Rovinj

Rovinj from the Balbi Arch to Golden Cape

Rovinj is small: one day does it. Shop at the Valdibora market early, enter the old town through the Balbi Arch, climb Grisia past the galleries to St Euphemia and up its bell tower before the heat, then cycle the shore track to the Golden Cape forest park for an afternoon swim.

Start at the Valdibora market while it is cool, picking up figs or a jar of truffle paste, then cross to the main square and enter the old town through the Balbi Arch. Afterwards, clamber down the rocks behind the church for a swim in deep water, and have lunch a few lanes back from the harbour.

Rest through the hottest hours, then see what the City Museum is showing when it reopens at 16:00, or walk the harbour as the fishing boats come in.

On the second day, rent a bike and follow the coast south into Golden Cape park, stopping at whichever flat rock is free. Keep pedalling along the shore tracks through the pines if you want quieter coves. Late afternoon, take a taxi boat to St Catherine's island, or catch the museum's summer evening opening. Finish with a drink on the rocks at Valentino as the sun drops behind the islets.

Veal under the peka, Calisona and truffles from Valdibora

Eat a few lanes back from Rovinj's harbour front, where tables carry a premium. Calisona on Trg Pignaton serves pizza, risotto and grilled fish at fair prices, Lampo pairs seafood with a sea view, and konobas cook veal under the peka lid. Buy truffle paste and figs at the Valdibora market.

Calisona, on Trg Pignaton opposite the museum, serves pizza, risotto and grilled fish at reasonable prices with good service. Lampo, on Ulica Svetog Križa, pairs good seafood with a view of the water. For something slower, ask a konoba for veal cooked under the peka, an iron lid heaped with embers.

Istrian staples run through most menus: fuži pasta with truffles, thin pršut, fresh fish dressed with olive oil, and Malvazija or Teran by the glass. The Valdibora market, at its best early in the morning, is the place to buy truffles and olive oil to take home, along with whatever fruit is in season.

Carry cash everywhere, since plenty of places refuse cards or claim the machine is broken. Outside summer, check opening hours before you set off, as many kitchens close for the winter.

Swimming season in Rovinj and St Euphemia's feast on 16 September

Swim in Rovinj from late June into September. July and August average highs of 29C with nights around 17C, July is the driest month at about 41 mm, and the Venice catamaran and the City Museum's evening hours run then. May, at 22C, is quieter, and the feast of St Euphemia falls on 16 September.

July and August are also when prices peak, the catamaran from Venice is running and the City Museum keeps its evening hours.

May, at 22C, and June, at 25C, are the easiest months to walk the lanes and swim at Golden Cape without hunting for a free rock. September stays warm at around 25C, though it marks the start of the wetter half of the year, with about 83 mm. On 16 September the town keeps the feast of St Euphemia, the patron whose church crowns the hill.

October and November are the wettest months, close to 100 mm each. From December to February days reach only 10C to 11C and nights fall to 2C or 3C. Many restaurants close, but the fishing harbour keeps working.