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Makarska rivieran

24 September 2015 / 17 Comments

Makarska Riviera in Croatia - a holiday paradise

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Updated in 2023 The Makarska Riviera in Croatia stretches just over 53 kilometres from Brela in the north to Gradec in the south, including the town of Makarska. The coastline is dramatic with its high mountains and turquoise sea, and this has become a popular destination for tourists from all over the world.

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Makarska Riviera in Croatia

Along the Makarska Riviera there are many charming towns such as Podgora, Makarska and Baska Voda. From here you can also take boats to the islands of Hvar and Brac. Above all, driving here is incredibly beautiful, along the sea and mountains.

Makarska Kroatien -Makarska rivieran

From north to south on the Makarska Riviera

The Makarska Riviera, located in Split-Dalmatia County, starts in Brela, just over 50 kilometres south of Split, and then continues south to Gradec. Along the entire coastline, the beautiful and clear Adriatic Sea meets with its pebble beaches.

Makarska rivieran

Brela on the Makarska Riviera

Brela is one of the most popular holiday resorts on the Makarska Riviera. Here you will find an environment with charming stone houses and lush greenery. In addition, there are nice walking paths, cosy cafés and lovely beaches.

Baska Voda on the Makarska Riviera

About 9 kilometres north of the town of Makarska is Baska Voda. This place used to be a small fishing village, but today it is a very popular seaside resort for tourists. It is a bit similar to the town of Makarska, but a bit smaller. Here you will also find restaurants, cafés and beaches.

Makarska - the main town on the Makarska Riviera

The main town on the Makarska Riviera is Makarska, beautifully situated between the Adriatic Sea and the Biokovo mountains. Here you can stroll along the harbour promenade, visit the beautiful old square Kacics in the Old Town or just enjoy the sun and swimming. The major beaches are just Makarska beach and north of it is Plaza Bilosevac and south of the town is beautiful Nugal Beach.

Makarska Kroatien -Makarska rivieran

We had lunch at a nice outdoor restaurant in the harbour where we each had a pasta with shrimp and salmon and a large beer. Very good! In addition, we were joined by some super nice Halmstad residents who travelled down to Makarska with Ving. It is noticeable that there is a lot of Scandinavian charter here, because you hear both Swedish and Norwegian.

The seaside promenade that runs along the coast is ideal for anyone looking for a leisurely stroll and runs from the Makarska marina to Sveti Petar. During the walk you will pass olive trees, cypresses and palm trees in a beautiful colour scheme. The lighthouse and St Peter's church are also on the leafy road. Along the way you can also enjoy the view of the water and all the beautiful boats.

For an unrivalled panoramic view of the Adriatic Sea, book a trip to the Biokovo Skywalk. It's a glass viewing platform 1228 metres up the mountain in Rauna Vlaska.

Makarska rivieran - Makarska

Car ferry from Makarska to Brac Island

There is a car ferry between Makarska and Sumartin on the island of Brac, which takes about 60 minutes. You will arrive at a very beautiful island with the largest resort Supertar, the resort Bol and one of the most beautiful beaches in the world Zlatni Rat, which has been awarded many times.

Ferry from Makarska to the island of Brac
Zlatni Rat på Brac
Zlatni Rat is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Tučepi on the Makarska Riviera

Tucepi has a marina full of boats, as well as restaurants and shops. The town also offers a long seaside promenade.

Podgora on the Makarska Riviera

Podgora is beautifully situated at the foot of the Bikovo mountain range. Here you will find cosy restaurants and a long pebble beach.

Car ferry from Drvenik to Hvar island

There is a ferry from Drvenik to Sucuraj on the island of Hvar. The crossing takes about 35 minutes and it is beautiful crossing where you have the mountain massif Biokovo in the background.

We stand on the ferry and take photos

The island of Hvar is 40 kilometres long and has a lot to offer. You can visit the town of Stari Grad, the oldest town in Croatia, and the beautiful town of Hvar.

Starigrad i Kroatien
The oldest town of Stari Grad on the island of Hvar
Hvar i Kroatien
The town of Hvar on the island of Hvar

Podaca on the Makarska River

We also visited Podaca, which is a little further south along the Makarska Riviera. Here we stayed at a small campsite called Camp Podaca. The campsite is on several floors, which means that you have a beautiful view of the sea.

Camp Podaca i Podaca på Makarska rivieran
Camp Podaca in Podaca

There are tables and chairs for the guests of the campsite and to get in touch with the young guys taking care of the campsite we had to use a walkie talkie that was lying around. The only downside of the campsite is that the entrance is steep and most of the pitches are very small. The campsite is best suited for smaller motorhomes.

