Umag Northern Loop

Level of difficulty 2  |  Gastronomy 3 |  Distance 5.2 km |  Time 1 - 1.5 hours

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The northern part of Umag is characterized by sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and an artificial lagoon. A tour past vacation homes, tennis courts, and jet skis.

General information

• Umag tourist information
• Istria tourist information
• Umag Wikipedia
• Istria Wikipedia
• Tour video
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

The entire stretch of coastline is open to swimmers and is therefore very popular. In addition, there is a significant amount of boat and jet ski traffic in the small Stella Maris Marina. So keep your eyes open and paddle defensively.

You may occasionally come across fishermen in the marina area. Please give them a wide berth!

Dangers and risks

The shores around Umag are rocky and rugged in many places, as is the case almost everywhere in Croatia. For this reason, it’s recommended to wear water shoes or neoprene shoes when SUPing and to avoid paddling too close to the shore (keep a distance of at least 20 m). The sharp-edged rocks can cause serious damage to any board.

Always check the tide chart beforehand, because at low tide you should paddle farther from the shore to protect your SUP from the rocky edges. Many underwater rock formations extend quite close to the water’s surface, even at high tide.

There are beaches and stone-paved platforms all along the route. As a result, expect to see many swimmers. You’ll also encounter other SUPs and kayaks, at least near the shore — so be sure to paddle with caution.

Depending on wind conditions and tides, you can expect light to moderate swells unless you paddle along the promenade in the bays, staying close to the shore.  

The route to Laguna Stella Maris after leaving Umag Sand Beach runs through shallow waters. Some of the rocks are only a few centimeters below the water's surface, so it's best to keep a good distance from the shore.

The same applies when approaching Marina Stella Maris further north. Paddling along the shore between the Stella Maris Lagoon and the small boat harbor, you’ll sometimes be in water no more than one and a half meters deep. In some places, the bottom is sandy, but in many others it’s rocky. So always look down and ahead!

You have to be extra careful at the bridge, because the boundary rope floating on the water is covered with mussels in some places — just like the bridge piers. You can easily damage your SUP here. Of course, you also need to tuck your head in tight and paddle under the bridge on your knees.

The small Stella Maris Marina is primarily intended for mooring motorboats and jet skis. So be especially careful when paddling here and yield to others, as there is a lot of traffic on the water during peak hours.

The leg of the tour across the open sea should only be attempted by those with some paddling experience. There’s no shame in wearing a life jacket while paddling here. When the weather is nice, jet skis also cruise back and forth in this area.

The base of the lighthouse is also covered with shells, so don't try to dock there!

Directions

The easiest way to get to Umag is by car or long-distance bus. It is not possible to travel directly by train, as Umag is not connected to the long-distance rail network. Therefore, you usually have to transfer in Trieste or Ljubljana and cover the rest of the route by bus. Air travelers can fly into the region via the airports in Trieste, Venice, Pula or Zagreb and will need a shuttle service or a rental car for the final leg of the journey.

That’s why the starting point for this tour — the small sandy beach in the north of Umag — is best reached by car. From the town center, it takes about six minutes to drive to the parking lots.

Parking

There is plenty of free parking right in front of the small sandy beach. The street markings around the tennis courts are white, meaning parking is free (as of 2026). At the restaurant La Capannina, there are even shaded parking lots under the trees.

If, on the other hand, you’d like to start the tour further north at the Sand Beach, you’ll find free, white-marked parking spaces at the tennis center . From there, it’s about a 400-meter walk to the beach. Outside this parking area, you can only park your car for a daily fee; hourly payment is not available (daily fee: 10 € as of 2026).

Swimming

Umag offers numerous beaches with good amenities (showers, changing rooms, restaurants) in and around the town center. Most of them consist of gravel, concrete slabs, or rocks and are known for their crystal-clear water.

In early summer, the water temperature in the Adriatic Sea typically reaches a pleasant 23–25 °C, and in August it can even reach up to 27 °C, creating perfect swimming conditions. Many beaches, such as Polynesia Beach (Katoro), Osmica oder die Laguna Stella Maris, have been awarded the Blue Flag and also offer lounge chair and umbrella rentals.

Children will particularly enjoy the flat sections, such as those at the sandy beaches (Small Sandy Beach, Sandy Beach and Sand Beach), as well as at Osmica-Beach, which also features seawater pools and play areas for kids.

The Istralandia Water Park is located about 15 km away near Novigrad and features numerous slides, pools, and attractions that are open daily during summer season. Shuttle service is also available from Umag.

Tour

From the small sandy beach north of the harbor, turn right and paddle along the north shore to the Stella Maris Lagoon and the Stella Maris Marina. From there, paddle across the water to the lighthouse and back again.

Length

5.2 km

Time

1 – 1.5 hours

Start and landing

At the small sandy beach near the Hotel Sipar Plava Laguna.

SUP rental

Levante Water Sports
Katoro, 52470 Umag
Phone +385 (0)91 516 5365

Sport Center Punta
Šetalište Miramare 1, 52470 Umag
Phone +385 (0)989 360 007

Istria Punta
Gian Rinalda Carlia 12, 52470 Umag
Phone +385 (0)91 9248 693

PulaKayakRental
Mobile SUP rental in Istria
Teslina 30, 52100 Pula
Phone +385 (0)977 636 590

Sandy beach hopping and lagoon SUPing

How can you ruin a beautiful tour route? For example, by pulling the plug on the sunshine and turning on the cloud generator. Yesterday started out sunny, just as forecast, but the weather began to cloud over as I drove to the small sandy beach north of the harbor. Deep gray rain clouds didn’t bode well, and the morning took on a gloomy atmosphere.

If I'd known it would be sunny again in two hours — that is, after my SUP session — I probably would have waited much longer to inflate my SUP. Instead, I would have headed back to the old town for a cup of coffee.

