We woke up anchored off the coast of Rab, Croatia, with an e-bike tour on the schedule.
We first fell in love with Croatia in 2017, and Rab quickly reminded us why. The ports here have a personality all their own.
Rab is part of the Kvarner archipelago along Croatia’s northern Adriatic coast. The island is only about 22 kilometers—or 14 miles—long, but it’s known as the “green island.” Its old Illyrian name, Arba, means “green” or “forested,” and after spending a few hours riding beneath the pine trees, the name made perfect sense.
🚲 Ashore and On Two Wheels
We arrived by tender, and the e-bike company was waiting just across the street with our bikes ready to go.
There were only six of us on the tour, which was a great size. It felt personal, and we could actually talk to one another without getting lost in a large group.
Our guide, Eros, was born and raised on Rab. His English was excellent, and it quickly became clear that he genuinely loved his island.
After a short lesson on the e-bikes, he gave us an introduction to Rab’s geography, history, and weather.
🌬️ The Wind That Covers Everything in Salt
Rab normally has a mild climate, but Eros explained that the island is affected by two very different winds.
The first is the bora, a sudden and extremely powerful wind found throughout the Adriatic. It can arrive with very little warning, often after clouds begin gathering over the mountains.
Eros told us that gusts at Rab’s port have reached well over 100 miles per hour and that the wind can continue for anywhere from one to seven days. It carries salt across the island, leaving a coating on buildings, boats, streets, and even electrical wiring. Once the wind dies down, the town has to be thoroughly washed before the salt causes damage.
The second wind is the jugo, which comes from the south. It isn’t as violent as the bora, but it brings rain, rough seas, flooding, and plenty of problems for anyone working on the water.
With our weather lesson finished, we started riding.
🏛️ Monks, Cicadas, and a Somber Field
Our route would take us about four miles around the waterfront, through wooded areas, past an old monastery, and into a park area where we would stop for a swim. Then we would return along the same route.
We left town on a dirt path that wound down toward the water. From there, we followed a sandstone trail beside some of the clearest water we had ever seen.
Small coves, houses, and boats passed on one side of us, while green hills rose on the other. After visiting some of the busier and more polished ports along the French and Italian Rivieras, Rab felt quieter, more natural, and much more relaxed.
The soundtrack for the entire ride was provided by cicadas—and there were a lot of them.
Tom, one of the riders in our group, was from California and had never heard cicadas before. He wanted to know what was making all the noise, so I did my best to explain.
When we stopped, Eros added more information. Some cicada species spend many years underground before emerging, and their calls can become extremely loud at close range.
Eros also said he believed the sound was beneficial to people and helped balance the brain and emotions. I can’t speak to the science behind that claim, but listening to them while riding through the woods was certainly relaxing.
A few miles into the ride, Eros pointed out the Franciscan Monastery of St. Euphemia on a hill above us. Its two steeples rose above the trees.
The monastery was founded in 1446, during a period when religious communities were being established along this part of the Croatian coast. Two monks still live there today, and part of the building now serves as a museum.
Just past the monastery, Eros stopped us beside a quiet field, and the tone of the tour changed completely.
This was the site of the Kampor internment camp, built by Italian forces in 1942 during World War II.
Thousands of Slovenian and Croatian civilians were imprisoned there, along with Jewish internees. Conditions were terrible, and estimates of the number of people who died vary widely.
The camp closed in September 1943 after Mussolini’s government collapsed and Italy surrendered to the Allies. Local Partisans liberated the camp, and many of the Jewish prisoners were able to escape or be evacuated. Those who were too ill or unable to leave remained vulnerable, and some were later captured by German forces and deported to Auschwitz.
It was difficult to take in such a painful piece of history in the middle of an otherwise peaceful bike ride. It was also an important reminder that this beautiful coastline has seen some very dark times.
We continued in a quieter mood, riding west toward the park.
The trail became rougher, with plenty of rock and dirt, but we kept catching glimpses of the water through the trees. After another ten or fifteen minutes, we parked our bikes beside a stone wall and walked down to a swimming area shaded by oak and olive trees.
There were chairs, umbrellas, a small bar, and incredibly clear water.
🌊 A Swim, a Conversation, and Some Hope
We relaxed for a while and got to know the other riders.
Several people went swimming and came back talking about how wonderful the water was. Bob and I hadn’t brought anything to swim in, so we stayed on shore and enjoyed the setting.
I spent about twenty minutes talking with Eros about Rab, the environment, history, and where he thought the world was headed.
He was surprisingly optimistic.
Eros believed we were approaching the end of a difficult historical cycle and that better times would follow. He mentioned that the United States had recently marked its 250th anniversary and pointed out that 1776 had not looked particularly promising while people were living through it.
He also talked about the long period of upheaval during the Middle Ages and how it was eventually followed by the Renaissance and a major expansion in art, science, and new ideas.
His basic point was that history moves in cycles. Difficult periods can last a long time, but they don’t last forever.
His optimism was contagious. Sometimes a little hope is exactly what we need to believe that change is possible.
Eros also told us about Rab’s reputation for clean air and water. He said people have traveled here for health reasons for centuries. According to him, underground springs flow down from the mountains, beneath the seafloor, and back up through wells around the island.
It sounded almost too good to be true, but after a few hours on Rab, it wasn’t hard to believe.
🇭🇷 Meeting Drago
Just before we left, a young man approached Bob after overhearing him speak.
“Are you an American?” he asked.
Bob said yes, and the young man excitedly told us that Bob was the first American he had ever met.
His English was excellent. He was from a small town near the Slovenian border and had come to Rab while recovering from respiratory health problems. He had about a week left before returning home.
He was thrilled to be talking with two Americans and a British woman, and we spent the next fifteen minutes chatting.
This is one of the main reasons we love traveling: the people we meet along the way.
His name was Drago, which can mean “dear” or “pleasant” in Croatian. The name suited him perfectly.
🍦 Back Through the Walls
We returned along the same waterfront route. By then, more people were out swimming and enjoying the same clear water we had been riding beside all morning.
Back in town, we said goodbye to Eros. He recommended a locally owned restaurant where we had lunch with Tom, our shipmate from the tour.
After lunch, we explored Rab’s walled old town.
It was easy to navigate, with three main streets running parallel to the seawall. Each is about half a mile long. The lowest street is filled with restaurants and shops, the middle has boutiques and gelato stops, and the upper street is quieter, passing homes, churches, and sections of the old wall.
After a good wander—and the required gelato—we made our way back to the Windstar tender point and returned to the ship.
It was a relaxing, low-key day with just the right mix of exercise, scenery, history, and conversation to make it memorable.
Read the rest of the Grand Anniversary Journey:
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