Pical Resort Valamar Collection Poreč Review: Croatia's Glamorous New Five Star Family Resort That Out-Michelins Paris & Out-Pampers Everyone

Arrival in Poreč: Bentleys, Marble and a Very Good First Impression

There is a particular moment on any holiday when you know, with total certainty, that you are going to be fine. Mine came approximately eleven seconds after arriving at the Pical Resort, Valamar Collection in Poreč, when I clocked a Bentley Continental GT, a Ferrari and a Lamborghini Urus parked outside the entrance like a pair of expensive bookends. This, I thought, is no ordinary family resort. Quelle surprise.

Getting here is almost insultingly easy: a quick flight from London to Pula followed by a 45 minute drive up the Istrian coast, and we gently wafted into Poreč, moments from the UNESCO-listed Old Town. The lobby alone is worth the journey, a vast expanse stretching off into the dappled marble distance, reception desks to the left, deep lounge chairs, sofas and a handsome bar to the right. It is the kind of arrival that makes you stand a little straighter and wish you had ironed your linen.

Newly opened in March 2026, Pical is set to become Valamar's flagship Adriatic destination, and it arrives with serious ammunition: three stylish properties offering everything from smart family rooms to ultra-exclusive V Level suites, eleven pools, three themed beaches, eleven restaurants, nine bars, a Dine Around option to keep things lively, 8,000 square metres of wellness including Croatia's first ESPA-branded spa, and all-day childcare. Half board and all-inclusive are both on offer, though frankly with this much food about, "all-inclusive" starts to feel less like a rate plan and more like a dare.

The Rooms and the Resort: A Village by the Sea, Not a Hotel

Our room was smart and spacious with a balcony overlooking the grounds, grass-covered roofs below and the sea sparkling away in the distance with the smug confidence of water that knows it is photogenic. Between balcony and beach lie multiple pools, slides, a beach club, adventure climbing and various beaches and stone terraces overlooking the Adriatic. This is less a resort than a complete village lining the coast next to Poreč, with an attractive throughway running through it, bikes and scooters ambling gently by like a Mediterranean daydream directed by Jacques Tati.

Lunch at Oliva Grill: Food So Fresh It Nearly Escaped

First stop, a quick lunch at the poolside Oliva Grill, a beautiful, relaxing outdoor Mediterranean lounge with a wooden slatted roof, deep comfy chairs and hessian chandeliers, which sounds like it should not work and absolutely does. The food was so fresh it practically walked off the plate: light salads, homemade pasta, pizzas, gourmet burgers, grilled meat and fish, and exclusive Parenzana dishes combining the flavours of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. Three countries on one plate, and not a diplomatic incident in sight.

Fogo by Bekal: Fire, Smoke and the Fastest Relaxation of My Career

After a swim in the sea, where I spent an embarrassingly long time playing in the underwater labyrinth (officially wonderful for children playing swimming hide and seek, unofficially wonderful for me), we dined at the open-air Fogo by Bekal, pools on one side, the sea and Pical Beach on the other. As the sun dropped behind the horizon the light turned positively cinematic, and I realised I had been on the property a mere four hours and was already utterly, irretrievably relaxed. C'est la vie, and what a life.

Fogo is a signature coastal fire-grill concept created by Šakota and Turković, the chefs behind the acclaimed Bekal restaurant in Zagreb. This is fire-led Mediterranean cuisine, locally sourced grilled meat, fish and vegetables, plus pizza and pasta, refined open-fire cooking where flame, embers and smoke shape the character of every dish. The local wines (always go local here) are superb. I like a deep, full-bodied red and was delighted every single time, which tells you something about the cellar and, admittedly, something about me.

Breakfast at More Restaurant: A Miracle of Modern Buffetry

Breakfast is taken at More Restaurant, where the buffet includes, among other marvels, live seafood stations with raw shellfish, freshly sliced fish carpaccio and Istrian oyster opening, plus grand fish carving featuring tuna, salmon, swordfish, dentex and scampi. Not to mention the chocolate desserts and ice cream, which I consumed in quantities best described as journalistic thoroughness. My justification was that I could swim in the sea for an hour afterwards and work it all off. Remarkably, it worked. I came back lighter than when I arrived, a miracle I intend to report to the Vatican.

Old Town Poreč: Roman Mosaics and More History Than Is Strictly Fair

I highly advise the Poreč sightseeing tour with Ratko Radijevac, and I say this as a man who normally regards guided tours the way cats regard baths. This one was genuinely fascinating. The town dates back to Roman times, and a floor mosaic from the second half of the 4th century, originally part of a large Roman house, is still preserved in the church garden. The Euphrasian Basilica is magnifique, and Poreč's history is so rich and surprising that you come away with your head fizzing.

Better still, Poreč sits just 100 km from Venice, and a ferry departs from the port 100 metres away, so you can pop over to La Serenissima for the day. Well worth doing, not least because the resort is such a haven of peace to come back to that Venice starts to feel like the noisy neighbour.

