The third stage of the Camino South Istria begins in Stoja,  a quiet part of Pula. The impressive Church of Our Lady of the Sea, built for the sailors of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, with alternating rows of white Istrian stone from Brijuni and reddish marble extracted from the Istrian quarries, is simply breathtaking. In its immediate vicinity there’s the Naval Memorial Cemetery, which “tells” a large and important part of the history of the military port that Pula used to be. Descending again to the sea and largely following the contours of the coastline, we reach the settlement of Pješčana Uvala where, at almost the highest point on the hill, above the town,  the unusual Church of St. Nicholas watches over the bay, built in the shape of a ship and dedicated to the patron saint of sailors and travellers. The church was ambiently lit by lighting designer and resident of Pješčana Uvala, Dean Skira, who in 2022 illuminated the nativity scene on the square of St. Peter in the Vatican. We continue through the Soline Forest Park – one of the last preserved forests of autochthonous holm oak (Quercus Ilex) in our area. On the right, there is a view of Fratarski Island and the rest of the small archipelago. We reach the village of Vinkuran, where, along the trail there is a Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in front of which there is an altar and an arranged area with eight benches, the right place to take a break and rest, think in silence and pray. Just a hundred metres away, there is the oldest Istrian quarry, Cave Romane, where the Romans quarried blocks of stone for the construction of the Pula amphitheatre. Today, it is an impressive venue for numerous sports and music events, the acoustics of which tempt you to test your vocal skills.                                                                                                    

The route continues through the almost untouched nature of the gentle Mediterranean landscape, which follows the travellers all the way to the very south of Istria. Following the coastline, we reach the village of Banjole, formerly a fishing village, which has retained its beauty to this day. In a short circular tour, a little off the trail, there is a church dedicated to the patron saint of sailors and fishermen, the Church of Our Lady of the Sea, and in the very centre of Banjole you’ll find the Medulin Municipality History Park, a kind of open-air museum and gallery.                                           

The Camino trail will show all its diversity precisely in the next section, while “climbing” to a hilly area that offers an unforgettable view of the endless blue sea on one side and the whole of Istria all the way up to the mountain Učka, on the other. This is where the Way of the Cross was put up, as the ideal place for meditation and reflection, as well as contrition and submission. In such a meditative state, one reaches the southernmost village of Istria – Premantura, the destination of the third day of Camino South Istria after 23 very intense and diverse kilometres.