The Kamenjak Peninsula or Cape Kamenjak also known as the Peninsula of Premantura (Punta) is the southernmost cape of Istria. Kamenjak is a protruding piece of land delving deep into the sea, some six kilometers long with the average width of about a kilometre. Kamenjak rugged coastline, some 30 kilometers long consist of numerous bay and various beaches forming an area of exceptional natural beauty including 11 unhabitated islands. The west coast of Kamenjak is stepper and its northern part partly encloses the Medulin Bay.

The coast of the Kamenjak peninsula is incredibly rugged and offers many places to swim, high water jump, etc. Some places are available only from the sea. Once you get tired of swimming, you can stay in one of the many beach bars situated on Kamenjak.

Check yourself the full list of: Kamenjak & Premantura beaches.

The relatively small nature reserve is home to many plant species, of which 20 are orchids, among which are indigenous species. Reason for the large plant diversity is that there are no campgrounds, hotels or buildings on the peninsula and the flora and fauna can thus be undisturbed.

When entering Cape Kamenjak, a fee is payable for a motor vehicle. Its height is determined depending on where you are going – a motorbike, a car, a van or a car. Walkers and cyclists, of course, do not pay this fee. More informations about  entrance tickets for motor vehicles in the significant landscape of Lower Kamenjak and the Medulin Archipelago you can find here – Getting to Kamenjak.

Kamenjak is sure to please cyclists as well. Again, those who prefer a more riding ride on smooth asphalt. On the other hand, the bike can be reached in many places where it is not a car and there is no problem with the search for parking space.

And finally, photographers and people interested in local flora are sure to be interested. For those who are looking for adventure the underwater world around Rt Kamenjak is the right one.

There are two marine ports located on Cape Kamenjak: Polje Port and Podlokva port where local citizens of Premantura anchor their boats. For commercial yachting anchorage the most popular is Veliki Portic Cove.

• Read the full guide: BEST THINGS TO DO AND SEE ON CAPE KAMENJAK (2019 UPDATED).

 

CAPE KAMENJAK

Due to its exceptional natural values, the peninsula consisted of Upper and Lower Kamenjak was declared a protected area in 1996 and has been managed since by Public institution of Kamenjak.

It′s the wild rugged beauty and end-of-the-world vibe of this small peninsula just south of Pula that earned it cult status among Croatian beach goers. An undevelpoed protected nature reserve, Kamenjak showcases a carpet full of  health plants, shurbs  and wildflowers criss-crossed by a maze of dirt tracks running through it all. It′s fringed by a string of peeble bays and secluded rocky beaches, surrounded by crystalline blue-green sea. Its get busy in summer but there′s always an empty beach to escape to, plus a fun beach bar for socialising.Lonely Planet, 20 June 2012.

 

Cape Kamenjak Facilities Map

 

KAMENJAK PHOTO GALLERY

The most beautiful pictures of Cape (Rt) Kamenjak beaches and surroundings can be viewed here in our picture gallery.

Photo Gallery credits: (1,15) Danijel Bartolić, (2,16,17,18,19) Smještaj Hrvatska, (3,4,5,7,12,13,) Bojan Širola, (6,8,21) Lovro Barbalić, (10,20) Matija Šćulac, (11) Kamenjak.

Kamenjak is the most intimate corner of the Mediterranean with scenes of environmental exclusivity, untouched nature, encounters with the last habitats of plant and animal species on the planet, idyllic beaches as well as a wild coastline, shade of the pine trees, crystal clear water, perhaps an encounter with the Mediterranean monk seal or a discovery of dinosaur footprints. The story is colored by yellow broom flowers and endemic orchids, sky and sea-like tones of the blue-green vistas, white rocks and dusty roads. Everything smells like sage and salt. Enjoy the pleasures of asparagus and crabs of Premantura. You can hear the thounderous beating of waves, strong winds, feel the warmth of the sun…This is certainly a story about traces of the rich history of the Earth, about the place of special power of positive energy. Its here that the splendour of “Terra Magica” dwells.

