Makarska Riviera is undoubtedly the tourist heart of Croatia. One of the most popular touristic places due to its sandy beaches, sun and crystal clear sea water. This region is located in the very center of Dalmatia, along the Adriatic Sea, at the foot of the Biokovo mountain range.
Makarska Riviera stretches for over 53 kilometers, from the town of Brela to Gradac. The name of the region, however, comes from the main and largest town in this area, i.e. Makarska.
Map of Makarska Riviera
Below you will find the current map of the Makarska Riviera, which, as we mentioned, stretches over 50 km and covers such cities and tourist destinations as Gradac, Drwenik, Podgora, Makarska, Promajna, Baška Voda or Brela.
About the Makarska Riviera
The popularity of this part of Croatia was initiated by the construction of the route between Dubrovnik and Split – the so-called Adriatic Line, allowing the tourists to go to the coast. It was until 2008 the main international route. Currently, it is only an internal national road (D8), and its status was taken over by the Croatian A1 motorway (Sestanovac-Ravca).
Makarska Riviera is a great place for a summer vacation.
An ideal place for families with children and crazy fun
Makarska Riviera is known mainly for long sandy and gravely beaches and well-developed tourist infrastructure. It is an ideal place for holidays for families with children, seniors, as well as for a romantic getaway for couples and singles. Young people who are simply looking for fun on summer getaways will also find here.
Picturesque coves sheltered from the winds by a mountain massif, together with the pine forests surrounding the beaches are a great place for children. In turn, the entire scenery and sleepy tiny towns are ideal for long romantic walks for two. However, young people can have fun here until dawn in one of the many entertainment venues where music and alcoholic beverages are a plenty.
Makarska seen from above:
Makarska Riviera also offers several tourist attractions and monuments dating back to ancient times. Active tourists won’t be disappointed either!
What does the Makarska Riviera offer for its guests?
There are plenty of water sports centers on the coast offering diving, windsurfing and sailing lessons. On the other hand, numerous beaches await sun lovers. On the Makarska Riviera, you can also explore the area by renting a bicycle, or go mountain climbing and try the local regional cuisine in one of the many dining options. Without a doubt, everyone will find something for themselves.
Weather & water temperature on Makarska Riviera
The weather on the Makarska Riviera in the summer will certainly not disappoint. After all, it’s one of the warmest places in Croatia.
The climate here is typical Mediterranean, which means that the summers are hot and rainless while the winters are rainy but not frosty.
During the summer holidays, daylight hours average 10-11 per day.
Air temperatures then reach over 31 degrees Celsius, decreasing to around 20 degrees at night. It is much nicer before the high season – in May and June, where the thermometer shows 22-26 degrees or after the season in September and early October, when it is still pleasantly warm (22-25 degrees during the day).
When it comes to water temperature in the Adriatic Sea on the Makarska Riviera, it is heated to over 23 degrees Celsius in full summer. Perfect for lovers of sea bathing and the youngest tourists.
Accommodation on Makarska Riviera
The Makarska Riviera accommodation base is one of the most developed on the Adriatic. Starting from luxury five- and four-star hotels and resorts with wellness and SPA, to smaller accommodation facilities and holiday homes, apartments and rooms for rent.
Campsites on Makarska Riviera
You cannot fail to mention here the very well-equipped camping pitches tailored to tourists, where we will find accommodation in a camping site, park a caravan or rent a camping house.
See the full list of camping sites on the Makarska Riviera:
The most popular form of accommodation are definitely apartments, rooms and entire villas for rent. Their main advantage is full equipment (air conditioning, wi-fi, kitchenette), proximity to the beach, terrace or balcony, sometimes also a swimming pool on the property and a parking space.
Going forward.
Sandy beaches on the Makarska Riviera
Sandy beaches on the Makarska Riviera are one of the largest magnets that attract tourists from around the world. They are often among the award-winning, most beautiful beaches of Croatia and not only in various rankings.
You can find here very popular and at the same time crowded places for sunbathing, but also a lot of quiet coves where you can commune with nature.
The beaches of the Makarska Riviera are in most cases characterized by gravely ground. Very often on one side they are surrounded by a fairly dense pine forest that gives shade and is a godsend on really hot days.
Among the more famous are the beaches: Punta Rata, Soline and Stomarica in Brela, with full tourist infrastructure.
Punta Rata Beach
Soline Beach
Stomarica Beach
In Tucepi, the Nugal Beach is surrounded by picturesque but high rock walls and cliffs.
Nugal beach
Nikolina beach in Baska Voda is a place awarded with the Blue Flag, where we have guaranteed cleanliness of water and sand.
Nikolina beach
Looking for the perfect place for sunbathing with children, it is worth going to Promajna, where you will find beaches where you can hide from the scorching sun under the shade of the pine trees.
