Umag Southern Loop

Level of difficulty 2  |  Gastronomy 3 |  Distance 4.2 km |  Time 1 hour

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Umag not only serves as a striking showcase for the region on land but is also a delightful place to explore by water. The southern bays are easy to paddle through and offer various coastal landscapes.

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. Swimmers, just like boats, should be given plenty of room.

The breakwater at the southern turnaround point of the tour is very popular with fishermen, so be sure to keep a safe distance.

Dangers and risks

The walk from the parking lot to the water is short, but be sure not to get in the way of other road users with your SUP. Cars, mopeds, and bicycles travel on the narrow road.

Please be careful when entering the water at the boat launch. Although the masonry provides good traction, there is always a risk of slipping. The safest place to start the tour, however, is from the small beach to the right.

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 harbor is off-limits to paddlers because of the boat traffic. Anyone who wants to paddle north from the breakwater must always keep an eye out for boats and yachts.

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.

At the end of the crossing, you’ll paddle past a breakwater. This is a popular fishing spot, so keep a distance of at least 30 m to avoid getting tangled in a fishing line.

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.

If you drive from the town center by car you'll reach the small harbor — or the free parking lot in front of it — in just a few minutes. Unfortunately, there are no buses at all in this part of town, so the only alternative to a car or taxi is to walk.

Parking

Just a few meters from the beach and the small Moela Port, there is a free parking lot with 25 spaces.

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 27 °C, creating perfect swimming conditions. Along this route, there are concrete platforms and gently sloping gravel beaches.

Except for the small headland in the Old Town, you can go swimming almost anywhere. In many places, there are also public showers and changing rooms. The bars also provide basic food and drink options..

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 Moela Port marina, head north along the coast to the old town center. From there, cross the sea back to the southern breakwater and follow the bay back to the marina.

Length

4.2 km

Time

1 hour

Start and landing

At the small Moela Port.

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

Small town SUPing along the promenade

When entering Istria from the north, Umag is the first major town, and after a long drive — including a marathon of traffic jams — I’m looking forward to paddling my first sea tour of the year. After all, it wasn’t just the Roman nobility who discovered the town long ago and made it their summer residence; I, too, have had my eye on this ancient place for quite some time.

After dropping off all my luggage at the rental apartment, it’s less than a five-minute drive to the town's southernmost bay, from where I’ll set out on a short loop. The road network is very well developed, and there are plenty of white-marked — i.e., free — parking lots on the beach (as of 2026).

It’s just a few steps to the boat ramp or the small pebble beach at Moela Port. But thanks to the scent of pine trees and the salty sea air, those few steps make up for a whole year without the sea, and by the time the seagulls start calling, I’m already feeling that intense vacation vibe.

The wind and waves are being kind to paddlers today, so I find the conditions very pleasant for paddling to the right toward the town center on the warm, early-summer water. Since the coastline is rocky and partly rugged, I have to be especially careful with my SUP. After all, it’s already brushed up against a few sharp rock edges before and, despite being repaired, has been letting out little air bubbles ever since.

To avoid this, it’s best to stay at least 20 meters away from the waterfront promenade — after all, you can still enjoy the region’s traditional stone houses and the beach life from that distance. In early June, there aren’t that many people in the water yet, but that’s likely to be completely different in a month. During peak season, you should keep some distance from the shore simply because of the large number of swimmers.

The crystal-clear water carries me along, while a gentle southerly wind creates a current toward the old town, making paddling a breeze. This gives me more time to focus on the palm trees and cacti vying for my attention. I pass countless swimming spots, romantic seating areas with views, and, of course, the obligatory foto heart.

You won’t get tired paddling here; from that perspective, the selection of bars and other dining options is excessive — at least for stand-up paddlers. A lot of the action today is centered at the African Beach and the adjacent Africa Beach Bar. As I paddle past, I can already see the Campanile rising above the rooftops of the old town center half a kilometer ahead of me.

The Romanesque-Gothic bell tower of the Church of the Assumption is a Venetian landmark that, at 30 meters high, overlooks the old town of Umag and embodies the region’s eventful history.

But before I get quite close, the water draws me toward some not-so-attractive old commercial and industrial facilities, whose disused brick chimney is at least impressive to look at. The so-called “Tomato Chimney” is listed on Google Maps as a technical monument, but unfortunately it now has to serve as a mounting structure for various 5G and cell phone transmitters.

But the fun continues afterward at the Nautica Bar and the cove behind it — Dante Beach — and as a paddler, you can enjoy particularly calm waters here, as long as the tide isn’t crashing against the concrete shore.

Little by little, the restaurants along the old town wall are filling up; their slightly elevated terraces overlooking the surf are, of course, highly sought after. For me, the view from the water up to the old walls has a special charm, and it’s truly a treat for the eyes and the spirit to see beautiful buildings made of genuine natural materials again. What a change from the characterless, utilitarian structures with nothing but straight lines that are being churned out almost everywhere in Europe.

The increasing swell indicates that the Diga — the breakwater in front of the harbor — is not far away. Here, I keep a safe distance from the boulders and glide gently past the pedestrians. Way out by the lighthouse, the painted date “1950” likely indicates the age of this shoreline reinforcement. I suppose you might occasionally run into fishermen here, but today I don’t need to worry about that.

I don’t paddle into the harbor, because that’s prohibited. Instead, I turn to port and head out across the sea from here to the breakwater at Umag’s South Bay. Today, I cover the approximately 1.5 km journey there with almost no swell and only a light breeze. At times, the swell finds its way toward the shore, while my board dances skillfully on it until I’m carried into the bay to the left, past the concrete wall.

There are many fishermen standing and sitting here today, so I’m keeping a safe distance. Aside from this visually questionable structure, this part of the SUP route is quite unspoiled. Hearty laughter echoes over to me from the anchored sailboats, while I can only imagine there’s similar merriment at the Beach Bar Barakuda up ahead.

When I return to the small beach next to the boat ramp, a Croatian woman is just cleaning her freshly caught fish — a friend had pulled it out of the sea earlier. That’s probably the perfect metaphor for this area: natural, authentic, and fresh — that’s Istria to me.

Alternatives: If you paddle north past the large harbor, you can combine this tour with the northern loop, thereby doubling the distance covered. If you paddle south, however, you’ll travel 2.5 km past partly undeveloped, natural beaches and stretches of coastline until you reach the quaint village of Duba.