly being attacked from the side. If it becomes too strenuous in strong winds, you can kneel down for a moment and paddle on with significantly less air resistance.
Even though it was only a short tour, we were able to enjoy a nice exploration and gathered some inspiration for further SUP trips in and around Koper.
Alternatives: One of these inspirations is the leisurely Badaševica River, which flows into the sea behind the Beach Volley Bar. You can paddle 2.5 km inland until you reach a waterfall. Of course, you can also head up to the north side of Koper's Bay and explore the Ankaran peninsula, for example. A SUP trip south along the shore and to the enchanting town called Izola is also recommended.
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