 

KAMENJAK BEACHES MAP

The Kamenjak Peninsula, well known as CAPE KAMENJAK or RT KAMENJAK– is the southernmost region of Istria . It is located south of the village of Premantura and is a 9.5 km long, 1.5 wide peninsula with a beautiful, protected natural landscape.

With over 30 km of articulated coast you will find excellent rocky beaches to sandy coves, which are suitable for undisturbed sunbathing.

Here is a complete list & map of beaches on Cape Kamenjak near Premantura.

For more details of each beach click on the links bellow or see all beaches at once:

• PENIŽULE BEACH
• POLJE BEACH
• PLOVANIJE BEACH
• NJIVE BEACH
• TORETA BEACH
• RADOVICA BEACH
• KRŠINE BEACH
• MALA KOLOMBARICA BEACH
• VELIKA KOLOMBARICA BEACH
• SV. MIKULE DRAŽICA BEACH
• CAPE KAMENJAK BEACH
• FRANINA BEACH
• DEBELJAK BEACH
• ŠKARA BEACH
• VELIKI PORTIĆ BEACH
• MALI PORTIĆ BEACH
• ŠKOLJIĆ BEACH
• DRAŽICE BEACH
• PODLOKVA BEACH

 

KAMENJAK CLIMATE AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

The peninsula of Kamenjak is located at the turn of the submediterranean climate to the eumediterranean climate which determines the vegetation period and the structure of the plant communities. The eumediterranean climate of Kamenjak is caused by the position of the peninsula and its exposure to the sea. Specifically, the peninsula stretches to the south and given that the land to sea ratio is very much in favour of the sea, its determines the microclimatic conditions

Kamenjak: 2300 sunshine hours per year                                                     

Cape Kamenjak is almost completely surrounded by sea so its climate has the features of an island. Kamenjak has 2300 sunshine hours per year or an average of 6.5 hours a day. The average annual temperature is 13.5°C (max. 23.3°C in July, min. 5.6°C in January) and relative humidity is 72 percent.

In addition to due to the low altitude of Kamenjak, rain clouds are not very common over the area and if they occur, the wind blows them away quickly. Cape Kamenjak has an arid climate, where as the climate of the neighbouring Pula and Medulin is semiarid.

The amplitude variations of temperature and humidity at Cape Kamenjak are very low or insignificant throughout the day, wind speed and wind direction change very quickly. Kamenjak is known for its strong winds that are most frequent in the winter. The most important winds are bura (bora), jugo (scirocco) and maestral (mistral). While bura mostly blows in the winter, northerly and northwesterly winds (N and NW) in the summer and northeasterly winds in the winter.

 

ISLANDS OF KAMENJAK

Kamenjak has 11 uninhabited islands and islets: Bodulaš, Ceja, Trumbuja, Fenera, Šekovac, Fenoliga, Levan, Levanić, Škoj of Premantura, Škoj of Pomer and Porer. Since there are more than 30, everyone can find their own space to enjoy and rest: those who love crowded beaches with beach bars and restaurants as well as those who want seclusion and privacy. Some of the bays are easy accessible but there are some hidden corners that you can reach only if you are a research and hiking enthusiast. The best way to explore the Croatian islands is by boat, especially by Croatia Cruises.

 

 

KAMENJAK FLORA AND FAUNA

The coast of Kamenjak represents one of the richest sites of rudist limestone in Europe. These are the rocks that consist rudist fossils that is shellfish that lived in groups in shallow warm seas and dominated the Cretaceous Period until the mass extinction 65 million years ago when they disappeared from the face of the Earth.

The limestone rocks of Kamenjak from the Upper Cretaceous Period (about 100 million years ago) hide numerous fossils of long extinct organisms.

