Dog-Friendly Pula, Croatia
Pula is a Pup’s Paradise!
Croatia had been on my list of travel locations for a while, and I was determined to make it happen this trip! Our favorite travel companion, Sally, joined us for this part of the trip in August of 2022. We hadn’t heard anything about Pula specifically, and had relatively low expectations for this stop on the trip. Turns out, it was my favorite part of our Croatia itinerary, and by far the most dog-friendly!
Pula is in Istria, which is the northwestern peninsula of Croatia. It isn’t as popular as Dubrovnik, Split, or Zadar, and we didn’t meet any other Americans while we were there. It is a popular vacation spot for Germans and Austrians though. At one point, we were trying to buy fruit at a market and the vendor didn’t speak English. I had to reach way back to my German classes in high school to communicate with him! Overall, we had no issues communicating and most people did speak English (I recognize being an English-speaker is a huge privilege when traveling).
I did a lot of research on traveling within Croatia before booking this trip. I learned that the train system is not nearly as robust as in Western Europe. Buses are a more common method of transportation between cities, but whether dogs are allowed on a bus is up to the driver. I was not going to risk relying on buses because of this! Istria is also a bit disconnected from the rest of the country when it comes to public transportation. So we decided to rent a car! If you are planning to visit multiple Croatian regions, I definitely recommend renting a car. The roads throughout Croatia are so nice, and driving was way quicker than public transportation would have been.
Getting to Pula
I thought it would be simple enough to get to Croatia by train from northern Italy… but I was mistaken. There is an option to take a train from Milan up to Austria and then down to Zagreb, but it takes about 19 hours. During a Google deep dive on how to get from Italy to Croatia, I discovered there are ferries that can take you across the Adriatic Sea! We wanted to spend most of our time around Split, but the ferry between Ancona and Split is eleven hours overnight. I’ve come a long way with my seasickness, but I wasn’t going to risk such a long journey! Instead, we chose a much shorter option: the Venezia Lines ferry from Venice to Pula in under four hours. You can add a dog when you book, and it’s under $200 round trip. To travel with your pet, you have to have documentation that meets the standards of the “Pet Travel Scheme”. You do have to go through customs at both port cities when you travel via ferry, and they will check your pet’s documentation. Alice does not have an EU Pet Passport (yet…), so I showed them the same documentation I shared when I first landed in Europe. I think they were mostly looking for proof of rabies vaccine - I always carry a copy of Alice’s most recent rabies vaccination certificate when we travel.
The ferry itself was smaller than I expected and pretty cramped. Alice sat on my lap for most of the ride, until she stole the seat next to me (one of the only empty seats on board) and cuddled up to the man next to her. Luckily, he welcomed these cuddles! The ride itself was not smooth at all. I am so glad I took my dramamine on time, and am honestly surprised I didn’t feel sick at all even with the dramamine. In Venice, the ferry is at San Basilio Terminal, which is pretty central in Venice. However, getting anywhere in Venice with a suitcase is not a fun experience (find those details in the forthcoming Venice post). In Pula, ferries are at Pula Port, which is a very convenient location in this small city.
What to Do/See
I am still shocked by how many touristy things Alice was able to do in Pula! In this respect, I think it is the most dog-friendly European city we’ve visited.
The colosseum was built when Pula was part of the Roman Empire. It is the only Roman colosseum that still has all four towers in tact. Dogs are allowed to tour the inside with you! This was such a cool experience, an absolute must if you’re in Pula
We loved this AirBnB experience! We didn’t see any dolphins, but we did experience a stunning sunset on the Adriatic Sea! The dinner was pretty disappointing, and it was quite crowded. But it’s dog-friendly, the staff was great, and we had a great time!
Another great AirBnB experience! Alice was allowed at every location we went to, including inside the olive oil shop for an olive oil tasting. We learned so much about Istria food (big on olive oil and truffle) and the history of Pula. The tour walks you around the colloseum and port area, and throughout old town. We had the absolute best tour guide, she was so kind and knowledgeable!
There are actually many dog-friendly beaches not far from Pula! We went to Valovine Beach, which was an easy, cheap 20-minute bus ride (cash only, as far as we could tell). Beaches in Croatia are more rocky than sandy, so be aware of your pup’s paws and wear water shoes! The water is so clear; this was a really beautiful beach. The South Istria website helped me find beaches that allow dogs.
This castle sits atop the hill in the middle of the old town. Great views of Pula and the sea, and doggos are allowed!
We were in Pula while a burger festival was set up in Titov Park, and there was a wine festival there the month before. We had a lot of fun eating burgers, drinking palomas, and dancing here! Dogs are allowed.
This outdoor farmer’s market was across the street from our AirBnB, and had a lot of local treats! We got cheese, honey, wine, and fruit here.
Where to Eat & Drink
In summer, there is outdoor seating absolutely everywhere! It’s so easy to find places to have a drink or a meal with your pup. Some of our favorites were Bistro Alighieri, NOY, Amfiteatar Restaurant, Restaurant Piazza Nove, Ulysses, Mediterraneo, Pomaj Gelato.
The best food in Pula, however, is at Kebab Adi. I cannot stress enough how amazing this place is. I love halal food, I love kebab, and this is the best I have ever had. Sally and I ate here nearly every day we were in Pula. I dream of the day I get to eat here again!
Where to Stay
The first place we stayed, Collins Apartment Center, was really great! Spacious, cool, and with a small balcony. We loved this location so much! The farmer’s market is across the street, there are a few coffee/breakfast places right outside the building, and it’s only a two-minute walk to the Roman arch entrance to the old city.
We chose our second AirBnB location because it is so close to the ferry. But I would not recommend this place - it wasn’t horrible, but they did not communicate at all via AirBnB messages. We only figured out where to go for check-in by reading a previous guest’s review. They also did not believe me when I said our room was missing a hair dryer, and came to check our whole room before they would give me one.