Lim bay (Limski zaljev), located in Croatian part of Istrian peninsula, is a 10 kilometers long part of the Lim valley that had been formed by the ancient Pazinčica River. The river no longer flows through the valley and ends in Pazin cave some 19 kilometers away from the tip of the bay.
It is sometimes erroneously called a fjord, which is an inlet carved by a glacier. This is a ria – a partially submerged inlet formed by a river.
The water in the bay contains less salt and more oxygen than the sea water as it’s fed by submarine hot springs. This makes the sea flora and fauna particularly well developed, and the bay is a natural breeding ground and wintering place for many breeds of fish.
The name Lim comes from the Latin ‘limes’, which means ‘limit’. It refers to the border between Dalmatia and Italia, which was drawn through the valley.
There is a number of observation towers and viewpoints to be found around the Lim Bay, with some of them only accessible on foot or on a bicycle.