 

 

On the western and eastern side of the peninsula there are rudist limestone  rocks and in the coastal area Cape Franina numerous remains of rudist fossils can be seen as well numerous fossil remains of oyster shells. From Cape Munat to Polje Cove and along the central part of the peninsula all the way to its southern part there is a stretch of limestone rocks with ammonites, armoured cephalopods  which lived from Devonian Period (mid-Paleozoic, more than 350 million years ago) until the end of Mesozoic (until the end of Cretaceous, more than 65 million years ago).

In the coastal area of Cape Grakalovac there are footprints of Theropod and Sauropod dinosaurs. The richest site of dinosaur footprints can be found in the coastal part of the island of Fenoliga where 146 were found and they have been arranged into six regular tracks of movement.

The narrow land of Upper Kamenjak and Lower Kamenjak which goes into the sea toward the south, despite the dry Mediterranean climate and low rainfall, abounds in biodiversity.

 

 

It is fascinating that the flora of Kamenjak consists of many as 591 plant species. Such richness and diversity of habitat is reflected in the distinctive and valuable landscape consisting of a combination of woods, meadows, bushes, underbrush and rockery. The amazing diversity of flora influences the diversity of fauna.

 

Kamenjak is extremely rich in various plant species which is evidenced in the fact that Lower Kamenjak is home of 591 species and 85 plant families including some endangered species of vascular plants. A number of rare, endangered and endemic species found their habitat precisely on Kamenjak and 37 species belong to pre-extinction categories. It is precisely here that narrow-leaved bindweed and wooly chamomile have their last habitat in Croatia

We find them on a coastal edge with many other threatened and endangered plant species. Interestingly, least adder′s tongue (Ophioglossum lusitanicum), a rare species of fern had long been considered extinct in Croatia and in 2000 several populations of the plant species  were found on Kamenjak. Yellow centaury (Cicendia filiformis) had not been on the list of Croatia flora at all and in 1998 it was recorded here for the first time in Croatia. The above species are strictly protected and any encroachment into their habitat and plant species alone is punishable by law.

As many as 63 plant species are threatened, this accounts 10.6% of overall flora of Lower Kamenjak which points to the fact that the significant landscape of Lower Kamenjak and the Medulin Archipelago belong to the botanically important areas of Croatia. A large number of species on Kamenjak has aromatic and medicinal properties that have been used for centuries as natural remedies as well as in pharmaceutical and food industry. In addition to rare endangered species, Kamenjak is rich in typical Mediterranean species  as well  as those that are not common in the Northen Adriatic area such as thyme rockrose (Allium chamaemoly)., pygme cudweed (Evax pygmaes) and others. In the wider area of Lower Kamenjak and the Medulin Archipelago there are some vascular plant species that have reach their norther limit of distribution. Some of them are hayek (Papaver apulum), nailwort (Paranychia kapela) and others.

The mild Mediterranean climate and the diversity of habitat are the reason of the great biodiversity of Kamenjak which is reflected in a large number of animal species. Kamenjak is home to many invertebrates as well vertebrates. Natural uniqueness of the peninsula is characterised  by biodiversity and rich coastal and offshore area. Numerous species of algae, seaweed, invertebrates and large marine vertebrates live in this area. Although the wildlife of Kamenjak is still being explored and there are no accurate overall figures, previous studies of the fauna on the peninsula report very large number of species.

146 bird species have been recorded on Kamenjak, of which 130 are endangered, more than 50 species of diurnal butterflies, numerous species of insects, reptiles, mammals and many other animal species.

 

The protruding area of Kamenjak represents an important migratory for many species of migratory birds, so that the surroundings islands and the peninsula itself are nesting sites for numerous bird species. 146 bird species on Kamenjak have been described so far. During the spring and autumn migrations this area is flown over by a number of rare and endangered species of birds of prey such as the lesser spotted eagle (Aquilla pomarina), black stork (Ciconia nigra), red kite (Milvus milvus) and black kite (Milvus migrans), red footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) and others. Among passerines there are larks, blackbirds, chickadees, wrens, pipits and blackcaps. A subtype of pallid swift (Apus pallidus illyricus) is endemic to the Adriatic and the northernmost nesting sites of this bird are found in the caves of south of Kamenjak.

