Along Istria's Rabac coastline, which is bordered by the Adriatic Sea and the Kvarner Gulf, you'll find varied and colorful reefs and cliff walls teeming with vibrant marine life; in addition, there are caves and shoals to explore. Offering clear, crystal blue waters and a mild climate, Rabac is a wonderful destination for all divers. While wrecks are among the area's most popular dive sites, Rabac's reefs should certainly not be overlooked. Here, we'll explore five of the best.
Red Crag
Red crag is a very popular site with newer divers, as maximum depth here is just about 20 meters. If you're just beginning your vacation, this might be a great site to start with; you'll find the rocky slope is an excellent place to practice compass skills. As you make your way down toward the sandy bottom, you'll find yourself surrounded by schools of small fish, along with larger dentex, bass, leer fish, and gilt poll. Watch for lobsters, starfish, and other creatures as you explore.
Bumbiste
A colorful site where you'll find plenty of fish and other marine life, Bumbiste is best known for its wall, its underwater mazes, and the many holes and crags that add incredible texture to what is a purely magical dive site. Maximum depth is just over 20 meters, and conditions tend to be wonderfully calm. If you enjoy underwater photography, this is a great place to capture macro life as well as to take wide angle shots.
Galijola
Galijola is a rock of mythic proportion, about 150 meters long and 50 meters wide. The rock has been a hazard to navigation since men took to the seas; today, it is crowned with a lovely white lighthouse. The best diving is along the rock's southern shore. Here, you'll anchor approximately 100 meters off the rock, and descend to a depth of about 12 meters; after this, you can explore the shallow upper portion of the wall, or you can descend all the way to a depth of 40 meters. A splendid canyon leads the way back up to the surface; along the way, watch for colorful crustaceans and invertebrates, and enjoy the company of swirling clouds of anthia and other fish.
Cape Rakovica
Not only does Cape Rakovica offer a splendid reef pocked with caves where octopuses nest, it is also the site of an ancient Roman shipwreck. Though the ship's timbers have long since succumbed to the ravages of time, there are many amphora fragments scattered along the bottom. Depths here are between 29 and 32 meters.
Skvaranske Wall
A fantastic site for a leisurely drift, Skvaranske Wall features a curving face and wonderful rocky extensions that create underwater amphitheaters where you can simply relax and watch the fish go by. The wall itself is home to a myriad of smaller creatures, including crabs, lobsters, and colorful invertebrates. While the average depth along the wall is 25 meters, there are steep drop-offs at the ends of the extensions, which allow for a descent to about 40 meters.
Rabac was once a little fishing village; today, it is a resort town with three major hotels, plus small apartments available for weekly rent. Beach camping is also available. Tourist expeditions and concerts keep visitors occupied, and the dining opportunities are many. For a wonderfully relaxing holiday, look no further - Rabac is an incredible place to enjoy old-fashioned Mediterranean hospitality and beautiful underwater vistas.