Now listen, I won’t pretend that Pula is the most exciting or even the prettiest Croatian town I’ve been to, but it’s great for a relaxing getaway of a few days. With cheap Ryanair flights to the city, that’s exactly how a lot of people end up in this seaside town. When I looked for things to do, everyone said the same things: see the arena, see the ruins, take a trip to Brijuni Island, etc. That’s all fine and dandy, I mean the town has some seriously cool history from being part of the Roman empire to being Venetian to being an Austro-Hungarian naval base. But unfortunately, you can view the entire town in half a day, maybe even 2-3 hours. The center of the city is super touristy, yet the outskirts have nothing to do. While there, I went searching for a local bakery instead of a chain, less touristy restaurants, and a cute coffee shop (you know, trying to get the more local POV) but I found none of it. So, what do you do to fill the rest of your time? Well, I’ll tell you what we found out.

Buy Cheap Snorkel Gear and Jump In

Snorkeling in Pula is not a unique activity, but the idea that you can easily do it on your own is something most people don’t realize. You do not need to spend $40-60 a person on a boat tour that promises you snorkeling. You can buy goggles and a breathing tube at tourist shops for as little as 15 euros, and you can jump in pretty much anywhere. Then you have unlimited snorkeling for a third of the price!

The waves are not usually rough, and you see the same marine life as on a guided tour (I know because I did both!). You can even spot fish at the busiest of beaches, swimming right around all the people. You might be scared to start your snorkeling adventure once you see the big brown jellyfish hanging around most of the waters, but they are harmless and won’t sting you!

Do a Kayak Tour

Of course, going kayaking is not unbeknownst to anyone traveling to a coastal town, but this is one of the best things we did on our trip, so I’m emphasizing it. Going for a kayak instead of a boat gives you a much more up close and personal view of the villages along the coast.

There are TON of kayak tours on GetYourGuide and TripAdvisor, and all of them look the same. So, make your decision a little easier, we were very happy using Kayak Centar Pula (no, not a spelling mistake). It was 35 euros a person, 3 hours long, came with drinks and a snack, and free GoPro pictures. Plus, our guide Toni was super chill.

Most of these tours leave from Veredula or a town further south. Veredula is easily accessible with a 15-20 min bus ride.

Get a Massage or Go To a Spa

If you want relaxing, then a massage is the way to go! Now in theory a massage is not unique to Pula, but the prices here are reasonable, and there are plenty of spas around. Plus, since there isn’t a ton of other things to do, you won’t feel guilty for not sightseeing!

I got a massage at You & Me Spa, 60 euros (cash only) for an hour long full body massage. The owners were so sweet, two Australian sisters who moved to Croatia and opened the Spa with their mom. The ambiance was great, and they were the cheapest ones we found. It was also the first time I liked all of the aromas used in the treatment, instead of feeling like they were cheesy chemicals. This isn’t sponsored, I just had a really good experience!

If you want an entire spa, there are plenty of day spas around! Including this one which was 75 euros for a full body massage and 3 hours access to the pool and sauna, but harder to get to from Pula without a car.

Go To a Concert in The Area

Now, my very first example of a basic thing to do was go to the arena, but seeing a concert in the arena is a totally different experience! Imagine saying you saw John Legend in a 2,000 year old colosseum…!

The stage was already set up while we were there, and there are concerts all the time (according to our Uber driver, they almost had Pitbull there). The summer I went (2026) they had Lorde, Tom Odell, John Legend and many Croatian artists perform. Even without knowing the artist, it would be pretty cool.

The schedule of events is here.

Day trip to Rovijn

Pronounced Ro-veen, this town is sometimes referred to as the prettiest town in Istria (the region which Pula is a part of). I asked someone what to do there, and their reply was to “get lost in the streets.” I could see that, because the streets are giving Italian island. This person also told me that it’s the most beautiful place to watch the sunset.

Rovijn is easily accessible by bus from Pula

Day trip to Kamenjak

Kamenjak has been on my Croatian bucket list even when I was in towns hours away, and I still never made it down there!! So for my sake, you have to do it. Kamenjak is the southern tip of Istria, and is breathtakingly beautiful (at least it looks this way).

It is a place for nature lovers, with the sightseeing simply being the landscape itself. It is also, supposedly, the best place for cliff jumping and snorkeling. You can do ATV tours, cave swimming tours, and hiking too. It really is a place for adventure, or for those seeking the unspoiled nature which Brunji Island falsely promises (more on that next).

Even looking at these pictures as I put them into the article, I have regret about not going, but we didn’t go because Kamenjak is a bit harder to reach from Pula without a car. There’s a 40 min bus to the nearest town, and then a couple kilometers of cycling or walking to reach the southern end. Maybe it’s more accessible if you do an excursion that begins from another town. A lot of tours to Kamenjak leave from Medulin, which is only 35minutes by bus from Pula.