Insects are also permanent inhabitants of Kamenjak. There are bees, wasps, bumblebees, ants, mosquitoes, praying mantises, earwings, grasshoppers and butterflies. In the area of Kamenjak, about 50 species of diurnal butterflies have been recorded so far and the fauna of nocturnal butterflies is still being researched. Since the diversity of habitat favours the biodiversity of butterflies, the lack of urban architecture and light pollution contribute to the preservation of diurnal butterflies on Kamenjak. Among spiders that inhabit Kamenjak we should single out the black widow spider.

Numerous species of mammals live on this area, especially in its forests. Apart from deer, stone marten, red squirrel, fox there are bats whose protection has recently been given special attention. 35 species of bats have been recorded in Croatia, almost as many as in the whole Europe and five of those species have been recorded on Kamenjak so far. These are: the greater horseshoe bat, south horseshoe bat, sharp-eared bat, greater mouse-eared bat and Geoffroy′s bat.

In the spring when the temperatures rise, lizards and snakes emerge from their winter hideouts on Kamenjak. They are reptiles, cold-blooded animals whose body temperature depends of the ambient temperature. Among the protected reptiles, those usually seen on Kamenjak are: western green lizard, common wall lizard, European legless lizard, Balkan whip snake, four-lined snake and western whip snake.

The rugged coastline of Kamenjak is characterised by a great diversity of marine habitats and rich flora and fauna. It is estimated that the waters of the peninsula are inhabited by thousands of species of organism among which we should point out those of economic importance – fish, crustaceans and molluscs as well numerous protected species.

 

Below the sea Kamenjak turns into a sputtering kaleidoscope of colors made up of red, brown and green algae and communities of organisms associated with them. real marine carpets mad up of thousands of little parasols are created by green algae. Each little parasols consists of only one cell. There are also crabs, shellfish, snails, starfish, sea cucumbers and many other organisms that make the fauna of Kamenjak so diverse. The mediterranean monk seal (monachus monachus), sea man, adriana, sea monk…all these are names for the big marine mammal, a seal with a smiling face with large black eyes long moustache and a large body suited for swimming, up to 3.5 meters long and weighing up to 400 kilograms. The fur of the monk seal is gray or brown, glossy and soft. This warm sea seal with its way of life is related both to the sea and land. It feeds on fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. They can bee found in the vicinity of the breeding site, in underwater caves and on the beaches. They live in small groups of five to seven seals.

 

 

CAPE KAMENJAK ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HYDROARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

Due to the fact that the first inhabitants of Cape Kamenjak were the dinosaurs (Dinosaur path on Kamenjak), the peninsula itself is also well known as a rich archaeological spot.

The following cultural objects (archeological, hydroarheological) are recorded on Cape Kamenjak:

DEBELJAK COVE

In the submarine of the Debeljak cove at Cape Kamenjak, numerous bathers swim in the summer. Few of them notice a light spot. That spot was the Roman ship from the 5th century that found its permanent harbor in that bay. This valuable archeological site was discovered in 2015. For now, experts have found that it is about nine meters long and five and a half feet long. Archaeologists assume that it is a Roman ship from the 5th century, built by the tongue-groove technique, which is the first such specimen in the Istrian submarine world.

It is now considered that the ship sank by sighing in that cove due to a storm. Experts agree that it is important to protect it for the moment, and soon afterwards, work continues on the site. The archaeologists from the city of Pula will be assisted by colleagues from the French University of Marseilles.

