Road Metrics

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, which was, in fact, my very first ‘interesting’ car. I like to think that this route came to me just when I needed it. I was at a crossroads in my life career-wise, having just left my job at Netokracija to open a small business and start working with international clients, and was driving it to have one last good time with the friends and colleagues at the Weekend Media Festival in Rovinj.

Up until that point I’ve never driven it, but I remember knowing that it’s challenging due to constant high-speed winds and hundreds of corners. The Mazda, praised as one of the best (if not the best) handling small cars on the market, was a great choice, and driving the road made me realise that I’d like to do more things related to cars. I did not know it at the time, but that particular summer day was the first step into making this blog.

The route has many corners, often resulting in hairpins with significant elevation changes. It’s one of the twistiest “normal” roads in Croatia, and a part of the Jadranska Magistrala. It’s widely used as a way to get from Zadar to Rijeka by car, and for numerous Croatian road trips during the summer months. It’s an important route, connecting the Primorje and Dalmacija regions, which results in a lot of traffic during peak season.

For me, however, the road was almost completely empty and open, with very little traffic, allowing me to enjoy it more. Adding to the mix is the fact that it was freshly paved over with new asphalt, and you have all the ingredients to the best coastal drive in Croatia.

The number of corners and changes of elevation 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. This is repeated dozens of times, and your passengers might hate you if they’re of the type that gets easily car sick. I warned you!

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 scenic drive on the coast and the best hour and a half you can spend behind the wheel in Croatia.

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