Omišalj Bay

Level of difficulty 2 |  Gastronomy 3 |  Length 7.8 km |  Time 1.5 - 2.5 hours

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The bay off Omišalj shows two worlds: on the one hand the dreamy and historic little town and lots of nature, on the other hand heartless industrial sites. A SUP tour between two worlds.

General information

• Krk Island tourist information
• Omišalj tourist information
• Krk Island Wikipedia
• Tour video
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Boat and ship traffic as well as bathers always have priority. Give fishermen on land and on the water just as much space. Above all, don't paddle too close to the oil tankers and stay outside the bathing zones!

Dangers and risks

In Omišalj there are several water access points on the walled banks. These are often via small steps, so be careful going in and out.

Many stretches of shoreline are not walled or developed, and there are often sharp-edged rocks. This can not only be dangerous for the SUP, but can also easily lead to cuts. Do not go barefoot, especially if you plan to get off in between.

At the northern end of the small bay, i.e. at the transition to Kvarner Bay, the swell pushes in a little and the wind can get stronger. Avoid this area if you feel unsafe and shorten the tour. At least paddle with a life jacket and in groups! Always check the wind and waves in advance!

In summer, Omišalj is also frequented by swimmers and other SUPs. Always paddle outside the demarcated swimming zones! On the other hand, you will also encounter smaller ships and boats as well as large oil tankers further out on the water. Therefore, the closer you paddle to the shore, the closer you should keep an eye on your surroundings!

Directions

Whether you are coming to Omišalj from the mainland or from another place on the island, you will arrive either from the north or south along the central road 102 and branch off to the west.

The journey by bus ends in the middle of the town center. You have to walk the last 650 m from the bus stop to the port, but there are plenty of busses to Omišalj.

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 either land at Rijeka Airport in the north of the island or have other options, as the nearest airports are in Ljubljana, Zagreb and Triest.

Parking

There are two good parking options near the start of the tour. One is the free gravel parking lot in the area of Učka Beach. If there is no free parking there, park a few meters uphill along the access road. These parking spaces are only chargeable from June to September (€1/hour - as of 2025)

Swimming

In general, it can be said that the bathing season on the island of Krk is between May and October. In the north of the island, too, the average water temperature in summer is up to 25°C, which only drops significantly in November. Even then, you can go for a dip at an average of 17°C.

Omišalj offers several beautiful bathing opportunities suitable for both families and those seeking peace and quiet. The town is hardly overcrowded with tourists and the beaches are mostly pebbly or rocky, with a few small bays that are ideal for swimming. The water temperature in summer is typically between 22 and 26° C. The water is clear and clean, which makes snorkeling and diving attractive. Those paddling by SUP will find some hidden mini bays and secluded bathing spots in the area of the lighthouse.

Tour

From the harbor, once along the shores of the bay and briefly across the open sea.

Length

7.8 km

Time

1.5 - 2.5 hours

Start and landing

At the port of Omišalj.

SUP rental

Paddletour
Laurinská 3, 81101 Bratislava
Phone +421 (0)907 777 187
The rental station is located in Šilo

Nature poetry meets industry

Omišalj is the first municipality after the Krk bridge if you arrive by car via the mainland. The historic old town is one of the oldest towns on the island along with Krk and is located 80 meters above a bay (Zaljev Omišalj) on a rock. The town is also popular for its cozy character and relaxed bathing opportunities. It joins a number of SUP spots in the northwest of the island and is of course worth a trip on the water.

In the early season in mid-May, I find plenty of parking spaces here and opt for the gravel parking lot just above the harbor, which is free all year round. Here I pump up my SUP with a view over the bay and could start the tour at several points. I decide to set sail in the harbor at a small staircase located near Café Slastičarna Na Rivi. The café, which has existed since 1963, is probably the local specialist when it comes to ice cream specialties. The restaurant Konoba Mulić opposite is also highly recommended.

The water is particularly calm here in the harbor area, and I paddle around the harbor for a while before heading north along the beaches and beach bars. Not only is there an 80-metre difference in altitude between me and the town center, but also the beautiful Dubec Park. As the main season is still several weeks away, I'm completely alone on the water today, and due to the overcast weather there are no bathers to be seen.

Wait, that's not quite right! Because suddenly I see something in the water in front of me, but I'm not sure whether it's a large branch or whether it can actively move around. The closer I get, the more likely it is an animal with long, protruding ears. Yes, it really is an animal swimming in the water, easily 100 m from the shore and wriggling straight into the middle of the bay. It actually looks like a deer, but I think it's a dog working out in the water alone and unattended, so to speak. Unfortunately, the lighting conditions are suboptimal, so I'll never know exactly what exactly was swimming in the water in front of me.

Permanently in place, however, are red buoys for shipping traffic. As the walled banks are not particularly busy today, I simply set my sights on the first of these buoys and paddle quickly towards it. The sea is still smooth and windless, so I can make good speed. After the buoy, the next attractive intermediate destination lies ahead of me, a wooded peninsula with turquoise shores flaring up as soon as the sun briefly peeks through the clouds.

I paddle there and explore the depths beneath my board, because from the stony shore it goes straight down to a depth of several meters in clear water. One reason why the Omišalj petrochemical terminal is located opposite is that the water is up to thirty meters deep close to the shore - ideal for landing tankers. The light refractions on the seabed also lighten the mood as the SUP glides gently around to the right in the direction of the lighthouse. The last 800 m to the lighthouse are characterized by rugged rock formations and natural stretches of shore.

The gentle swell of the Kvarner Gulf slowly makes its way here, lapping softly against the rocks. If you want to disembark here, you should only do so with sufficiently stable soles under your feet. It is not far-fetched that anyone would want to do this in this rough environment, as there are several mini bays and tiny spots to land.

I glide my SUP into such a bay, which is framed by steep rock faces, and climb up to the plateau to get a wonderful view. The towns of Rijeka and Opatija border the Kvarner Gulf to the north, while to the west I can see the headland with the oil terminal on it.

The elongated Terminal Omišalj serves the receipt, storage, and delivery of crude oil and petroleum products. It includes two berths for receiving and unloading tankers, and that's exactly what I want to see up close. So, I head almost 800 meters out over the open sea and over the frontal swells. The wind is also blowing a bit stronger from the southwest now, but it's a pleasant ride to the outskirts of the oil storage facility. The location is relatively sheltered from the wind, which also favors shipping traffic.

Due to the wind, it takes me a little longer to master this rather monotonous side of the bay. Unfortunately, the two moorings are unoccupied today. I would have loved to paddle around an oil tanker up close. So at least I can enjoy the view up to the little town of Omišalj, where subdued sunlight and clouds form a romantic photo backdrop.

At the southern end of the bay it becomes very Croatian again, as the shoreline forest replaces the industrial zone, and I'm already thinking about where I'll land again at the harbor. Behind Konoba Mulić I discover even better access to the water than at the start of the tour and end my SUP tour here. You place your board on parallel to the platform, walk safely ashore and then leisurely round the corner past the restaurant to the spacious harbor square. For refreshment, the exhausted paddler can choose from the two restaurants here on the square - enjoy!

Alternatives: You will find a number of water accesses in the area of the harbor and in the south of the bay, and if the tour becomes too windy or wavy towards the north, simply turn off earlier towards the terminal. If you want to paddle a little longer, you can paddle right around the Omišalj lighthouse for 2 km towards the island of Insel Sveti Marko (see Sveti Marko Circumnavigation). If you paddle to the left around the industrial plant, you will come down to the excavation site of Fulfilnum Mirine. In both cases, a shuttle vehicle or cab service will be necessary.

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