10 Best Things to Do in Porec

Aquacolors is a fun, family-friendly waterpark just outside Porec. Modern and stylish, it opened up in 2015 but has already developed into a smash success and has proven to be one of the best waterparks in the country, drawing in locals and tourists.

Stretching out across 10 hectares, Aquacolors is one of the biggest waterparks in southeast Europe too, filled with all kinds of fun slides and enjoyable attractions like a wave pool and lazy river. If you're visiting Porec in the summer season, Aquacolors has to be on your list of things to do.

Porec Old Town is where the city really comes to life. With cobblestone streets, charming little cafés, friendly family restaurants, and plenty of beautiful historical buildings, there's a lot to appreciate here. Old Town offers something for most, whether you're a history buff looking for an old Roman site or a young couple taking a romantic stroll.

The Old Town can be found on a little peninsula, almost entirely surrounded by the sea. This is where you'll find many of Porec's best sites of interest like the Euprhasian Basilica and the Zuccatto Palace. It's easy to access and you can easily spend a full day here enjoying local delicacies and admiring the architecture.

The Euphrasian Basilica is the most visited historical site in all of Porec. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a stunning example of Byzantine architecture, complete with the main basilica building, a beautiful bell tower, a baptistery, and a sacristy spread out across this awe-inspiring 6^th-century complex.

Mass services are still held here on a daily basis, but the Basilica draws in visitors of all faiths, beliefs, and backgrounds, renowned for its beautiful mosaic floors and various decorative elements. While there, don't forget to visit the atrium and admire the stone monuments inside it.

The Baredine Cave offers something very different from the beautiful beaches and historical sites of Porec. Opened up to the public back in 1995, this popular tourist hotspot is a subterranean cave system with underground lakes and guided tours running throughout the year.

You can easily access the Baredine Cave from anywhere in Porec, with friendly, English-speaking guides waiting to greet you, leading you down some 60-metres below the surface into the stalactite and stalagmite-filled grottos. Tours last around 40 minutes on average and all visitors should be sure to wear comfortable footwear and wrap up warm as the temperatures can be quite chilly in the cave.

Zelena Laguna Beach is one of the best in Porec. There are plenty of lovely beaches in the area, with Delfin Beach and Pical Beach also having a lot to offer, but Zelena Laguna is arguably the best of all. It's just a few kilometres south of the main town and it rarely seems to get too crowded, even in the heat of summer.

There are lots of little bays and intimate coves to discover and explore at Zelena Laguna, and the generally calm waters provide super swimming conditions in the summer months too. There are also some nice cafes and restaurants within walking distance of this beach and even a wakeboard park for watersport fans.

The Parenzana trail is a great opportunity to blend history and nature. It's an old narrow-gauge railroad, built back in 1902 but abandoned in the 1930s. It ran all the way from Trieste to Porec, stretching some 60 km in total, and in recent years, it's been restored into a lovely cycling and walking track.

Local outdoor enthusiasts have been hard at work bringing this historical trail back to life, and there's even a small section where you can actually ride a little tourist train and snap photos along the way. Mostly, it's a good spot for getting away from the crowds and streets, slipping into nature and enjoying the peaceful paradise of the woods.

Decumanus Street lets you feel like you've stepped back in time to the days of the Roman Empire. It's home to some of Porec's most historical buildings and structures, many of which have been flawlessly preserved right up to the modern-day.

This is one of the best spots in Porec to do some shopping, with plenty of great gift shops and charming independent boutiques to explore, alongside a lot of great cafés and restaurants too. You'll see both locals and visitors flooding this area in the summer months, and it's just one long, straight street, lined with impressive tall buildings and offering lots of options to keep you busy.

The Agrolaguna Winery is one of the top wineries in Porec. There are several other great wineries nearby, but this is the biggest producer in the region and it's right in the town too, so you don't even need to drive out there or take the bus.

There are 2 different wine tasting options at the Agrolaguna Winery: standard and premium. The premium tasting includes a couple of extra samples, but both options come with olive oil and cheese tastings too, as well as a fascinating tour of the wine cellar.

The Round Tower was built back in 1475 and is one of the prettiest historical structures in all of Porec. It's been well-maintained and lovingly restored over the years, and in the modern era, it also plays home to a cosy bar and restaurant.

You can walk all the way to the top along the original stone staircase, taking a seat and grabbing a drink, snack, or full meal. The menu here is filled with typical Istrian dishes, so it's a nice place to enjoy some authentic Croatian cuisine while feeling centuries of history in the brickwork all around you as well as admiring the magical views over the city and peninsula.

Restaurant Hrast Porec is one of those quiet, subdued little eateries that can easily be overlooked, but shouldn't. While Porec is filled with exceptional dining destinations catering almost exclusively to the town's many tourists, Restaurant Hrast Porec is a simple place enjoyed by both locals and international visitors.

With a seafront terrace offering magical sunset views and friendly, professional service every time, Restaurant Hrast Porec serves up fresh food and authentic Istrian dishes at fair prices. The waiters here are always happy to greet new guests, offering recommendations and suggestions for those who are unsure what to try, and Hrast is also one of the top spots to go for the freshest seafood in the area.