So you are planning your vacation in Croatia (or you are maybe already here) and you chose the city of Makarska to be your base and now you want to know what are the top things to do in Makarska. Perfect, you made a good choice by choosing Makarska. All you need to think about right now is how to fill the days of your vacation with excitement and make some nice memories. In this post, we’ll describe our top 5 places and things to do when you come to Makarska. Since we are adventure agency and subjectively prefer outdoor places and activities, expect this list to be made of such places.
Our top things to do in Makarska
1. Biokovo nature park
Ok, you already saw that big mountain above Makarska. You probably already know that it’s called Biokovo and if you ask a local he’ll probably tell you not to go up there. Well, there’s a reason for that. A logical one. A lot of people try to climb it unprepared, in the summer heat, in flip flops and sometimes get lost. And that’s bad for tourism. But there is nothing to worry about. If you are a regular hiker and have adequate equipment, you can spend a whole day of your vacation hiking on the Biokovo mountain. Just be aware of the summer heat and temperature that can go up to 40 degrees Celsius. That equals a lot of water. Even if you are not a hiker and don’t want to have anything with hiking since you came to Croatia to rest and not to work, good news for you, you can drive all the way to the top of this magnificent mountain and enjoy the views of Makarska and Dalmatia. Sounds perfect and it almost is. Just one small thing. It can get pretty crowded on that narrow Biokovo road and you’ll end up hating everyone driving a vehicle, including yourself. Pro tip: Don’t go to the highest peak (Sv. Jure) and go to Vošac peak instead. Vošac peak is a bit lower peak but it has a much better view. Pro tip no.2: They are making a skywalk on Biokovo mountain that will be open before the season of 2020. so make sure you visit it. We visit this mountain through our Biokovo hiking & photo safari tour so check it out if you’re interested.
2. Nugal beach
Perfect beach, simply perfect. And remote. And full of naked people. You see, the almost entire beach is for nudists. To reach Nugal beach you’ll have to walk a bit. And it’s a kind of walk on which you would like to bring some kind of shoes with you, maybe sandals. Just not flip flops. You can walk in them as well, but you’ll have a better time with better shoes. You’ll need around half an hour to reach it from Makarska city center. But you’ll love it once you reach it. It’s also considered one of the most beautiful Croatian beaches. Google it. Crystal clear sea, cliffs around you, far from the crowds of regular beaches… Once you reach the Nugal beach you’ll have an option to take away your clothes and go to the nudist part of the beach or stay clothed and swim on the non-nudist part of the beach. Either way, you choose, just enjoy it.
Unfortunately, we don’t have our own photo of Nugal beach so please Google it.
3. Baćina lakes
So you’ve been to the mountain, and you’ve been in the sea, now it’s time to visit some lakes. Baćina lakes are a group of 7 lakes, 6 of them are connected and they form a place of astonishing natural beauty. Ok, you can call us biased since we run our Bacina lakes kayaking tour there but you’ll never know if you never visit this place. If you stay disappointed, give us a call and we’ll buy you a drink. So what’s so special about Bacina lakes. Crowd. Or better said, lack of it. You see, even if you visit Bacina lakes in the middle of summer nothing will give away that it’s high season in Croatia. There are simply not enough people to call it a high season. It’s a perfect place to run away from crowded Makarska and enjoy silence and peace. We forgot to mention that Baćina lakes are not so near Makarska. You’ll need around 1 hour of driving to reach them, but hey, it’s worth it. Another good thing is that you can combine a visit to Bacina lakes with Neretva delta which is just 15 minutes of driving away. Completely different landscape. The mighty river, long sandy beaches, shallow sea, a lot of kitesurfers in the afternoon… A place you don’t want to miss if you come to Baćina lakes.
4. Omiš and Cetina river
Omiš is a small city just 30 minutes of driving away from Makarska. It’s about the size of Makarska and it’s also crowded during the summer season. It’s also the place where the Cetina river meets the sea. So like in the case of the Neretva river, you have a nice sandy beach to swim at if you love that kind of beaches more. Omiš has a lot of mountains around it as well so you can go hiking or rock climbing. It’s one of the most famous places for rock climbing in Dalmatia. You can drive along the canyon of the Cetina river and enjoy many serene places along the way. Or you can go rafting. Cetina river is one of the best rivers for rafting in Croatia. If you prefer flying, you can go flying. You’ll be tied to a steel cable, but’ it will feel like flying. It’s the zip – line we’re talking about here. One of the best zip-lines in Croatia is one in Omiš. It seems that almost every outdoor activity is best in Omiš although we always try to promote our hometown of Ploče as the best place for adventure tourism in Dalmatia. Truth is, both of these cities have their own activities and landmarks you can visit and enjoy. Go to both of them.
5. Hvar or Brač island
Both of these islands are across Makarska and if you went for a hike on Biokovo mountain you can observe them both just like on a palm of your hand. There are many ship excursions leaving Makarska every morning and visit these islands. You don’t get quite to explore the islands itself since the boat leaves you with no time for exploration. So if you are really eager to discover the true beauty of Hvar or Brač island we recommend you board a ferry and do a drive of your own. Consider using a bike instead of a car. It’s more eco – friendly, ferry ticket will be cheaper and you’ll avoid getting stuck in a ferry queue on a way back. What to visit at these islands. Well, everything. We’ll make the next post about it in a week or so.
That would be it. Of course, there are many more places to visit near Makarska and this is just a list of places that we would visit if we were in your place. We made a list for persons staying in Makarska for 7 days which is the usual amount of time people stay for a vacation in Croatia. If you are staying for a day or two, choose something that you’ll like the most. Just don’t stay in the city. Makarska is a nice place, explore it a bit. Go for a walk around the peninsula, explore the narrow and old streets, run through Osejava park… Just don’t spend your whole vacation in the city, go and explore the region, you’ll be much more satisfied during your way back home.
In case you have any questions about the are, we’ll gladly answer them, just write us a message through our contact form. Thanks for visiting Croatia and have the best of times in our country 🙂
