Having never been to Croatia we had some trepidation when we landed in Pula airport at around 2200hrs.Suzy's directions to the village were spot on & we arrived quickly at Villa Ester where Ervin was there to greet us. He was always helpful.
The villa is of old stone and very pretty. It was spotless & catered for our needs perfectly. Our 2 boys are 9 & 12 so happily slept in the attic room. Each bedroom has its own en suite which was great but there is also a handy toilet in the kitchen.
The gardens & pool area were again spotless & there are some other houses in close proximity but it had the sense of peace & we weren't affected by any external noise. (probably creating too much of our own at times with Pool wrestling!) The village is ideally sleepy & there is a small shop & a larger supermarket 'Valata' within walking distance & also 2 small bars & a restaurant.
We had a hire car & visited Rovinj many times to shop , eat & visit the beach. Rovinj is about 5k away down a straight road & it couldn't have been easier. There are lovely beaches to the north & south of Rovinj & some are accessed via campsites which let you use the beach but charge a fee. One which didn't was the beach at Rubin villas to the south side of Rovinj. It had banana boats,wind surfing, parascending etc & there was even a small Konsum market in its complex which keeps cost of drinks etc.down. The best thing to do is just explore in the car. The ones we visited had toilets , showers, beach bar/restaurant but we were always able to find a quiet spot. Buy the folding sponge mattresses in the 'Valata' supermarket near the villa as cheaper than tourist shops. same for snorkels , air beds etc. In fact we only visited the bigger 'Konsum' market once to buy fish as the 'Valalta' had everything we needed.
Do buy the slip on shoes as the beaches rocky & hard to walk into the water. My 2 boys wore sandals we'd brought which can be used in water but the youngest still ended up with his '13 injuries' (only cuts&nicks to feet!)
We also had a great day exploring 'Motovun' the medieval town , the aqua park at Porec ( you can bring a picnic but pack it in a bag as won't let cool box in). Also a day in Venice on the fast ferry 'Atlas' was a fabulous experience. There are so many places to visit that are all accessed quickly, a plus when you have children who don't want to spend all day travelling.
A perfect holiday to a beautiful villa&area & we would love to return!