8 Reasons Why You Will Love Baska Krk Island

Do you like swimming and snorkelling in crystal clear waters? Hiking in quirky landscapes? Soaking up the sunshine at pebbles beaches? Strolling through picturesque streets and colourful houses? Eating farming produce and freshly caught fish by the locals? Even if all this may sound touristy to you, I can tell you that, Baska on the southeast coast of Krk Island must be on your list.

Embraced by the Karst sidehills and the calm Adriatic sea, it’s the ideal place for a relaxing beach holiday and a hiking adventure alike.

Why visit Baska Krk Island

I first visited Baska last year, on a hiking trip and fell in love with it. While in summer from June to August it is a top-rated destination by Slovenians and Croatians alike, many Austrians and Northern Italians flock over to Baska for hiking, swimming and eating the good food. If you are looking for a peaceful holiday, then April, May and September are the best months of the year for visiting Baska, which is in my opinion, one of the best cities in Croatia.

Here is why you should go on a trip to Baska on Krk Island, maybe by planning a trip to Italy too.

A Getaway from Trieste Italy

The great thing about Baska is that it’s only 1.5 hours drive from Trieste. Buses are also available from Rijeka and Zagreb and more Croatian cities. But you can also take the train from Venice to Trieste, and hire a car to continue your road trip to Baska. There is a 1,400-meter long bridge connecting the mainland to Krk Island, which makes it very handy for the 10 thousand tourists visiting Krk island every year. You have to pay a fee to enter the island of 40kn, but it’s free when you go back.

Swimming and Hiking: the perfect combination

Being Croatia, a spread out country from North to South with over 1200 islands, of which 48 inhabited, getting around Croatia it’s not so apparent and accessible to everyone. Krk Island is one of the northern Dalmatian islands that offers spectacular hiking trails in a unique landscape scenery, and it’s very well connected to the rest of Central Europe. Ideally, you can combine a hike with a swim in its emerald waters is the most rewarding part. Moreover, the colour contrasts that the rocky formations of the Karst plateau together with the limestone layers of yellow nuances create with the deep blue colour of the Adriatic sea and the green of the forests is genuinely spectacular.

Hiking Trails and Stunning Views

My reason for visiting Baska in Croatia was to go hiking. There are dozens of hiking trails on this sunny Adriatic island, and the hikes around Baska offer a varied landscape, from the rocky canyons and steep gully to limestone cliffs to deep forests and vast valleys of juniper bushes with many cairns. There are numerous vantage points from where you can enjoy a view of the entire island. From the summit of Obzova, the highest peak of Krk Island, with 598 meters, from the southern end of Bag, a 185-meter high rocky knoll overlooking the Baska beach, and many more lookouts.

Enjoy Baska’s vibe and flair

If you are not really into hiking and climbing, there are many things to do in Krk Island. Take a stroll and explore its coloured town centre, walk along Baska Vela beach, a 2km pebbles beach, skirting the town centre, well organised with an excellent infrastructure, and also some diving platforms. Or sit at one of the many beachfront bars, and restaurants and soak up the sun and the beauty of the bay. Browse through the small shops, watch fishers clean the freshly caught fish, walk to the pier and old lighthouse or go on a boat tour to the Vela Luka and Mala Luka beaches, on the north-eastern side of the island.

Swim and relax at the Baska Beach

Probably the first thing that comes to mind when you mention Baska to Croatians or Central Europeans. Sandy and pebbles beaches with crystal clear water are what make Baska stand out. The peacefulness of the many secluded beaches and bays is also something to treasure. You can go for a walk along the Vela Baska Beach, which is the main beach in town. And if you are more adventurous, you can go on a challenging walk out of town. Walk through rocky paths skirting the coastline, and get on foot to the remote beaches of Vela Luka and Mala Luka. A taxi boat service is available to those who don’t fancy the long walk.

Baska Naturist Campsite

For all naturist beachgoers, Baska is a top place, only 20 minutes walk from the Baska centre. I happened to visit Baska at the end of April while it was closed, so we were allowed to walk through. It is one of the most glamorous spots for naturist camping in Croatia, with a fabulous view of the sea and indeed a peaceful place with a beautiful beach. You will not be allowed to walk across the site unless you are staying in the naturist campsite Bunculuka.

Excellent Food and Local Produce

Food in Baska is delicious. As a pescatarian, I had the best scampi pasta, even better than what you can expect in Italian restaurants. Being fishing a significant trade activity on the island, fish is one of the freshest local produce, but they also have meats and agricultural farming. In many small restaurants, you can eat fresh fish caught during the day and freshly cooked in the evening. I found prices in Baska’s restaurants to be fair.

Baska Heritage sites

You don’t need to go hiking to enjoy a stunning view of Baska. In only 15 minutes you can walk up to the highest point in town, ZAKAM, from where you can enjoy a stunning view of the bay. Being Baska embraced by limestone cliffs, it is protected by the strong winds; therefore on a calm day, from the summit, the Adriatic sea looks like a canvas of blue velvet.

Another beautiful place for a gorgeous view is the old cemetery where you can visit the church and the bell of St. Ivan, dated back to the 11th Century. Or walk up to St. Lucy where a limestone tablet was discovered in the 19th century bearing one oft he earliest Glagolitic scripts. In the church you only find a reproduction, the original is held in a museum in Zagreb though.

Conclusion about visiting Baska Krk Island

Either for a hiking adventure across its rocky plateau and lunar landscape, or a relaxing beach vacation,  hope you will love Baska as I do. And because I love it so much, I’m organising and co-leading a hiking trip in September. You can check out the Trieste + Krk Island Hiking Trip here.

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