JAZ by Ana Roš at the Jadran Heritage Hotel: Leave the Children, Bring the Appetite

We also visited the Jadran Heritage Hotel, another Valamar property overlooking the port, home to the extraordinary JAZ by Ana Roš. Roš, for the uninitiated, runs the famous Hiša Franko in Kobarid, Slovenia, the first restaurant in the country to earn three Michelin stars. This is the terrace from which to drink fine wine and watch the world drift by. My advice: deposit the children in the resort's very capable hands and come here for a boozy lunch or a romantic dinner. The food and service are exceptional, and nobody will judge your second bottle. Chacun à son goût.

Jet Skiing with Marko and Zorah: My Shameful Zigzag Confession

The early afternoon was spent jet skiing on a Seadoo, courtesy of the water sports centre run by Marko and Zorah, two men genuinely keen to share their love of the sea and who treat guests as friends rather than irritants, which anyone who has visited a certain type of sports centre will recognise as rare and precious. They have a clever app that controls the bike and tracks everything, so no licence required. It also, unfortunately, showed me my exact route afterwards, which was mortifying: an hour of cruising up and down that impeccable coastline, taking in the port and the beaches, punctuated by a few thuggish donuts purely for the look of the thing. My trail was a zigzag of circles and twist-backs, the GPS equivalent of a drunken signature. Je ne regrette rien.

Rainy Day Insurance: The Best Gaming Centre I Have Ever Seen (Sorry, Google)

Not that I approve of being indoors in such a paradise, but should the heavens open, or should your offspring be of the console persuasion, an entire floor is dedicated to an event centre for 1,200 people with modular walls, vast video gaming zones, magnificent bean bags and interactive wall screens. I have never seen better gaming facilities anywhere in the world, and I include the Google head office in that assessment. If it rains, you have a million things to do. If it does not rain, you may struggle to extract your teenagers anyway.

Wine Tasting at Radovan Winery: Anna, Malvasia and a Terrace to Retire To

Add this firmly to the must-do list: a wine tasting at the Radovan Winery, a family affair run by Frank and Danijela with their two children, Anna and Antonio. Anna greeted us like royalty and served exquisite rosés, whites and full-bodied reds on their stunning terrace overlooking the hills and vineyard below, the decor pitched somewhere between super luxury and immensely relaxing. Their range covers six varieties: a dominant malvasia, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot, sauvignon blanc and the native refosco. Alongside the young wines they produce barrique wines aged in French barrels of respected French oak, and I can confirm the oak has every right to its reputation.

Dinner at Parenzana: Truffles, Sushi and a Futurist Cruise Liner

Evening found us at the Parenzana restaurant, housed in a striking building opposite the main hotel, framed by stylish sculptures, its luxury interior filled with trees and shrubs winding up past interior balconies like the inside of a futurist cruise liner. Exquisite chandeliers, soft tones and vast three-floor windows let in all that beautiful Adriatic light.

The name honours the Parenzana Trail, a former railway line connecting Trieste in Italy with Poreč in Croatia via Slovenia, now a famous cycling and walking route. The restaurant specialises in traditional Istrian delicacies: truffles, fine cheeses, Parenzana wines and Mediterranean pastries, and, to my complete and utter delight, sushi on tap. I was in heaven. Do ask the sommelier to take you through a selection of Parenzana's finest olive oils; it is an experience in itself, and you will never look at a supermarket bottle the same way again.

Pical Rooftop Bar by Laurent-Perrier: Champagne, Infinity Pool, Repeat

We finished the night watching the sunset and sipping refined cocktails at the Pical Rooftop bar by Laurent-Perrier, jumping into the rooftop infinity pool every so often to cool down and, crucially, to make room for more champagne. Think extremely trendy New York rooftop bar and you are halfway there; add the Adriatic glowing pink below and you have the full picture. This is the place to end every evening, and we treated that as a rule rather than a suggestion.

Purobeach Poreč: The Adults-Only VIP Lounge by the Sea

If you want to keep that trendy vibe going by daylight, head to the Purobeach Poreč beach club, adults only, effectively the VIP lounge of the resort. It has its own pool, a restaurant serving coastal cuisine inspired by Mediterranean, Asian and Latin influences, handcrafted cocktails, fine wines, sun loungers with concierge service delivered directly to your recumbent form, and a DJ playing the signature Puro Music soundtrack. Résistance is futile.

The ESPA Spa: In Which I Receive a Korean Glow and Retain My Dignity (Mostly)

Perhaps the most amusing experience of the trip, and the competition was fierce, was the ESPA skincare workshop, where the ladies and I were shown new and interesting ways to care for face, skin and hair. I tried the full Korean glow: pink hair mask, mango face cleanser sorbet, the lot. I shall never forget sliding a small marble roller covered in fine oils across my face to the open amusement of all present. Not to be knocked, though. I emerged looking noticeably younger, though regrettably still middle-aged. A dramatic improvement nonetheless, and my cheekbones sent their regards.

