Slovenian Coast Cycling Piran-Croatia-Italy-Piran 102 km

This tour takes you along the Slovenian coast from Italy to Croatia and back, taking in highlights such as the Sečovljske Soline, Piran, Koper, Strunjan park, the Parenzana cycling path, Muggia, and much more. I did this cycling tour on August 2, 2016, but due to a wrong setting I had lost the data on my GPS when I got back from holidays. I redrew the tour on a map as it is a very nice tour to make. Do not forget to take identification to pass the Slovenia-Croatia border. The tour includes large sections of the D-8 cycle path, or Parenzana (www.parenzana.net) cycle path, which follows an abandoned rail track including two tunnels. In Izola, Piran and Koper there are some short stretches on busy touristic streets, shared with pedestrians, which can largely be avoided if you so desire.
I started the tour just outside Piran, close to our holiday home. There is paid parking nearby, but if you come by car it is cheaper to start somewhere else. You ride along the coast to Portorož, a resort town with an artificial sandy beach, a harbour, a casino and a lot of tourist facilities. You pass through it on the main coastal road to Lucija. Here you take the cycle path around the Seča peninsula, a smooth concrete path at the end of a camp site. Around the peninsula you arrive to a small harbour/shipyard and follow the Saint Bartolomew canal on the edge of the Sečovljske Soline to the entrance of the nature park and saltworks. You cross a bridge and follow a cycle path at the edge of the park to Sečovlje, where you pass under the 111 National Road and continue on another cycle path along Stara Drogonja to the Croatian border. You cross the border for a short stretch through Croatia on the road taking you up along the hill to the roundabout with the E751. You have an excellent view towards Slovenia of among others Sečovljske Soline and Piran bay. You descend back to the next border post and directly leave the busy E751 highway and cycle back through countryside towards Lucija. Near Parecag you make a short steep climb on a small road rewarding you with good views of the Soline. In Lucija, you join the 111 road for a short stretch into Portorož, where you join the D-8 cycling path taking you up to the 544 m long Valeta tunnel, saving you a climb up the Lucan hill. On the other side you descend to Strunjan, and continue to follow the D-8 cycling path. Near Izola, there is another tunnel (Tunnel Šaleta) and directly after you have an excellent view of Izola, the bay, Italy and Slovenian mountains in the distance. Near Izola you leave the cycling path before it turns into gravel, and then make a long climb to Gažon on the hills at 260 m, with again excellent views of Izola and the sea, and later, near Gažon, of Koper. From Gažon, you descend to Koper on a quiet road with mediocre asphalt. In Koper, you join the D/8 cycling path again, which takes you parallel to the H5 highway along the Škocjanski zatok nature reserve. Unfortunately, you do not see much of the wetland due to trees. You continue on the D-8 past Bertoki and follow the cycling path along vineyards and then slowly climbing through woods to Spodnje Škofije. Shortly after the D-8 crosses the Italian border (no border post) and you descend the hill to the Rio di Ospo. There is a new cycling path along the river to Muggia bay. Here you follow the SP14 road along the coast via Muggia back to the Slovenian border and continue on this road to Ankaran, and then on the Koper. You pass on a large viaduct across the railroad and pass industry in the only Slovenian port. In Koper/Capodistria there is a short stretch through the old center (Titov square). Ride slowly if you choose to follow this touristic stretch, otherwise continue on the road outside the center. Here you continue towards the D-8 cycling path taking you directly along the sea to Izola, another touristic town on the coast. There is a stretch in a park with tourists here, and then you continue along the marina east on a road taking you up to the 111 highway. Shortly before the highway, you turn right on a quiet road through Strunjan nature park. You have excellent views along the coast in picturesque countryside with olive groves and pasture. You descend towards the Strunjan soline. Here I went up to a viewpoint overlooking rock faces going steeply down to the sea. This is a dead end with a short steep stretch, but the views are good. You return to the soline, cycle around it with occasional views of Piran and then climb a winding road towards Piran. You take a small street to the right with bad pavement and cobblestones down the hill towards Fiesa lake (Jezero Fiesa), and then climb to Piran. You enter the town from above with great views of this Venetian town. You descend through a small street to Tartinijev square, and optionally go along Prešernovo nabrežje on the coast to the tip of the peninsula, and back. This is a busy touristic stretch, and ideal for a short break. From here, it is only a short stretch back to the starting point.
You can find something to eat and drink in a lot of places, among others in Piran, Portorož, Izola, Koper and Muggia.