Welcome to the youngest city in Croatia and a place with the highest-ever recorded air temperature in Croatia. We like to call Ploče ‘The outdoor capital of Croatia’ because of all the outdoor potential around it. If you choose Ploče to be your base for exploration of beautiful Dalmatia or just happen to find yourself in this small city just 50 kilometers south of Makarska here’s the list of top things to do in Ploče as well as top places to visit around it.
About the city of Ploče First things first, let us tell you a bit about the city in which we grew up and which was our base for a long time. We often call it the best place for adventure tourism in Croatia even though the city itself offers nothing adventurous. It’s a small and young city, based on industry and in total contrast with everything that surrounds it. It’s the second largest seaport in Croatia, and you’ll find everything that goes along with the port in it.
Even though the city of Ploče has some peculiarities, like unique socialist architecture, you don’t need more than a few hours to explore it all. But when it comes to the places that surround the city of Ploče, that’s where the list gets big. Being kind of outdoor persons ourselves, we’ll write more about these outdoor wonders you might see around the city of Ploče and where the true adventure potential of this city lies .
Getting to Ploče The city of Ploče is located in southern Croatia and it’s one of the most infrastructurally developed cities in Croatia. It was never meant to be a tourist city and it was always developing in other directions – as the industrial hub of the area. The city of Ploce is also a traffic center of the Croatian south and there are many ways to reach it and many important roads go through or near it.
The southern part of the A1 Croatian motorway currently ends in Ploce and it’s the most convenient way to reach the city if you are coming from countries not so far from Croatia. Practically, your whole trip through Croatia might be done by using this motorway. Still, consider local and regional roads too. These were once the main connection between Croatian north and south and are much more scenic routes than the motorways.
The city of Ploce is located right in the middle of the larger cities of Split and Dubrovnik , with the distance to each of these approximately 100 kilometers. Both of these cities have airports near them so if you are coming to Croatia by airplane, both of these airports would be the best options. You would need around 2 hours of driving to reach Ploce from them.
Once, the Ploce was a very important railway center with the railroad lines going to Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries of former Yugoslavia and the rest of Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, passenger railway traffic exists only a few times a week during the summer now.
Introduction to Things to do in Ploče We already mentioned that the city of Ploce is mostly an industrial city. Still, there are plenty of beautiful natural wonders around it and a lot of things to do in Ploce. There are some cool places to explore even within the city although you don’t need much time for those.
However, we believe that the true beauty and tourist potential of Ploce lies just a few kilometers away from it, in the mesmerizing nature around this southern Croatian city. Let us take you there and show you the best things to do in Ploce.
Our reccomendation of the best activities in the Ploče area
Explore Baćina Lakes Baćina lakes are a lake group consisting of 7 lakes, situated just a few kilometers away from the city of Ploče. Six of those seven are connected and you can easily go from one lake to another. There are a few ways you could spend your time on Baćina lakes and explore this unique landmark.
Kayaking and Canoeing: We used to organize a Baćina lakes kayaking tour here, but now you can rent a kayak and enjoy the lakes yourselfStand-Up Paddling: If you are more into Stand-Up Paddling, there is a great tour that covers the best of Baćina Lakes Traditional Boat Safari: If you came just to enjoy and don’t want to do any kind of physical activity, you can still go on a tour of lakes by a traditional boat also known by the name LađaCycling and Walking Trails: There is a 10 kilometers of gravel trail going all around the lakes and it’s perfect for cycling, jogging or simply enjoying nature by walking
Featured tour: Stand Up Paddling on Baćina lakes
Baćina lakes are a nice place to see and feel. Just being in the nature of the lakes is one of the most calming things to do in Ploče. It’s one of the rare places where you can be alone even during the high season in Croatia. We always mentioned this during our kayaking tours and all of our guests were always amazed at the fact that there are not more tourists around. That’s a great thing, trust us. It might change in the future, but we hope Baćina lakes won’t become a classic tourist place like so many others in Croatia.
Additional Highlights:
Jump into Oćuša Spring: A refreshing experience during summer visits is jumping into this cold water spring.Birdwatching: Baćina lakes are full of different bird species and there is a bird observation point built on the trail that goes all around the lakes
Visit the Neretva Delta and Try Kiteboarding there Neretva River mouth is located just a few kilometers from the center of the city of Ploče and it’s absolutely a place you must visit if you are staying in or passing through Ploče. The whole Neretva Valley is full of great places to visit but let’s focus on the Neretva river delta since it’s closest to Ploče. It’s a place made out of sand and fun and it’s been the most famous place for kitesurfing (kiteboarding) in Croatia lately.
Kite surfing (or kiteboarding) has become one of the most popular outdoor activities in recent years and we see more and more kites each year at the Neretva River delta. Here’s what to expect if you want to try this activity.