 

MOČILE COVE (PREMANTURA)

In the eastern part of the cove (on the eastern coast of the peninsula), on the coast, there are numerous remains of an ancient building with remains of cisterns, remains of an ancient gates, churns in the immediate hinterland and a large number of scattered archaeological materials (ceramics, coins).

 

 

 

 

PREMANTURA – SV. MARTIN (POLJE)

In the field of Polje, a plot of Dotarica, in the central part of the Cape Kamenjak peninsula, there were found ceramic tiles (spica), which probably originated from the ancient rural complex. On a raised ground south of the Polje Cove (St. Martin), there were found larger grommets that probably hide the object of larger dimensions and the ceramic surface finds.

In Polje cove there were found an amphora of type Dr6a, which is related to the remains of architecture and contains the remains of ceramics at the bottom of the bay.

 

 

VELIKI PORTIĆ COVE

In Veliki Portić cove there are found  amphorae types of La.2 and the tegula.

 

 

 

 

 

PODLOKVA COVE

In Podlokva cove there are found raised fragments of ceramics are linked to the remains of an ancient villa in the cove.

 

 

 

 

 

CAPE KRŠINE

Around Cape Kršine there are found remains of amphora and tegula.

 

 

 

 

CAPE (RT) KAMENJAK

Around Cape Kamenjak there are found fragments of amphora and pottery from the Early Renaissance period.

 

 

 

 

KASTRIL (KAŠTELIR, MONTE CASTRIL)

The Gradina village was located on a hill east of Polje Cove (Sv. Martin).The fort was destroyed by the construction of military facilities.

 

 

CAPE PRESTANIŠIN

According to the AMI – Archeologial Museum of Istria reports, a south-north-facing wall in which there is plenty of tegula and spike are found on the hillside and on the coastline, and there are plenty of tegula and amphora fragments on the southwestern coast.

 

 

 

KAMENJAK – ISLAND OF CEJA

On the eastern side of the peninsula of Kamenjak, there are found remains of the drywall, the walls around the central plateau, a possible prehistoric origin, and the findings of prehistoric ceramics. Ancient cultural layers (fragments of ceramics) were recorded on the north coast of the island.

 

 

 

 

KAMENJAK – ISLAND OF FINERA

At the most impassive island of the Medulin archipelago – Fenera Island, in the ancient times there were even two olives mills for olive processing! Today, on the low island of about 200,000 square meters (20 hectares), exposed to all winds and storms, only grass grows.

It’s about parts of an ancient oil mill. Stone blocks with square grooves are parts of the blade for olive processing. The chimney also had wooden parts, but they were broken. In this way the olives were processed at the time of Rome.

The stone parts of the taper (two pieces are kept) – two meters long and the pages are 50-60 centimeters wide. The stone wheel served for crushed olives. Its diameter is 120 centimeters, it is  22 to 28 centimeters thick with a round hole in the middle.

For hundreds of years, the preserved stone witnesses of life on the Fenera Island. The island itself was considered to be an uninhabited island. However, the main enigma remains unresolved: how could olive trees be grown on the island, in that number and with the yields that even two oaks were built? Why did the olives from the island for processing were not carried on the mainland?

 

KAMENJAK IN THE MEDIA

Various world magazines and travel guides praise the magical beauties of Kamenjak and the southernmost cape of Istria can be found very often among the top tourist summer destinations. National Geographic Traveller included Istria in the list of top summer destinations for the year 2011 and along with other beauties they point out Cape Kamenjak.

A nature reserve on the edge of the world that has 21 metre high cliffs, hidden caves and flat stone surfaces formed by nature, ideal for sunbathing.

National Geographic Traveller, 2011.

 

Lonely Planet praises Kamenjak in June 2012 which was preceded by an excellent rating in the Daily Telegraph in 2010.

The beauty of the rocky coast of Kamenjak as well as its popularity and the fact that anyone who wants to explore the picturesque peninsula in more depth will be able to find a part of the coast only for them for the rest of the day.