Try the Teranino Spritz

Teranino is a red wine liquor famous in the Istrian region, and boy I have never liked an alcoholic beverage so much. It tastes very similar to a cold glühwein, with a hint of cherry flavor. The most popular way to use it is to make a Teranino spritz, which adds grapefruit soda and lemon juice for a very refreshing combo. I kept accidentally calling it a Tarantino spritz, but no, they don’t make Quentin in spritz form.

On the tourist street in Pula, you can pop into the Aura family distillery and try Teranino and the spritz for free. I am ashamed to admit that I popped in everyday, but hey, I’m on a student budget okay.

Do an Olive Oil tasting

You will see olive oil EVERYWHERE in Pula because the Istrian region has a climate and soil type that produces some of the highest quality oils in the world. There is lots of history around the oil, and the amount of options you’ll find to purchase are a bit overwhelming. So, an olive oil tasting could be perfect both for learning and to help with your souvenir decisions.  It might even help you pick out olive oils at your grocery store back home if you don’t know which type to choose, or how to differentiate between the scams and the high quality oils.

Why we didn’t visit Brijuni Island

Brijuni Island is a national park and safari advertised as an unspoiled nature oasis. If you’ve read any other articles on Pula, you’ve definitely been recommended this place. However, from what we gathered, Brijuni is far from unspoiled, and the island is heavily cultivated for tourism. I read an enlightening (and frankly hilarious) article about this place from IAmAPolarBear.com that illustrates the lack of need to do this experience. Frankly, even before reading this, all the pictures I saw confirmed the island is nothing special.

To sum up a few of the other reasons the island didn’t sit right with us, it was owned by former dictator Josip Tito. His home still sits on the island, along with a giant hotel where he housed his important guests. Julie from IAmAPolarBear made the clever comparison between Brijuni island and Mar A Lago. Do with that what you will.

The exotic animals ended up on the island because countries would give them as gifts to Tito. First off, who decided that we as humans have the right to give animals as gifts, and even more so, to let that be on behalf of a whole country?? And second, Tito liked to shoot some of the animals for fun. If fact, on the island tour, there is an entire trophy room of his kills.

To be fair to Croatia, you can’t exactly send these animals back now, and it’s possible they are in great hands since Tito died in 1980. The island could also be a positive thing for the local community who benefit from the tourism. I don’t know, so I can’t give you a complete argument. I could be wrong in my views of the Island, but still, it rubs me the wrong way. If you’re looking for untouched, I just wouldn’t recommend it.

Best Beaches in Pula/Verudela

Claiming that I know the BEST beaches near pula is a little too far, but I did experience a let down from going to the beaches that other blogs recommended and want to share my wisdom from that. Hawaii beach in Verudela was the most recommended spot for sunbathing and swimming, but it was so crowded, small, cliff-filled, and had such rough waves that we left pretty soon after getting there. We also checked out Ambrela (the closest beach to the bus stop) and it was dirty and crowded.

The best beach we found was actually Histria. It had plenty of room to lay and swim, although there was an aquapark floating in the water, but it didn’t get in the way. It’s the nearest beach to Park Plaza resort, but wasn’t nearly as crowded as I expected. Also, there is a pool and bar right above it that you can use for free if you walk in confidently enough… 🤫

I will say that everyone goes to Verudela for the beaches because they are most accessible from Pula city where there aren’t any beaches. If you really want to be unique, you should check somewhere else. These are unlikely to be the best beaches around, but if you want the convenience, choose Histria over Hawaii.

Where to stay

For those budget travelers, Hostel Antique is the way to go! One of the cleanest and comfiest hostels I have been to! Huge kitchen, nice bathrooms, and friendly staff. Best of all, strong AC to save you from the Mediterranean summer heat. Also, only steps away from the main street in Pula and from the bus stop!

If you want mid-upper range place, I’d recommend the Park Plaza. I normally am against resorts for their environmental damage and community disruption, but sometimes I bend a little. This place was not as exclusive and secluded from the real world as some resorts, so that gives it points. We didn’t sleep here but because there isn’t much in Verudela where the closest beaches to Pula are, we ended up eating the dinner buffet here, having drinks and snacks at the poolside bar, and even swam and lounged in the pool area. It was all quite nice – beautiful views and decent food. I would recommend.

Drinks from Pool Bar & Restaurant Olivia, part of Park Plaza Histria hotel

After having such good experiences, we looked up the prices thinking we would never be able to afford it, but to our surprise rooms were only around 150-250. If you’re sharing with friends or family, that’s pretty good! There are multiple park plaza versions (Histria, Arena, Verudela) literally right next to each other, so just explore and choose the right one for you.