Learn the Basics: As far as we know (we still haven’t tried kite surfing but it’s high on our bucket list), it’s an activity for which you’ll need to pass a basic course to start your kite adventure. There are a few schools in the vicinity and the basic course lasts for a few days.Other Activities: If you don’t have 3 days or just don’t want to do this activity, Neretva still has other options to offer. You can walk around on sandbars stretching for hundreds of meters into the sea. Most of the sand that the Neretva River brings during its journey is accumulated here. Overall, it’s a sandy place with a lot of shallow water and a warm sea on one side compared to the cold river on the other.
Apart from the Neretva River mouth, you might want to explore the rest of the valley as well. The bike would be a good choice for exploration since it will take you anywhere, and it’s eco-friendly and low-cost. Some of the places we recommend visiting are the Norin River and Kuti Lake. On both of these sites, there is an option to do a traditional boat safari tour. We used to organize a kayaking tour on the Norin River and it was a great experience in a jungle-like environment.
Unique Features:
Sandbars: Stretching into the Adriatic Sea, they create a stunning, sandy landscape perfect for walking and photography.Birdwatching Points: Recently built observation towers are great for birdwatching
Discover Ploče’s Military History There are many war relics scattered around the Ploče area. Ploče is and always has been a great strategic point. And wherever you have a good strategic point, you have an army as well. During WWII, there were many German and Italian forces in this area, fighting with local partisan squads. After the war has passed, many military structures are left standing until these days. These abandoned military bunkers were mostly made by Italians to protect Porto Tolero (the Italian name for the Port of Ploče of that era).
Explore Bunkers: There are many bunkers on local hill peaks, one on almost every peak. Some easy hikes will lead you to most of these. We recommend one on the Višnjica hill. Short 40-minute easy hike and you’re thereVisit Underground Tunnels: Then there are some underground tunnels that are pretty cool to visit. They are not as large as somewhere else in Croatia but still worth visiting.Hike the ‘Tragom bunkera’ trail: The Tragom bunkera (Following the bunkers) trail is a circular hike on Striževo Hill near Ploče and it connects all the hilltops with bunkers and it’s one of the most specific hiking trails in southern Croatia
Tips for Exploring:
Wear proper shoes and bring a flashlight if you embark on an underground tunnel exploration
Respect the area’s historical significance and avoid causing damage to these relics. Do not take anything or leave anything as you are exploring
Cycle and Taste Wine in Jezero Valley (Vrgorac Valley) Some things in this world just go hand in hand. Cycling and wine are two of these things. Or maybe not, but who cares as long as you are careful? Jezero Valley offers both of these things and if you know your limits, you can easily enjoy both, even at the same time.
Cycling: Today, Jezero Valley is the largest vineyard in Croatia. There are numerous unpaved roads through it, making a real labyrinth of trails perfect for cycling.Wine Tasting: In the past few years, locals realized that places like Jezero Valley have tourist potential as well and a few family wineries were opened. You can visit them anytime during the season and try some of the best local wines and other domestic products.
We used to organize a cycling tour in Jezero Valley and we had a lot of fun there. It was among our favorite things to do in Ploče.
Fun Fact:
The Jezero Valley valley was originally a large lake until a tunnel was constructed to drain the water into the Baćina lakes, making the land suitable for cultivation. This tunnel is known as the Maričevac tunnel and you can explore it during the dry summer months.
Find Secluded Beaches on the Makarska Riviera You came on vacation, remember? After all these activities, you deserve a rest. Makarska Riviera starts near Gradac, a small tourist place just 10 kilometers away from Ploče, and stretches to Brela. It’s full of beautiful beaches, some of which are secluded and hard to reach by land, and some are easily accessible. Which one to choose depends on your preferences. Just to let you know, Makarska Riviera is considered to be the part with the best beaches in Croatia.
Hidden Beaches: Most of the beaches are part of tourist places, but many of them are not. Try to find some of these secluded beaches of Makarska Riviera—they are a bit harder to reach, but it’s worth it. There won’t be many people around, you can swim naked, and enjoy yourself in silence.Adventure Tours: If you are into adventure tours, there are many options on Makarska Riviera too. We used to organize two kayaking tours there:
Sunset Sea Kayaking: Kayak along some of the most beautiful parts of Makarska Riviera.Night Kayaking: Explore the same stretch of the coastline but this time during the nighttime, making it one of the most unique experiences out there.
But since we don’t do these anymore, here’s the list of our recommendations for equally thrilling adventures on Makarska Riviera.
Recommendations:
Use Google Maps to find hidden beaches, and pack essentials like water, snacks, and sunscreen for a full day of relaxation.
Before you venture into the city of Ploče And that’s all folks. Thanks for revealing the best things to do in Ploce with us. If you are staying (or have stayed) in the Ploče area, we hope you are having a great time. In case we can be of some assistance, just let us know. We’re locals so we know a few extra things.
At first, Ploce might seem like a boring small city you just want to run away from. The truth is, it’s a city struggling to find its place in this world of mass tourism and that place might just be different from sea & beach tourism and somewhere more in the domain of other less mass but cooler tourist offers. If you let it, Ploče and the places around it can offer you some great memories of your vacation in Croatia.
Enjoy your vacation and all the things to do in Ploce!
