Another reason why I will return to Poreč next summer is to visit the small island of St. Nicholas, which is only a 5-minute boat ride from Poreč, a picturesque Istrian town.
My sister visited this island a few days ago during her vacation in Croatia and sent me photos. The island is small but very nice. It is considered one of the most beautiful small islands of the Adriatic Sea.
My sister's first impression of this island were pleasant fragrances of pine forest, Adriatic sea and bay leaves. Everywhere you look around, you admire the astonishing nature and enjoy fragrant surroundings that make you breathe deeply and feel healthy.
The island has several wild and several organized beaches. The water is very clean and transparent, so swimming here is a real pleasure. This island has the European blue flag for purity of water and coast.
The whole island looks like a big botanical garden. There are many protected plant and animal species. A walk through the "Istrian fantasy forest" is a real adventure, not only for children but also for adults.
The island of St. Nicholas has a long history and was inhabited even in prehistoric times. Various peoples took turns and left their traces of culture and civilization. The castle, which looks imposing and classy, attracted my special attention.
Today, this castle is used for tourist purposes as a hotel. But a long time ago it had another purpose. The sign in front of it says that there used to be a quarantine.
"During the harsh plague epidemic in the 17th century St. Nicholas island was turned into a quarantine area. All merchant and passenger ships were obligated to spend 40 days on the island before they could be cleared to enter Poreč."
I like places that have a long history because you can always learn something new about them. They are places that have a soul and I am always happy to visit them. I look forward to visiting this beautiful island next summer. I hope I have inspired you to think about it too. 😊
Thank you very much for reading.
The images and writing are original and mine.
Greetings!
Jelena