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Čitaj na hrvatskomThis page is also written in hrvatski.

Makarska

A town squeezed between a horseshoe harbour and a limestone wall 1,700 metres high.

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Typetown
WhereSplit-Dalmatia County
Nearest citySplit about 60 km; Ploce about 60 km
Best seasonMay to September
Time to allowHalf a day
Getting thereCoastal road 8 between Split and Ploce; parking around the town
EntryFree

Makarska occupies a horseshoe bay with the Biokovo ridge rising directly behind it - Sveti Jure, the summit, reaches 1,762 metres a few kilometres from the sea, which gives the town one of the most compressed sea-to-mountain profiles in Europe. The old town around the harbour is Venetian in plan with a baroque square, and the beach strip of pine-backed shingle runs west from it. Biokovo above is a nature park with a road to the summit ridge and, since 2020, a glass skywalk cantilevered over the drop. The town is the centre of the riviera that carries its name.

What you actually see

  • A mountain wall behind the town - Sveti Jure at 1,762 metres.
  • A horseshoe harbour and old town - Venetian plan with a baroque square.
  • Pine-backed shingle beaches - running west from the centre.
  • A skywalk on Biokovo - glass over the drop, opened 2020.

When to go

May to September. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It is heavily developed and very busy in July and August. Parking is difficult and mostly charged. The Biokovo road is narrow, steep and timed-entry in season. Beaches are shingle.

Nearby

Biokovo nature park is above; Brela and Punta Rata are north-west.

What to pack for Makarska

Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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