This was merely an amuse-bouche before the main event: an ESPA massage of over an hour by the wonderful Lidija. Yes, I snored. But this was a smooth, soothing, deeply caring experience, one of the most relaxing massages I have ever had, and I say this as something of an expert, if only by sheer volume of massages received in the line of duty.

The wellness offering here is a complete resort within a resort: laser treatments, family treatments, eight saunas and steam rooms, four immersive relaxation zones, a private spa suite and garden spa for total serenity, signature ESPA rituals inspired by the historic Parenzana trail, intuitive massages and a refreshing Head Spa tailored precisely to you. The lovely Alchemy bar and a wellness boutique tie it all together. You drift out feeling completely looked after and vaguely aristocratic.

Spinnaker: Cocktails with Gravitas and Dinner in the MICHELIN Guide

Dinner at Spinnaker introduced us to the famous cocktail barman Antonio of Peaches and Cream in Zagreb, a man who takes his cocktails so seriously that each explanation runs a good ten minutes, and every minute is earned. Try the Boulevardier and thank me later. The evening was elevated further by Ivan Maljevac, a former butler trained at the international butler academy in the Netherlands, whose poetic and passionate descriptions of the food could make a shopping list sound like Baudelaire, and by chef Marko Turković, who carries real gravitas and, the table agreed, no small amount of charm.

The cooking is contemporary Adriatic bistronomy, with fish carefully selected and aged to reveal deeper flavours and new textures, and the restaurant is selected in the MICHELIN Guide 2026. Food, wine, staff and company were all exceptional. Somehow, and I decline to explain the mechanics, we ended the night in a football bar for the start of the World Cup. Even paradise has its priorities.

The Valamar Speedboat: Rovinj, Isabella Island and a Sea Like Oil

The crowning glory was a day aboard the Valamar speedboat, a beautiful, stylish grey Colnago 45 Open, around £1,000 a day for twelve people, which split between friends is the bargain of the Adriatic. We cruised to Rovinj, swam off a beach, then lunched at the St. Nikola resort on Isabella Island at the Miramare Restaurant by Fratelli Cerea, whose restaurant near Bergamo holds two Michelin stars, dining under golden parasols by the pool on a terrace looking out from the back of the island to the open sea. Their baccheri is, I am reliably informed, the only pasta dish with two Michelin stars, and it tasted every bit the celebrity.

We visited more islands and snorkelled from the boat in various coves where the water is so transparent, and the fish so unbothered, that they simply swim around and into you as though no human has ever troubled them before. I dived off the boat and floated in utter bliss. The sea was perfectly calm, what the locals call "bonaca", flat like oil in the total absence of wind. Our host for the day, and indeed for the whole trip, was an exceptional lady who made sure our entire day matched that description. Formidable.

Harry's Piccolo Poreč: First Guests on the Night of the First MICHELIN Star

Finally, we dined at Harry's Piccolo Poreč on the very evening it earned its first Michelin star. We were the first guests through the door of a newly starred restaurant, which is the culinary equivalent of catching the bouquet. Twelve courses plus wine pairing, in portions small enough that the whole affair was a delightful experience rather than a marathon. Zesty, aromatic and refreshing was the table's unanimous verdict. The restaurant was created in collaboration with acclaimed chefs Matteo Metullio and Davide De Pra, whose original Harry's Piccolo in Trieste holds two MICHELIN stars, with the Poreč kitchen led by chef Goran Hrastovčak. Service, food, wine and ambience are as good as it gets. Do not miss it.

Indeed, by my entirely unscientific calculation, Poreč now offers more Michelin stars per square metre than Paris, a statistic I invite the French to dispute over lunch.

St Tropez in the Sixties, With Even Greater Family Luxury

This is an inexorably chic resort. Picture handsome, photogenic couples straight out of television adverts strolling the promenade, lounging by the pools and holding court at Purobeach. The children were so well behaved it bordered on the Midwich Cuckoos, but that is European children for you (I confess I missed my own little English thugs). The most evocative sight of all: kids diving and jumping off the pier into the water, backlit by the setting sun, a scene straight from every childhood holiday you half remember. It is St Tropez in the sixties, with flawless, personal service.

We invented a game: imagine an activity and see if the resort had it. You win if they did not. We lost, comprehensively. Tennis, padel, basketball, beach volleyball, a vast treetop adventure, games rooms straight out of EA headquarters, football, sailing, water slides, an entire water park; we ran out of imagination long before they ran out of activities. Stay a month and you and the children would still be discovering new ones.

And should all this somehow prove insufficiently luxurious, there is the V Level: the finest suites, additional dining experiences, private pools and beaches, premium lounge areas and a private concierge. Quite how they intend to top the luxury already on offer, I cannot say. But there is always more, n'est-ce pas?

This is the ultimate luxury family resort, set over crystal clear waters, and I am already plotting my return.

Pical Resort, Valamar Collection in Poreč, Croatia
https://www.valamar.com/en/hotels-porec/pical-resort

Radovan Winery
https://vinaradovan.com/

ESPA at Pical Resort
https://www.valamar.com/en/hotels-porec/pical-resort/wellness