Pula holidays

Holidays to Pula put you in prime position for daytrips to archaeological sites and national parks.

Farmers’ markets and mirto liqueur

Live ‘la dolce vita’ in Pula – the up-and-coming holiday destination where nobody says ‘buonanotte’, or goodnight, ‘til they’ve had their after-dinner mirto, a berry-flavoured Mediterranean liqueur. If you’re wondering why we’re throwing in all the Italian phrases rather than Croatian ones, that’s because this place is over a thousand miles away from the huge seafront city on the Istrian peninsula of the same name. And even though they share some similarities – namely the Roman ruins and buzzy nightlife scene – Sardinia’s seaside gem has more of a small-town vibe. Think weekly farmers’ markets that supply nonnas with their fruit and veg, and a petite main square where unfussy eateries serve seafood pasta al fresco.

Nora’s not-so-noisy neighbour

While Pula has a couple of its own historic calling cards, including a church with an 18th-century Baroque-style altar and a museum filled with stone sculptures and amphora jars, the nearby town of Nora steals the thunder here. It started out as the island’s first Phoenician city, and now boasts an archaeological site where tourists flock to see well-preserved mosaics and Sardinia’s only known Roman theatre. Head there for a dose of the local culture, then go for a swim at the local beach, or ‘spiaggia’. You’ll see the hilltop Torre del Coltellazzo watchtower in the distance.

Lots for nature lovers

Swap your flip-flops for walking shoes, and you can stomp around one of the national parks in the local area. You’ve got two within a 45-minute drive – there’s Molentargius Saline Regional Natural Park, where colonies of pink flamingos gather on the beach, and the Monte Arcosu Nature Reserve, Italy’s biggest WWF nature reserve and the home of rare red deer. La Giara di Gesturi’s a little further out, but it’s worth a trip – you can see herds of wild horses, which just so happen to be the last ones of their kind in Europe, running free in this basalt plateau.