Daily Telegraph, 2010.

 

Numerous Croatian and international directors and producers, inspired by its untouched nature and the beauty of its wild coast, have chosen Kamenjak for shooting movies and commercials. The most famous among them is definitely the film “Season of the the Witch” by Dominic Sena with Nichols Cage in the lead role which was filmed on Mala Kolombarica beach, bellow the Safari Bar in 2009.

Photo credits: 24 sata

KAMENJAK HISTORY

History and prehistory of Kamenjak begin with bronze age when this area has already been settled as the prove that Kamenjak is an area very rich in history. Kamenjak was inhabited as early as in prehistoric times which is evidenced by the ruins of fortified villages of Volam and Gradina north of Premantura, as well as Kastril and Debeljak on the south. There is also o Gradina cave – the southernmost cave in Istria situated 200 meters north of the village of Premantura. We should point out the unexplored archaeological site of Kastril, of which today there are remains of large walls. The research conducted so far suggests the possibility of late antique or Byzantine fort existing in that area. According to the previously established data, Kastril represents the only example of a castrum, a type of military fortification along the eastern coast of Adriatic built in the sixth century during the reign of Justinian. At the time, for navigation safety reasons, military forts were built at all important points of the coast and islands and each fort is in the range of vision of another.

Numerous findings are evidence of a relatively dense population of Kamenjak peninsula in ancient times. The remains of buildings, tanks and money of Emperor Augustus were found in Močile Bay. The ancient past in the Polje Bay can be traced in the remains of a rural complex as well as of walls, a part of pillar and fragments of pottery. The remains of rural architecture can be found in the Škokovica Bay. Between Late Antiquity and Late Middle Ages, at that time settlement of Premantura came into existence, Kamenjak was not permanent inhabited. At the hydro-archaeological sites in the waters around the peninsula, there are remains of 2 sailing ships from the 17th and 18th centuries as well other ships.

The chroniclers of Premantura noted some sketches from its Austro-Hungarian past, the traces of which are still visible , especially in Upper Kamenjak which was a strategic military point. It was also noted that at the time Pula became the main naval port of the Austro-Hunarian Empire: “in Premantura at the locality of Gomila, the construction of the naval base was initiated, along the installation of long range guns.The entire project was interrupted by World War I”. The lighthouse of Porer from 1846 belongs to this Austro-Hungarian heritage and there is also a mention of setting a ships mast on the Premantura bell tower from which signals were given to ships on the route around Cape Kamenjak.

The remains of the military facilities at Kamenjak were part of the fortification system of Pula, which was created to protect the central naval port of the Austro-Hunagrian Navy. It was a unique system of defence whose construction began as early as in the first half of the 19th century and was developed in the following hundred years. It included the entire southern Istria, and the cape of Premantura was the southermost part of the sector. Pula, which during World War II became a fortified city, that is, one of the best defended cities of Europe, was protected by 16 defence districts, while Cape Kamenjak and Premantura belonged to the Va district whose northwestern border passed through Veruda channel and the southeast one through the Medulin Bay. The middle defensive fortification ring ended in the northwestern part, and Fort Gradina was south of it. On the Monte Kope hilltop, on the peninsula opposite Banjole there was two batteries.

After the Secon World War these facilities were used by the Yugoslay Peoples Army. Today, Austro-Hungarian buildings, bunkers and ammunition batteries located on the hills and at the foot of the Upper Kamenjak represent a significat but insufficiently researched cultural contribution to the protected landscape in the surroundings of Premantura and Kamanjak.

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Read more about Kamenjak:

• UPPER KAMENJAK
• LOWER KAMENJAK
• KAMENJAK NATURAL HERITAGE
• KAMENJAK BEACHES
• SPORT AND EDUCATION ON KAMENJAK
• KAMENJAK SERVICE INFORMATIONS
• GETTING TO KAMENJAK