The footpath narrows as you descend through Aleppo pines, their resin thick in the air, until the canopy breaks and you see the cove: a crescent of grey-white pebbles no wider than a tennis court. Ulika sits beyond the main Poreč promenade, insulated by scrubland and the kind of vertical scramble that winnows crowds to committed sunbathers. You spread your towel on stones still cool in morning shade, then wade over algae-slick rocks into water that deepens fast and stays gin-clear three metres out.
“One of Istria's few naturist beaches nestled in woodland rather than resort grounds, offering genuine seclusion minutes from Poreč's tourist hub.”
Credit: UnsplashCrystal lagoon with rocky outcrop
By midday the sun overhead erases every shadow; cicadas tick in the brush behind you. A couple arrives, nods, claims the far end. No beach bars interrupt the quiet—only the slap of small waves against limestone and the occasional whirr of a fishing boat trolling the channel. You float on your back, toes breaking the surface, and watch swifts slice arcs above the treeline.
Afternoon brings a light maestral breeze off the northwest, just enough to dry salt on your shoulders between swims. The pebbles retain heat long after four o'clock, warm enough to lie flat and feel each rounded stone press into your spine. You leave as the light goes amber, retracing the path uphill, skin tight with sun and seawater, already planning tomorrow's return before you reach the road.
