Istria is lucky to have so many beautiful places that were created only by mother nature´s hands. One of these places is called
Cape Kamenjak and it is the
southern cape of Istria, just 10 km outside Pula. A bit less than
400 ha of pure nature, with 30km of picturesque beaches with crystal clear, blue Adriatic sea and
11 uninhabited islands are definitely something to put on your “must see” list.
This place was
inhabited during the ancient times, with walls, pillars and even the money of Emperor August that was found there, being evidence of that. There are also
traces from the Austro-Hungarian period and one of them is
the island of Porter that has its own lighthouse. Today, the only habitants that are allowed to live there are animals. More than
140 species of birds, beautiful butterflies, deer, foxes, squirrels and all of them will fulfil your stay in this breath-taking part of the Istrian land.
One extraordinary species,
the Mediterranean monk seal, was also a habitant in this region, although it was assumed that this species was completely extinct. Cape Kamenjak is also a
protected natural park that has around 600 plant species and you will be mesmerized by its orchids, since they are covering the biggest part of the land.
But, there is another fascinating thing about Cape Kamenjak. This is a place where you can see
over 90- million-years old dinosaur footprints. There are few locations and each one is presenting theropod and sauropod footprints. The first place is
Grakalovac, with about twelve footprints and
Fenoliga Island with over 140 footprints. But that is not all. This place hides a lot of history back to a time when we were part of the supercontinent Pangea. How? The shore of Cape Kamenjak is
full of fossils of extinct shellfish. In honour of that, there is an educational-recreational trail with sculptures in natural size.
Istria is also called “Terra Magica” which means “Magical land” in Italian. So, take a walk in the nature and enjoy each and every moment. And if you would like to spend your vacation close to this natural beauty, My Istria is a great choice for you as it offers many villas that are close to this natural beauty.
Antonela Laganis
26.10.2017
MY ISTRIA GUIDE
