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Camping Bijela Uvala; review campsite on the Istrian coast

A holiday to Croatia had been on our wish list for some time. Not only because of the fact that Croatia can still be driven by car (especially Istria), but also because of the beautiful stories of others. And finally the time had come, during the May holiday we went to Camping Bijela Uvala in Porec. At a 1300 kilometer drive from Schijndel, about halfway along the Istrian coastline, we arrived in the evening after an extensive journey.

As soon as you enter, you can see at the entrance that it is a large campsite. When we arrive at the reception, we are quickly helped and immediately referred to the Vacansoleil reception where we have the mobile home. Someone is there too, so before we know it the children are running onto the veranda of the mobile home. I am especially amazed at the enormous amount of places on this campsite. Not only for mobile homes, but also places for tents and your own caravans.

Anyway, quickly put the bags in our Waikiki mobile home and set up a soup. We are starving, but I would also like to take a tour of the campsite before it gets really dark. Nice Dutch way I open a can of tomato soup which we brought from home. We never actually do that, but it was very handy.

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Camping Bijela Uvala; located on a beautiful coastline

Since it is now May holidays, it is very quiet on the campsite and we have an (almost) unobstructed view towards the beach. It is that there is just a mobile home in front of us 😉 . If you stay at camping Bijela Uvala with your tent, your caravan or your motorhome, you just have a chance to be right on the coast. Fantastic!

That is what immediately stands out about this campsite. The beautiful coastline, the view and the clear water. Now the weather is not perfect every day, but every now and then I have been able to shoot beautiful pictures and Lotte is only too happy to pose!

Do you want more information? Check the campsite on the Vacansoleil website.

The location and activities at this campsite in Istria

The campsite is really huge, I hadn't realized that beforehand. If this campsite is full in high season, it obviously gives a different feeling. We have now enjoyed the peace. Since we have been on the road a lot to discover Croatia, this campsite was an ideal base. At an hour's distance you have all kinds of possibilities to go out. You can easily go to, for example, Pula, Rovinje, Hum and Motovun. Or visit the National Park of Istria, Brijuni. But there is much more. Knowing more? Then read my blog about Porec Croatia.

If you just want to stay at the campsite for a while, then you will not be short of anything at Bijela Uvala. With 4 swimming pools, various restaurants and terraces and of course a well-stocked supermarket, you don't even have to leave the campsite. Especially when you consider that there are also tennis courts, a trampoline, that you can play jeu de boules, play football and volleyball or mini golf and much more. Of course there are plenty of playgrounds and you can do outdoor fitness.

For example, just outside the campsite there is the possibility to go horseback riding and of course you can rent bicycles. In addition, this campsite is ideally suited for water sports enthusiasts.

If you are a real water lover, then you can celebrate your dream holiday here. For example, you can bring your own boat or water scooter, but you can also rent a boat. Or pedal boats. Please note that you do not have to be at Camping Bijela Uvala during the May holiday, but rather during the high season. We tried to rent a boat, but unfortunately that didn't work. Fishing and going on the water with your own gear is of course always possible!

Swimming at the campsite

I wrote it above, this campsite has 4 (!) swimming pools. During the May holidays, however, they are not all full of water yet 😉 , but hey… if you ask me, it is not swimming weather yet. Lotte, however, thinks otherwise. And because we are on vacation, we do as many things as possible that one of us likes. So also swimming. And on a day like this it went, even if it took a while. But what a view from this pool, isn't it?

By the way, not the whole family is ready, but I sacrifice myself to not let her go alone. Geez, how cold, haha. But I once again showed my best side. And oh yeah… in the context of all the #bodypositivity stuff I just post a picture of myself in a bikini.

Food and drink at camping Bijela Uvala

When I'm on vacation, I prefer not to have to cook too much myself. Once in a while that's fine, but I'm on vacation too . In Croatia, at least you don't have to worry about the food. Man, what can you eat here! Readers already tipped me off about this before our vacation. You can go for a meal in every city we've been to and it's less expensive than in the Netherlands. At the campsite, the level of the chefs is just as high, which means that you can eat really well at Bijela Uvala. With a view of the sea.

Of course I took the photo above from the wrong side, but to the right of Frank is the sea. Check Lotte… she also has to take a picture of the food for her own Insta 😉 . The portion of delicious grilled vegetables is not on it, but they are at home in that too. Luc enjoyed a delicious pasta here, but also got very happy with the pizza below. They serve it in the poolside restaurant.

Besides the fact that you have plenty of opportunity at the campsite to have a snack and a drink, there is also a supermarket at Bijela Uvala where you can get everything. More than enough in any case to get through a week if you are talking about the normal groceries and food and drinks. Of course, this supermarket is more expensive than a local supermarket, as you always see at a campsite.

In Porec itself there are plenty of supermarkets so if you are by car you will be at the door of a local supermarket within 10 minutes to get your groceries if you want.

Do you want more information? Check the campsite on the Vacansoleil website.

Travel to and pay in Croatia

We took the car to drive to Croatia. We left at 3:00 am and with the necessary stops in between, we were at camping Bijela Uvala the next day at 6:00 pm. The return journey was also faster, so if everything goes well, it will take you a little less time. Still, that 1300 kilometers is quite a journey if you ask me. And then you are only in Istria. If you wanted to go even further into Croatia, we wouldn't drive it in one day. This was really more than enough.

Make no mistake, Croatia is quite big. From Istria you really don't just drive all over Croatia in a day to see things. For example, we would have liked to see the Plitvice lakes, but one day we thought that was just too far. Especially because we stayed 9 days of which 2 days were completely taken up as a travel day. For example, if you are going to Istria for 3 weeks, it is best to visit those beautiful lakes in between (about 3 hours one way from Bijela Uvala), or even to Zagreb if you want.

Don't forget your vignettes when you go to Croatia. We drove through Austria and Slovenia and you need a vignette for both countries.

In addition, keep in mind that you cannot pay with the euro in Croatia. They have their own currency, the Kuna. We had to get used to paying with a foreign currency, but after 2 days you don't know any better. It does give that little bit of extra holiday feeling.