Opatija: Paragliding from the top of Kvarner

Opatija also offers a whole set of activities for lovers of active vacationing

Free Flying

The Učka mountain attracts many enthusiasts of modern hang gliding and parasailing, and is a favorite location for many local and international competitions. In the area of the Nature Park Učka is the registered Učka airfield with two runways, Vojak and Brgud and  Boljunsko landing field. In the Kvarner region there are two free flying clubs; Homo Volans and Krila Kvarnera (The wings of Kvarner).

Mountain Biking

Riding a bike along forest paths is a special challenge for lovers of cycling, but because many hikers and mountaineers were not happy sharing the trails with bikers, there are separate cycling paths in mountains today. In the Nature Park Učka there are as many as eight of them, and you can find a map of the mountain areas of Lovran with a description of these trails in travel agencies or at the tourist office in Lovran. Mountain biking became an Olympic sport in Sydney in 2000.

Windsurfing

There are three good places for windsurfing on the Opatija Riviera: Preluk, Volosko and Mošćenička Draga. If you have never tried this sport, a light mistral is perfect for beginners, and you will find it in the afternoon in Mošćenička Draga. For those with a little more experience there is the tramontana (north wind), which blows from dawn until 8am in the Preluk bay and Volosko. In the same way that tramontana is regarded the best wind for windsurfing, Volosko is known as one of the best places for this sport in the whole Adriatic. Competitions which are organized by the local club DSNM Volosko are open for amateurs also.

Free climbing

Those who enjoy mastering rocks and heights using only their own strength and skills should not miss the opportunity to visit the canyon of Vela draga on Učka. With as many as 62 climbing routes, this canyon is one of the most attractive areas for free climbing in Croatia. Climbing can be done throughout the year. The tradition of climbing the rocks of Vela Draga was started by Italian climber Emilio ComicI, who  back in 1931 climbed the first route on this canyon.

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