Biokovo Nature Park

Biokovo rises out of the sea behind Makarska with almost no foothills, which is why the coast here feels hemmed in. The summit, Sveti Jure, is the second highest point in Croatia at just over seventeen hundred metres, and a narrow road climbs to it through a series of hairpins with the whole Makarska riviera dropping away below. Partway up, a horseshoe of glass floor projects out over a cliff as the Biokovo Skywalk, which is what most day visitors come for. Above the treeline the mountain is bare grey karst with sinkholes and almost no water. On genuinely clear days the Italian coast is visible across the Adriatic.

The landscape

• The Skywalk - a glass floored platform cantilevered over the cliff at around twelve hundred metres.
• Sveti Jure - the summit at the top of the road, with the islands of Brac, Hvar and Vis laid out below.
• The karst plateau - bare limestone, sinkholes and dry stone shepherd shelters above the treeline.
• Kotisina botanical garden - a small garden of native Biokovo plants on the lower slope above Makarska.

When to go

May to October. Book a timed entry slot in advance in summer, since the road runs on a permit system with a daily cap. Morning is clearest; afternoon cloud often builds over the ridge. Note that the temperature at the top is routinely fifteen degrees below the coast, so take layers even in August.

What to expect

The road is narrow, single lane in places, with sharp drops and no barrier in sections, and it is not for nervous drivers or large vehicles. Slots sell out in high season. The Skywalk itself is small and queued, and takes ten minutes once you are on it. Cloud can make the entire drive pointless, and the entry fee is per vehicle regardless.

Nearby

Makarska and its beaches are directly below, and the Cetina canyon at Omis is up the coast.

Key facts