Okreti: Cycling Routes, Cave and History

When looking for a hotel in Okreti, you can plan your stay around two themes: cycling routes of varying lengths and difficulty ratings, and Pećinovac kod Okreti, a cave with geological features and archaeological finds. When planning your routes, it is worth distinguishing between route type, length and rating.

Cycling: Routes and Profiles

One Captain Morgan cycling route includes the Okreti–Rovinjsko Selo section. The circular route described via Sošići, Krunčići, Mrgani and Kanfanar to Okreti is 25.2 kilometres long and difficult. This is distinct from a 26.44-kilometre Captain Morgan section that runs from Rovinjsko Selo via Sošići, Krunčići, Mrgani and Kanfanar to Okreti and is rated moderate. The lengths therefore refer to differently designated route units: a circular route and a section. The respective difficulty ratings also apply to those route descriptions.

The Štrika-Ferata follows the former Kanfanar–Rovinj railway line, which passed through Okreti. Its twelve-kilometre Kanfanar section has only minor elevation changes and is considered easy for recreational cyclists. The surface and signage may change. Check current route conditions before setting off.

The Okreti–Šorići–Vrh Lima–Kanfanar route is 40.2 kilometres long and moderately difficult. Together with the shorter Štrika-Ferata and the Captain Morgan routes with their differing ratings, this offers another way to plan trips by length and difficulty. Here, too, it is advisable to check route conditions before setting off.

Pećinovac kod Okreti: Geology and History

Pećinovac kod Okreti lies between Kanfanar and Sošići, in the area of the Istrian Y motorway interchange. The funnel-shaped cave is located in the western wall of an oval karst sinkhole, 181 metres above sea level. It is 23 metres long, about four metres wide and 2.7 metres high. Its location and dimensions describe a natural site that differs markedly from the cycling themes.

Archaeological investigations uncovered ash from hearths, pottery, animal bones, flint artefacts, a millstone slab and a bronze needle. People used the site at various times during the Eneolithic, Bronze Age, Roman period and Middle Ages. The cave thus combines a precise geological description with a history of use spanning several eras.

Općina Kanfanar: Regional Context

Općina Kanfanar lies in the heart of the Istrian peninsula, where green and blue Istria meet. In the municipality, visitors can explore the natural and cultural heritage along cycling routes. One regional cycling reference is the Captain Morgan and the Ghost Town route: it is 23.8 kilometres long, moderately difficult, and starts and ends in Kanfanar. The route passes through the Limska Draga valley and Dvigrad.

The history of architecture is also present in Općina Kanfanar. The parish church of St. Sylvester in the village of Kanfanar was built in 1696. Inside the church is a stone pulpit from Dvigrad dating to the 13th century. These details complement Pećinovac’s archaeological history with a later chapter in the region’s architectural and cultural history.

A seasonal highlight is Jakovlja, a traditional festival in Kanfanar on the last weekend of July. Visitors can watch the public weighing of Istrian oxen and traditional ploughing with oxen. If you are planning your trip around this festival, check the annual programme and specific dates.

Discover more destinations: Ladići, Putini, Barat, Žuntići, Burići, Bubani, Marići, Mrgani.

For the broader travel overview: Općina Kanfanar.