Holidays in high season… chaos, noise, kids! This is normally every single thing that we try to avoid but this summer it worked out that we were both off for a full two weeks with a summer break so we decided to give it a try!
Wanting to go somewhere different and as everything was already booked up we chose to go back to Istria but this time to a huge campsite which again we never normally do.
We decided on Koversada FKK resort near Vsar. It had decent reviews and the location seemed perfect for our plans. Active options for cycling, running and SUP together with a lot of bathing opportunities and blue flag beaches. Many good reviews on the Facebook group but worryingly many bad also. Some minor theft which we fortunately did not experience but the main concern being men hanging around taking video and photographs and groups of young men staying there but not naturist. unfortunately all of these we did experience.
Making our way down south from Austria late on a Wednesday evening we encountered no traffic and we decided to stay overnight once more at Roberto’s. A wonderful spot which you can read more about on our last post – FKK Kanegra. Leaving early enough for a quick passage through the border we made our way toward Vsar when we saw a Mcdonalds and quickly decided that a Croatian sausage and egg McMuffin with a coffee would go down very nicely and after polishing off double helpings we were on the road to Koversada.
The reception was quite small considering the camp size and as we had already booked in on-line the process was quick and easy. They had given us a pre-booked pitch but as there were many pitches available we decided to take a look around and after a very sweaty and long walk we decided just to take the one they gave us. Partly because it was quite close to the ocean and the neighbours seemed nice, but mostly because we couldn’t be arsed to look anymore! Number 2004.
We are not new to this and I honestly thought that we could cope with the pitch having no shade. But after a couple of hours there and realising that our 2 quiet female German neighbours had now increased to 8 very loud and very drunk adults, 2 dogs, and a screaming kid. We decided to move on. So off on the bikes to look for a quiet pitch.
We found 2 shady and quiet pitches. Numbers 802 preferred and 717 second choice. So back to reception to ask and she said that 802 would be free for our whole stay. Pack up everything in 40 degrees, drive to new pitch, unpack everything and set-up awning and all the paraphernalia for a 2 week stay. And one incredibly sweaty hour later and as I was hammering in the final peg. Leela says… whats the number of this pitch Ry? Everything sank. I didn’t even bother to look as I knew I had fucked up. I had only driven to pitch 717 by accident.
Pack up everything in 40 degrees, drive to new pitch, unpack everything and set-up awning and all the paraphernalia. And one incredibly sweaty hour later and as I was hammering in the final peg. Leela hands me an ice cold beer!
We had planned to be there early and set-up by 10:00 am so we could have enjoyed the full day. Instead it was now nearly 5pm and I was exhausted. We had set-up and taken down our pitch 3 times in very hot temperatures but finally we had a cold beer and could laugh at my complete arse-up of a day.
The next day we could start our holiday for real. Checking out the vastness of the campsite, finding the best bakery for morning Bureks, swimming in the clear ocean and general relaxing at the van.
As a note, I had broken a bone in my foot a week before the trip and my movement was quite limited so our active holiday was much more sedate than we would have liked but we tried to make the most of it. Running was not possible for me but Leela ran every morning when I got breakfast together. Returning each day with info about the local area, the best fish markets and the general comings and goings of the campsite.
Of our activities I did manage a couple of bike rides. The first was exploring the forests to the head of the Lim Canal. The dock area turned out to be very nice although a little run-down after seeing better years but a lovely beer in the sun nonetheless. The ride home was superb through the forest in the evening setting sun only stopping to do a little route finding.
The second bike trip was up the coast to Porec. We had hoped that there would be a series of bike paths running along the coastline to enjoy but it turned into an episode of wacky races. Just jumping from path to road trying not to be run over in the process. Porec turned out to be very busy. Too many people and not enough space to host them all. Of course we were not helping by being there either.
So after a stressful ride around the town we found a bakery and sat on a park bench in the shade watching a completely different world to ours go about their business. The ride back was a little calmer as we found some off-road paths that were away from the traffic but we were glad to be once more sitting at the van.
The only other bike tour, apart from riding around the campsite, was a short ride to Vsar which was a lovely little dock village. It was of course overrun but I think quite charming out of season.
We both love stand-up paddling but this proved to be a little more problematic for my foot due to the roughness of the water from the constant boat traffic. But we did manage one long trip quite far up the Canal which is recommended and also a shorter trip around the camp island which was also very nice apart from the roughness of the water.
All together it was a very nice couple of weeks there but something we would not do again in high season. It’s really just not for us. There are options for cycling, running and SUP and of course the ocean is there. But we did not swim mainly because of the amount of jelly fish there were in the water. Something we had not experienced before whilst travelling through Croatia. And unfortunately there were many more bad sides to this campsite in high season.
The utter disrespect that some people have for others never ceases to amaze us. The cleaners on the site are working 10 hours a day in 40 degree heat and for pittance, just so that people can leave the showers and toilets in such a disgusting and filthy way.
This site being so large had quite a cross section of humanity on it. We are naturists, we visit many naturist campsites, beaches and lakes, we are middle-aged and not naive. We are both in a body condition that is not the normal for such places so we tend to attract attention wherever we go. We don’t like it, it’s just the way it is. But we tend to ignore everything that goes on around us.
But many of the people on this campsite were not naturist. They were people who just want to expose themselves to others in a legal environment. I can only talk of the men who are the worst but Leela says that the women were no better, just more discrete.
The looks and staring whilst touching themselves, although horrible, can just be ignored but when repulsive men comment on Leela’s body whilst standing right in front of her and with me there also, just shows how disgusting some men are with their treatment of women as objects.
I really wish that this was an isolated incident but on at least 3 occasions with me there and once when she was alone and on that occasion she told him exactly what she thought of him but this just fuelled his fire and gave him even more repulsive energy whilst taking ours from us.
And I wish it was just us it was happening to but even on the Koversada facebook page there were mentions of men hanging around taking photos and video.
I will dedicate a post to this subject and discuss the differences between the internet perception of naturism laid to you by Instagram and people like Naked Wanderings, British Naturism, etc. who are ignoring the problem and really not talking about the real state of Naturism that would take away from their personal gain. But it exists and it’s not going away.
Anyway with all this negativity about humans we did have a pretty nice time there. We cannot comment about any restaurants as we did not want to eat out and socialise after everything that was happening during the day. But we had a lovely take out pizza from the site. We had an amazing freshly caught Sea Brine from the local fish market that we cooked ourselves and we enjoyed many wonderful sunsets as well as an incredible moon one evening. We will avoid these giant camps from now on in high season and stick to our preferred type of Naturist locations.
Happy Naturist travels everyone, and be careful out there.
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