A guide to road cycling on the island of Krk, Croatia

When I decided to take a road bike on a family holiday to the Croatian island of Krk, the biggest in the country, I wasn’t certain the “logistical hassle” is worth it. The claims said the island was a cycling paradise, but more for the mountain and trek bikes than for the asphalt fans.

After checking some Strava segments and Google Maps, I got comfortable with the idea. Hills were what I was looking for and there seemed to be some paved ones. Anything would be better than a week without pedaling…

A long story short

If you need to go back to what you were doing, here is the conclusion. The pictures and the rest of the story come afterwards, yay!

In case you plan to go for a holiday to Krk, definitely take your road bike with you. Here is a route I recommend you to take (or get inspired by). This one’s also good.

If you are looking for a perfect location for cycling — with the roads winding and twisting, the ascents never ending and the descents liberating, then go to the mainland. You can get inspired by the Isadore’s story from Makarska Riviera. The photo report is from Sveti Jure, a hors catégorie climb that witnessed a stage 2 finish of Tour of Croatia 2017. (stage profile here, you are welcome!)

A hilly island

Finding a piece of flat on the island is hard, but that’s good. Three times I went touring around the island, I had to climb up the 9km up the valley from Baška, averaging just 3.4%, however with the last 1.5 km at 7.5%. Nice warm up!

This probably applies to any hilly island — think twice before descending to a village or a town. Because surprise (!), you will have to go up in reverse. If you are not into marine stuff, overroasted coffee or sunbathing in the bib shorts (or creeping out the sunbathers), your main motivation is the ascent itself.

Despite being the largest Adriatic island (tied with Cres), the chances you will get lost here are small. You might take a wrong turn and pedal some extra kilometers, but eventually, you will find some village and get back on track. This is again a general characteristic of cycling on an island.

Here is my Canyon photobombed by an old Opel on the climb from Baška, our family’s temporary residence.

The Baška Valley

Below is a view down the Baška valley (just made the name up) which I mentioned earlier. The descent is top-notch! There is a lot of moon surface on the sides of the valley and also in other parts of the island. It’s pity the asphalt roads (or at least rideable gravel) don’t lead there. As you can see, the mainland on the horizon must provide many climbing opportunities.

A bit on safety

Inland is up and down all the time. Not really scenic, but great for a workout. The roads have also a lot of signs here, which brought my thoughts back to the driving school times. Talking about driving, I felt safe most of the time. But the roads are narrow and the curves sharp, so be cautious and make sure the drivers can see you all the time.

When it rains, it pours…

Weather can change any minute on the island. “You don’t say”, you are thinking now. Well, I learned it the hard way. Two out of four days on a bike, I got caught in a storm and the climb pictured below changed to wet hell with cars, buses, and trucks swooshing around me loudly, sometimes uncomfortably close. I didn’t mind the rain or the soaked kit, but I kept estimating the distance of the thunderbolts.

A cycling path!

I kept avoiding the road 102 leading from Krk, the island’s capital, to the north of the island where it meets the mainland thanks to Krk bridge, but on the last day of riding, I accidentally found a cycling path aligned with the main road! I didn’t plan to head north but decided to follow the path until it ends, which in the end appeared to be near coastal town Malinska.

From Punat to Stará Baška

A ride from Punat, a home to many sailboats and yachts, to remote Stará Baška was definitely a highlight of the week and make sure you go there. Traffic was low, views beautiful and both descent a and ascent enjoyable, even with knee pain and empty bottles.

Do you have any questions or tips on cycling in Croatia? Make sure you share them in a comment, thanks!