Camp Podaca,
Tables and chairs at Camp Podaca

From the campsite, a staircase leads straight down to the beautiful beach. The coastline here is built up with ordinary residential buildings, a small apartment hotel and a few small campsites, so there is no room for large, sprawling hotels.

Podaca -Makarska rivieran

Gradac on the Makarska Riviera

Gradac is the southernmost resort on the Makarska Riviera. Here you will find long, beautiful beaches.

Several places north of the Makarska Riviera

It is only 50-65 km to many more beautiful places north of the Makarska Riviera. Take a day trip or rent a car/boat to see more of the Adriatic.

The Pirate City of Omis

Omiš is located just south-east of Split. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the villagers were pirates, who attacked merchant ships and then quickly slipped into the Cetina River. Today you can enjoy much calmer trips on the river, and perhaps take the opportunity to see the Mirabella fort.

Omis i Kroatien
Omis and the river Cetina where the mountain massif Biokovo begins.

Split

Built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in 200 AD, the coastal city of Split is full of Roman palaces, ruins and beautiful squares. There are also plenty of outdoor cafés and boat excursions.

Split i Kroatien

Trogir

The car-free town of Trogir is located on its own small island, about 45 minutes north of Split. The town is surrounded by high city walls and here narrow alleys and cosy restaurants meet. The old town is also listed by UNESCO for its architecture.

Krka National Park

Krka National Park is one of the best-known national parks in Croatia, and offers fantastic scenery. The waters of the Krka River flow through lush green nature and there are several large and really powerful waterfalls.

Krka i Kroatien

More great places south of the Makarska Riviera

Dubrovnik

The Old Town of Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is surrounded by a magnificent city wall and filled with historic buildings. It is also home to many attractions from the TV series Game of Thones.

Dubrovnik

Even more to see and do in Croatia

It's great to experience the Makarska Riviera in Croatia, but there's also plenty more to see and do around the country. Below you'll find plenty of tips.

Kroatien
All our top tips about Croatia. Click on the image!

Have you visited the Makarska Riviera?

Have you visited the Makarska Riviera in Croatia? What places have you been to? How was your experience? Please tell us!

Facts about the Macedonian Riviera

  • Country: Croatia
  • Landscape: Dalmatia
  • County: Split-Dalmatia County
  • Location: Along the Adriatic coast in the southern part of the country. The Biokovo massif separates the coastal resorts on the Riviera from the Dalmatian hinterland.
  • Length: More than 53 kilometres
  • Stretching: From Brela (just over 50 kilometres south of Split) to Gradac.
  • Main location: Makarska
  • Name: Makarska riviera or Makarskarivieran ("Makarska rivijera" in Croatian)

Towns on the Makarska Riviera

Here you will find a list of resorts located along the popular coastline, in alphabetical order.

  • Baška Voda
  • Brela
  • Lack of
  • Drvenik
  • Gradac
  • Igrane
  • Makarska
  • Tučepi
  • Podaca
  • Podgora
  • Promajna
  • Stowaway
  • Živogošće

Travelling to the Makarska Riviera

  • Flight: Split Airport is about 70 kilometres from Makarska. From the airport you can travel by taxi, Uber or Bolt.
  • Charter: Several different charter companies have destinations along this popular coastal strip, such as Ving, Apollo, Tui and Croatia Specialist.
  • Car/caravan: You can of course travel with your own car or motorhome. Driving from Rostock in Germany to Makarska takes about 17 hours, pure driving time.

You might also like:

National parks in Croatia - 8 lovely oases Semestra i Europa - DubrovnikUnesco World Heritage in Croatia - 10 natural and cultural heritage sites
InformationFirst Camp
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24 September 2015 9:14
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16 Comments

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  1. Ditte says:

    How nice it looks and very beautiful! Extra cosy now that perhaps the worst tourist season is over. Nice to also avoid the big hotels.
    Practical to call the staff with a walkie talkie. I wonder if that would work in our house. Good thought...
    I have also visited Brac, during a boat trip, but that was a long time ago. Would probably not recognise me at all now.
    Enjoy the sun and warmth because autumn has crept up on us.

    24 September 2015 - 9:59

    Reply

  2. Ama de casa says:

    Sometimes it's not wrong to go wrong 🙂 But steep and small... I get a bit of a stomach ache from that 😉.

    Hope you are doing well now!

