The Slovene Seaside

Should we decide to walk the coastline from the »Moon's bay« in the direction of Izola, we would shortly reach another popular wild beach called »Bele skale«, which translates as »White rocks«. This beach is predominantly popular with people who don't mind a 15 minute walk along a steep hill in order to reach this exceedingly beautiful beach with tiny pebbles. You will reach »White rocks« if you follow the marked downhill path from the campsite at top of the hill of Belvedere above Izola.

All nature lovers, who enjoy taking up some private space on secluded beaches for a bona-fide relaxation, will surely enjoy both »Moon's bay«, as well as »White rocks«. But in case you prefer beaches with refreshing drinks and ice-cream round the clock, or dancing to live music in the evenings is your jam, San Simon beach in Izola is an excellent choice. The beach is partly sandy, but there are also parts, made of pebbles. San Simon is especially popular amongst young people, as this beach often hosts parties in the evenings, while during day-time you can rent paddleboats or water scooters. For the sporty types, there is a tennis court nearby, as well as a beach volleyball court that is open every day.

In Izola there is a beach called »Svetilnik«, which literally translates as »Lighthouse«. It is an organized beach, but it's still very natural. For those of you who can't imagine a holiday without your furry family members, there is a dog beach in the vicinity of »Lighthouse Beach«.

In case you like things happening day and night, you simply can't miss Portorož. In Portorož you can freshen up on the sandy city beach. While the beach alone is usually quite crowded, your chance to leave the hustle are the long piers, where you can lie down and enjoy a quiet, picturesque sunset with your significant other. Next to the beach there are numerous bars that fit any taste; whether you're up for a cocktail, a really good pizza, or fish and meat specialties, you are sure to find it on the promenade. Sports lovers will enjoy using sports props that are on the beach, a game of tennis on a nearby court or renting some paddleboats or water scooters. But the ones who will undoubtedly enjoy the Portorož city beach the most are your children, since a good share of the beach is dedicated to their fun and thus transformed into playground, as well as a waterpark.

If you're into viewpoints, you must visit Bernardin and one way to get there is by bus; you hop on in Portorož and hop off to enjoy a spectacular profile of the gulf of Piran. And since you're here already, you can't leave without visiting the old town of Piran. This is a tiny old town with a charming venetian-style square called The Tartini square. You will not regret if you take the path that leads towards the beautiful church, resting on top of Piran, where you can witness one the most beautiful views on the whole Slovene Riviera. Because the space is so limited in Piran, parking is literally impossible, however, in the season a good alternative is to take a free bus ride on relation Fornače-Piran-Fornače.

Another two lovely spots on the Slovene Riviera are Ankaran, a little town, famous for its shell dunes at Sv. Katarina, and Debeli Rtič with its beautiful vineyards.

At the end of this beautiful, yet tiring day on the Slovene coast, we cannot not invite you to our little village Ocizla pri Kozini, located approximately 20 km from the seaside, where you can spend the night at our neat and lovely Youth Hostel Ociski raj. The reason that our hostel might be a good choice for you are the way more pleasant temperatures in the evenings. Our hostel welcomes bigger groups of people as well as individual travellers who are hoping to get a good night's sleep and wake up in the tranquil nature. We also offer family rooms and we are pretty sure your children will enjoy our private playground and the possibility of petting some of our farm animals (goats, pony, turtle, kittens) in the hostel front yard.

Welcome to Youth Hostel Ociski raj, where you can become a member of the Hostelling International network and get a 10% discount on your accommodation.

Sara Mavri