Park Plaza Verudela Pula

Rooms and decor

Picture a seaside stay out on a peninsula that juts into the Adriatic, ringed by thick green pine forest - that is Park Plaza Verudela Pula, a 3-star resort-style place at address Verudela 11 in the Punta Verudela complex. The rooms are simple and easy on the eye, bright in the way a holiday place should be, leaning more on light and practicality than on luxury. Many have a private balcony that opens onto a sea or pine view. Wake up, pull the curtains and catch the light on the water, step out for the sea breeze before taking the kids down to swim, or sit with a drink in the evening as the sky slowly changes colour. It is a low-key kind of rest that plenty of guests say lines up well with the price. The quiet peninsula setting and the surrounding nature make it feel like a real seaside getaway rather than a busy in-town hotel - a comfortable base for a family or group of friends heading out to do things all day.

Food and amenities

The heart of a stay here is not in the building - it is in the seaside activities all around, all within walking distance. The one kids love most is the WIBIT Sports Park, a floating water park out on the sea with slides, a climbing wall, a trampoline and obstacles to scramble and jump on all day, a few hundred metres from the rooms. Next to it is Ambrela Beach, a favourite on the Verudela peninsula with water clear enough to see the bottom - good for swimming, snorkelling or just lying out and listening to the waves. The one families should not skip is the Pula Aquarium, set in an old Austro-Hungarian fortress within walking distance, where the kids can happily watch Adriatic fish, sharks and turtles. For food there are restaurants and bars within the complex to refuel during the day, and the seaside paths and pine forest of Punta Verudela are there for a walk or a bike ride. The whole place suits a longer multi-night stay with plenty to keep you busy.

Location and getting there

The location is the whole appeal of Park Plaza Verudela for an active seaside stay. The resort sits at the tip of the Verudela peninsula reaching into the Adriatic, ringed by the pine forest of the Punta Verudela complex, which gathers the beach, water park and aquarium into one easy-to-walk pocket. At the same time it is only about 4 km from Pula old town, a 10-15 minute drive or bus ride. In town you will find a renowned sight, the Roman colosseum (Pula Arena), nearly two thousand years old and remarkably intact, plus the old harbour, the market and local restaurants to wander. Pula Airport is about 12 km away, so coming and going is easy. Renting a car makes it even more flexible, since you can drive out to explore the Istria peninsula - the lovely town of Rovinj, vineyards and hilltop villages. Basing yourself on the water near the activities and driving out to the old town and the countryside is a tidy combo for a family doing a longer Istria trip.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, the stay is out on the Verudela peninsula, about 4 km from Pula old town, not in the centre. Anyone without a car who wants to walk into town whenever may have to lean on a car, bus or taxi - but if you are mainly here for the water and the activities around it, that is no real problem. Second, this is a 3-star place, so the rooms and facilities are plainer than the bigger resorts in the same complex; some reviews note parts of the building or certain rooms look dated and far from luxurious. If you expect four or five-star polish, adjust expectations. Third, the beach and shoreline are rock and concrete platforms in the Croatian style, not fine sand, so bring water shoes. And in the high summer season the beach, water park and surroundings get busy and crowded - if you want real quiet, pick your timing.

Our take

From the real reviews we pulled together, Park Plaza Verudela Pula does one job well - a value seaside base for an active family. If you want your kids in the water all day, climbing and jumping at the WIBIT Sports Park, swimming in the clear sea at Ambrela Beach and walking over to see the fish at the Pula Aquarium, all in one day without travelling far, at the lightest price in the Verudela area, this place delivers. Couples and groups of friends after a cheap seaside stay near the activities will like it just as much. But if you are after a city-centre base you can walk everywhere from, or you expect plush rooms, fine sand and four or five-star facilities, you will have to weigh the out-of-town location, the rocky shore and the plain 3-star feel. Overall we give it 8.4/10, best for families who want to rest by the sea near the water park and the activities at a good price, out on the Verudela peninsula ringed by pine forest and the Adriatic.