I did paddle the northern loop, but I was so dissatisfied with the photos and video footage because of the weather conditions that I’m getting back on my board today — in perfect weather — to experience this beautiful route in summery conditions as well.

Drivers have plenty of free parking options here, with more than enough spots available around the tennis courts at the Hotel Sipar Plava Laguna and at the restaurant La Capannina. A shady spot among the deciduous trees ensures my car stays reasonably cool, and I get my SUP ready on the small sandy beach next door.

The Small Sandy Beach is actually perfect, because it slopes gently into the water, and the small cove offers some protection from stronger waves. But I don't have to worry about that today, because I can easily handle the small undulations. Yesterday the water was even calmer than a sleeping fish; today there's just the usual light swell.

I immediately paddle to the right, heading towards Umag Sandy Beach where a few swimmers and stand-up paddleboarders are preparing for the day ahead. Below me, I can see the rocky seabed passing by in great detail, and I carefully weave my way between the rock formations.

The underwater world is definitely worth seeing, which is why snorkeling is so popular here. If you’re not yet completely confident on a SUP, you should steer well clear of the jagged underwater rocks, because taking such a risky route can quickly scratch the board.

Here, the small sandy beaches stretch out one after another like pearls on a string, which is rather unusual for Croatia. Before long, I reach the largest of them, Umag Sand Beach, located in front of the tennis center. It features countless courts, and every year, Croatia’s largest tennis tournament takes place on Center Court, the ATP stadium „Goran Ivanišević“.

You can’t see much of the tennis complex from the beach cove, but there’s a great range of amenities here, including restaurants, showers, water sports, and outdoor training facilities. This entire stretch of shore along the SUP route comes highly recommended, especially for families with young children, because the access points to the water are safe and everything you need is right here. As proof of this, the Blue Flag flies in many places.

You should again paddle around the large sandy beach at a safe distance from the shore, as there are likely to be shallow areas near the small bridge at Stella Maris Lagoon. I paddle enthusiastically toward the bridge, knowing full well that hundreds of sharp-edged shells are stuck to the boundary rope just before it.

Not all over the rope, but spread out well enough that you have to look for a section of rope that’s reasonably free of mussels. Since I was already here yesterday, I already know where I can safely cross the rope and how to prevent my SUP from getting slashed. The walls and pillars are also covered in mussels, so be careful and flow under the bridge into the artificial lagoon on all fours!

I always think it’s a shame when an inflatable water park spoils a beautiful shoreline, but I’ll have to be strong about this. The lagoon, with its shallow gravel shore, is man-made but beautiful, and several bars offer plenty of choices when it comes to drinks and more. Basically, the entire lagoon is part of the Stella Maris Resort which offers various accommodations (hotels, mobile homes, apartments).

You find yourself, so to speak, in the middle of a freely accessible vacation village, complete with its own network of paths and roads and its own lagoon. I quickly paddle the latter and then head back out to sea, continuing on the wavy waterway to the Stella Maris Marina, which is half the size.

I stay close to the shore, but far enough away from the rock formations. Along the promenade, many vacationers are already heading out for lunch, while the wind blowing from the north is slowly starting to bother me. The west and north sides of the entire resort are framed by expansive, shallow rocky shores, which force me to paddle in a wide arc around to the narrow entrance of the marina. This leaves me at the mercy of the brief gusts of wind reaching up to two Beaufort, and I have to be a little more careful not to be tossed about by the waves.

But as soon as I enter the marina, it becomes hushed again, and I get to enjoy the whole area all to myself. Still, caution is advised, because jet skis and speedboats come and go here — just not at noon, it seems.

The midday quiet hour seems to be strictly observed, as only one dog lets out a brief burst of barking. After a few paddle strokes around the area, I head back out to sea, though this time I don’t follow the shoreline on the way back. 1.3 km ahead of me, I see the small Garofulin Lighthouse standing in the middle of the water, just four hundred meters from the coast.

I’m drawn to that spot, and I paddle straight out across the open sea. The breeze is now my companion, carrying me southward, while yachts and ships are visible on the horizon. I can hardly believe that here, about half a kilometer from the shore, I see a lone butterfly fluttering past me.

It flutters even further out, as if to signal to me that freedom and lightness come when you leave familiar shores and embrace the unknown. I look down, and just like on the beaches, the water here is so clear that I can see the seabed. It can’t be more than eight meters down.

Seen that way, I’m like a butterfly — far from solid ground and, deep down, as free as I rarely am on the mainland, where constraints, rules, and conventions await me as soon as I return.

When I reach the lighthouse a few minutes later, I simply let myself drift while sitting there and enjoy the solitude, which binds me to the sea like an invisible glue. My mind goes blank, free of thoughts; only my senses define the moment, and somehow I could listen to the wind and the water forever.

Unfortunately, the lighthouse platform is covered in mussels, which is why I’m torn away from my peaceful meditation — my SUP is heading straight for it. After all, I don’t want it to get slashed again, like it did a few years ago.

And so I make my way back the last few meters to the small sandy beach, with Umag’s silhouette always in the corner of my right eye. Landing is a breeze, since there are no rock formations in the small cove, allowing me to glide gently onto the shore.

Of course, you could stop right next door at the restaurant La Capannina and celebrate the tour with a magnificent view of the sea. I, on the other hand, unfortunately have to head home, so instead I stop at Konoba Rustica just before the Slovenian border. It’s a real hidden gem, even if you’re not on your way home heading north.

Alternatives: You can start at any stretch of beach along this route, allowing you to shorten the tour if necessary. On the other hand, it’s also possible to extend the tour northward or southward — not only because the coastal topography remains the same, but also because you’ll always be paddling past populated areas.