Although we visited Croatia several times before, this was our first time in mainland Istria. After getting off the plane in Pula, our rented car waited for us at the airport. We downloaded a map off the Internet and went to House Ivela. It was very easy to find and we were greeted by the owners Tatjana & Ivan. The property looked beautiful from the outside and we couldn't wait to go in. It's an old traditional stone built Istrian house with almsot everything original inside too. The owners have succeeded in creating a warm and friendly atmosphere and the decor is truly special (we later found out that Ivan is an acomplished artist).
We were interested in finding out how people live and the owners were happy to show us around. They, for example, grow their own food and they also grow lavender. We bought their organic lavender oil. The location of House Ivela is roughly in the middle of the Istrian peninsula so it was very easy to reach either side of Istrian coast to go to a beach. We also did a walking tour to Ucka, which was, again, easy to reach from House Ivela. We also visited Pula, Rovinj, Porec and Venice.
We would definitely recommend this property for a great vacation, especially if you're planning to combine beach with other activities and sightseeing. We would recommend renting a car as otherwise you would struggle to get out and about.
We will go back!

We stayed at House Ivela for 3 nights in May after seeing it on the internet first, but because we weren't sure about our travel plans at that stage, we didn't make a reservation before leaving home. Upon arrival in Pazin Istria, the local tourist agency also recommended this property. We were directed to a small village named Parizi and to our surprise found House Ivela to be one of about 5 homes that actually forms this village! The owner came to meet us and that was our second surprise of the afternoon! What a friendly, interesting man! Ivan Paris is an artist and the apartment is part of their family home of 400 years old, which he painted himself. It is very comfortable with a small kitchen, 2 rooms, bathroom with washing machine and a lovely garden. The accommodation is ideal for a family of four or two couples. The host is a delightful and entertaining character and will provide you with all the local knowledge that you might need. He went out of his way to put us in contact with a local bee farmer to buy honey. We spent a very entertaining evening with this guy who couldn't even speak English and shared a bottle of some or other wine made from the honey that he makes! Ivan and his wife Tatiana are friendly and welcoming, but respects your privacy.

The location of this property is excellent as it is right in the very centre of Istria. We took day trips to Rovinj, Pula, Pazin and all the hilltop towns like Motovun etc. as they all are within easy driving distance. Ivan also told us of other less well known towns that we normally wouldn't have visited.

We were sad to leave here and would recommend this property to anyone. We feel that we have made friends and felt so at home, we would love to stay there again in future if ever possible! Because of this, we would like to share this magic place with other travellers out there!

This apartment is for those who prefer peace and quiet , but still want to be close to all the action.