Scenic Drive: Rovanjska to Novi Vinodolski

Perhaps the most enjoyable road in Croatia

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Road Metrics

• Twist Factor: High (many sharp corners and high elevation changes)
• Traffic: Mostly light, lots of bikers during sunny days
• Safety: This route suffers the most from wind, with a very high chance of being closed during winter.
• Surface: Smooth, new asphalt

I’ll always have a special place in my heart for this route, as it’s the first ‘proper’ route I’ve driven in my Mazda 3. It was a part of a longer drive from Zadar to Rovinj. I have to admit that I didn’t know much about it, but when it was over, I just wanted to return.

The route has many corners, often resulting in hairpins with significant elevation changes. This can be troublesome if you’re unfamiliar with how weight transfers in your car, making the route feel jerky and nervous if you’re not at peace with your car and your skills. A situation you’ll often find yourself in is a long stretch of road high above that suddenly drops into a very tight corner right near the sea and then climbs away.

Despite taking only around an hour and a half, the route is challenging and demanding regardless of how you drive it, but it is probably the best hour you can spend in Croatia.

Recommended Stops

• Zavratnica Bay: Zavratnica is somewhat complicated to get to, as you need to climb down from the road to the sea on foot, but it’s very much worth it. It’s one of the most beautiful hidden bays in Croatia. The bay is also the resting place of one of the Siebel ferries, a German landing ship sunk during World War 2.
• Karlobag: A Small town with a great view of Pag Island.
• Viewpoints and scenic stops: There are plenty along the road, but they’re better to visit when travelling towards Rovanjska since you’ll want to park closer to the sea and not run across the road.

Let’s drive

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