Selce Harbor

Selce is a small town on the Crikvenica Riviera, between Rijeka and Senj on the Kvarner coast of the Adriatic, and Selce Harbor is a modest, friendly place that lies at the centre of the town. The harbour is a small basin sheltered by a mole, with fishing boats, small motorboats and a few visiting yachts moored along the quay, and it is the point around which the town's seafront life revolves. The scale is intimate, and a short stroll takes in the whole of it.

The town's story is closely linked to the sea. For centuries, Selce was a small fishing and farming community, with olive groves on the slopes behind and boats on the beach below, and the harbour grew from a place where the fishing fleet could shelter from the bura and the southerly storms. The coast here faces west over the Kvarner Gulf, with the island of Krk filling the horizon, and the view from the harbour on a clear evening, with the sun sinking behind Krk's hills, is one of the town's most attractive sights. Today the harbour is used by local fishermen, by pleasure boats and by small excursion vessels that take visitors along the coast.

Around the harbour, a promenade lined with palms and cafés runs along the shore, and it is the place for an evening walk. Restaurants serve fresh fish, squid and shellfish, and ice-cream stands are busy in the summer months. The promenade links the harbour with the town's pebble beaches, among them Rokan and Poli Mora, which are known for clean water and family facilities, and a longer coastal path, the Lungomare, leads to Crikvenica. Diving is popular, and the Mihurić Diving Center is a good place to arrange dives, courses and snorkelling trips to the rocky ledges off the coast. Boats can also be hired for fishing or exploring.

Practical points are easy. The harbour is free to visit and open at all times, and the quay is a flat, easy walk for people of all ages. In July and August the waterfront is busy in the evenings, so tables at restaurants fill early. Parking in the centre can be tight in high season. Nearby, Camp Selce offers a place to stay, and The Little Church in Selce is a short walk from the water.

The harbour suits families, couples and anyone who likes a small, working waterfront. Go in the early evening for the best light and a relaxed atmosphere.