Our First Attempt at Paddle Boarding, Stara Baska 14 Comments


The journey to Stara Baska from Krk town is about an hour. We pass signs for various supermarkets, fuel stations and LPG, so motorhomes are well catered for. Anyone wondering if they need to stock up on the mainland before coming to Krk…don’t bother, it has it all.

 

Beyond Krk town, the road curved around the bay. We turn off the main road on to the Z5125 towards Baska. Leading out to a narrow headland, and after a half a mile or so it presented a fetching view of the town of Punat. At Punat, the road was a little misleading but we managed to stay on track and follow the road up in to the hills. Its was hell of a steep climb.  As we reached the top, swung a left, the bay and beyond came in to view. Wow.  Sheltering in a cleft of bare rock and rolling hills, as if in the palm of a giant hand. The bay itself was blue and captivating. 

We pulled up at Camp Skrila and checked out the pitches. All stone terraced with average size plots. It was pretty busy and with limited spaces we opted for a plot mid terrace. And within half an hour we were set up, enjoying the sunshine and chatting to our new neighbours, a lovely couple from Fife. 

Mac n Tosh were keen to check out the dog beach. A quick change of clothing and off we went. The great thing about Croatia is the fact they have dog beaches. Sections kitted out just for dog owners and their pooches. Usually, it includes bin, bags and shower, which we find brilliant. Not only do they get to play but they get a freshen up shower when they leave! 

After a morning of activity the dogs are ready for an afternoon kip. Perfect timing as we head out on Eor to the headland just around the corner from Baska. When Croatians hear the word Baška, they immediately think about the ancient tablet.  It is one of the nation’s most important archaeological discoveries. The Baška Tablet is a large stone engraved with the oldest surviving text in Glagolitic script.  Besides its value as a cultural artefact, the Baška stone is also the first record of a Croatian king. The tablet was found in 1851 in the floor of a little church at Baš on Krk and thus its name.  

Stara Baska is a very tiny fishing village with a few cafes. Its nothing special but head on up on to the ‘unnamed’ road and you find the most amazing views of the headland…and beyond. The pale limestone rock formations are quite bland but set against the blue sea they look fantastic. We have a good old toot around on Eor but sadly all the lanes lead to dead ends. On route, we pass hundreds of bee hives and its only when we hit a dead end, we started to panic. The humming sound of bees, extremely loud and it dawned on us, shit, what if they have picked up on the vibration the bike. Craig quickly turned around and we were off. Thankfully, we weren’t ‘Bumbled’.

Over the course of out time at the campsite, we didn’t stray too far. The campsite has everything you need from bar, cafe and supermarket. However, we had a little drive out to Punat. Good supermarket but the town was rather lacking.  Plenty boats bobbing in the marina but the concrete promenade had seen better days. Its almost a holiday village of yester year. Maybe a few beach umbrellas, a good sweep up and the summer crowds will help creat a bit of atmosphere.  

Our Bumble paid camping spot N044.965974, E014.673060

Several days at Camp Skrila were made even more special when we met Lesley and Paul. Fortunately, they spotted Mac n Tosh as we walked passed their motorhome and came over to say hello. The next few days and nights were superb. We spent loads of time sharing stories, beer, wine, ancient olive oil and getting to know each other, which was just brilliant.  We absolutely loved their company.

Paul is a keen paddle boarder and kindly let us have a go. Craig wasn’t too sure (only cause I got the hang it) but I absolutely loved it. So much so I am now on the look out for one! Its got to be the summer purchase. To be honest, Paul was a great teacher, so I managed to get a handle on the board due to his guidance rather than skill. Or maybe a case of beginners luck?. Anyway, I am hooked, so watch this space!


Tell us what you think...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

14 thoughts on “Our First Attempt at Paddle Boarding, Stara Baska