    24 September 2015 - 10:03

    Reply

  3. Mr Steve says:

    You will always find great places for your stops.
    Yesterday I saw a report on the TV news about the rise of tourism in Albania. It felt extra fun because I have already "been there" with you. I hope that they will be careful with the development along the coast so that all the beautiful nature is not "destroyed".

    24 September 2015 - 10:51

    Reply

  4. BP says:

    It pays to make mistakes sometimes! The campsite is incredibly cosy. Like the "stairs" there, extra cosiness factor and lovely views!
    Hopefully the area will not be exploited with huge ugly hotels.

    24 September 2015 - 10:56

    Reply

  5. s p i n d e l t j e j e n says:

    Go to Podgora/Tucepi and Makarska!!! 🙂 Golden grains 🙂

    24 September 2015 - 11:24

    Reply

  6. Comment by post author

    admin says:

    Ditte, have never seen the solution with a walkie-talkie before, but then they don't have to be in place all the time 😉 We'll see if we get out to Brac too!

    Ama de casa, thank you, I'm fine now. Sooo nice! The hill up gave us a bit of a stomach ache because our car is so heavy, but it went well 🙂.

    Steve, interesting to hear about the report on Albania! Yes, we hope they can keep the beautiful nature and nice coastline without ruining it with too many hotels...!

    BP, that's right! This was a nice family owned campsite, cosy! I think (and hope) that it is a bit difficult to fit too big hotels here.

    Spider girl, thanks for the tips! We have just rolled. Found no camping in Podgora / Tucepi, but have stayed in Makarska. (Pouring rain right now ;))

    24 September 2015 - 12:03

    Reply

  7. Scottish moments says:

    Oh how beautiful! Getting more and more curious about these countries. Becomes so ressugen of your blog!

    24 September 2015 - 13:04

    Reply

  8. Role o Carina says:

    There seem to be many nice places where you travel!
    Good that the Migraine has calmed down 🙂 .

    Have fun and enjoy.......

    24 September 2015 - 16:23

    Reply

  9. Marina says:

    It looks really cosy, and that's the way it is, you find so many wonderful places by being wrong - and I've learnt that the hard way!

    24 September 2015 - 16:54

    Reply

  10. Anna, New York - My Bite of the Big Apple says:

    Nice pictures! It is so beautiful in Croatia. We spent two summers in a row at Plat and Cavtat, south of Dubrovnik.

    24 September 2015 - 18:48

    Reply

  11. Ninny says:

    Oh, it looks really nice and lovely! My closest colleague at work is from Croatia, she and her husband fled the war in the 90s with their children who were small at the time. Now they have lived in Sweden for over 20 years, but always go down to their family in the summers. She has always talked so much about Croatia, the beautiful cities and how nice it is by the sea, so I recognise the name of several of the places you have been to. Her mother-in-law lives in Mostar, for example. N and I have worked together for twelve years, so you might think I should have travelled there, but it hasn't happened yet. But at some point...!
    Have a good time on your trip, enjoy the last summer heat! Read about your migraine, ugh so hard, hope it stays away now!

    24 September 2015 - 21:31

    Reply

  12. Comment by post author

    admin says:

    Scottish moments, fun if we can contribute with some rescue. Croatia is amazingly beautiful!

    Rolle and Carina, there are many beautiful places in this part of Europe. Thanks for the thought, no migraine right now and it's great! 🙂

    Marina, sometimes it can be good to be wrong - definitely! 😉

    Anna, New York, isn't it nice in Croatia? We have not been to the places you mention.

    Ninnie, thank you for your comment! Then I understand that you have a relationship with Croatia, even if you have not been here! A fantastically beautiful country, which today is also very modern and well-functioning (and thus quite expensive). But as I said, absolutely fantastic nature and a wonderful archipelago. We also liked Mostar! 🙂

    24 September 2015 - 21:48

    Reply

  13. Anita says:

    When travelling from Makarska up towards Split, stop in Omis 20 miles before reaching Split.
    There are several campsites and something as unusual as sandy beaches, in Croatia.
    The beautiful little town is situated between the mountains where the Cetina River flows and there are beautiful river tours to go on.

    24 September 2015 - 22:50

    Reply

  14. Comment by post author

    admin says:

    Anita, many thanks for the tips! It will probably be a visit to Omis! River trip sounds nice too, we'll check it out! 🙂

    25 September 2015 - 10:11

    Reply

  15. Katta's Considerations says:

    Wonderful pictures. It's really beautiful. You must by now be fuelled with lots of wonderful emotions from all your travels.

    27 September 2015 - 20:14

    Reply

  16. Elisabeth says:

    Looks very cosy!

    05 October 2015 - 22:35

    Reply

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