Makarska Riviera and its tourist attractions and monuments
However, you don’t live by beaches alone. Makarska Riviera is a place with its history, thanks to which you can visit numerous religious buildings – including the Cathedral of St. Mark, museums (shells, malacological, fish) and Franciscan monasteries (Makarska and Zaostrog).
There is also something for lovers of mountain climbing and walking.
In addition, the proximity of the Biokovo mountain range offers the possibility of hiking, mountain biking and climbing. You can walk around the hollows and caves in large numbers in this area or try paragliding. In the area of the Biokovo massif, a Nature Park with the highest mountain peak of Sv. Jure and the Kotisina Botanical Garden, with its collection of regional vegetation.
Sv. Jure
While visiting Makarska it is worth going to the Peninsula of St. Peter where his monument and church are located, giving an amazing view on the surrounding area.
The beaches on the Riviera don’t only offer a place for swimming and sunbathing, as you can also rent water equipment, try diving or sail on the open sea. For children, playgrounds and endless paths for walking and cycling were prepared.
What else is worth doing in the area
From the nearby trips you can go to the nearby islands – Hvar and Brac and go to visit the Croatian pearl cities – Split or Dubrovnik.
You can try rafting on the Cetina River or go to the Blue and Red Lake, located near the village of Imotski. Pilgrimages to Medugorje, one of the most famous temples in the world, are also popular along the way, hitting the Croatian version, i.e. the Vepric Marian shrine.
Festivals and events
On the other hand, when it comes to festivals and cyclical summer events, you can get here for the Makarska Cultural Summer, which includes fishing nights, Summer Carnival and Kalelarg Night. During them, you mainly listen to traditional music concerts and watch theater performances and films at the summer cinema, but you can also taste local specialties here.
In August, in Omis, a pirate battle is organized – a reconstruction of fights from the 13th century, and in Tucepi a two-day rock music festival. For more on attractions related to events, attractions and a whole range of necessary information, please visit the official website of the tourist community of the city of Makarska.
What cities are worth visiting?
What else is worth seeing on the Makarska Riviera – certainly nearby cities.
Makarska
The capital of the entire region is Makarska. See the current Makarska map:
It is also the largest city on the entire Riviera. There are many tourists here and it is crowded in the season.
The city also attracts fans of night life, hence the large number of nightclubs, discos and pubs. When it comes to monuments, it’s worth visiting the cathedral of St. Mark, seeing a collection of shells in the Franciscan monastery and paying a visit to the Municipal Museum.
See how Makarska looks from a bird’s eye view:
From the local port you can go to the nearby islands: Brac and Hvar, by ferry.
Makarska has a mile long city beach – Donja Luka, which is rocky, as well as two boulevards leading walkers right by the sea. These promenades are extremely photogenic with planted palm trees and numerous entertainment and gastronomic establishments.
Donja Luka beach
Baśka Voda
Baska Voda is another very popular spot on the Makarska Riviera.
Map of Baśka Voda:
A perfect example of how a small fishing village can develop into a crowded summer resort. What attracts to this town is a well-developed accommodation base and quite unusual for Croatia sandy beaches.
Bird’s eye view of Baśka Voda:
You can see the church of St. Nicholas of Mira and St. Lawrence of Rome. Baska Voda is a good place for holidays for families with children and spors fans because there are plenty of bike trails, the possibility of renting motorboat equipment or even the option of parachuting.
Tucepi
For those seeking rather peace, the small town of Tucepi will be a better choice.
Map of Tucepi:
In the evening life here does not die, but it is calmer than, e.g. in Makarska. The three-kilometer beach is on one side sheltered by a pine forest and is definitely better for the youngest, because there are no stairs or other elevations. There is a promenade by the beach that stretches to other coastal towns.
A few photos of Tucepi:
In Tucepi you can also see the church of St. Jurja from the 13th century.
Brela
At the beginning of the entire Riviera (viewed from the north) lies also very popular among tourists Brela.
Brela map:
It is a place that boasts very often awarded beaches in various rankings. It is enough to mention the names, such as Punta Rata, Podrace or Berulia, and Stomarica.
In addition to being the most beautiful, they are also often marked with the Blue Flag for their exceptional purity. However, Brela’s very symbol is pine-covered rock – Kamen Brela, which can be seen on every guidebook and on every postcard from Brela. In addition, there is an almost 6-kilometer long walking route waiting for tourists, and for those willing, a climbing wall of various levels of difficulty.
Podgora
Podgora is also a place of interest.
Map of Podgora:
It is a peaceful but picturesque spot, which is distinguished by cultural events and souvenirs of olden times. You can see here two defensive towers, the church of St. Tekla or remains of the Mrkusice dynasty baroque bathrooms. From the same era on the hill we will see the Gull Wings monument and the mermaid statue on the stone waterfront.
Gradac
In turn, Gradac is located just at the southern end of the Makarska Riviera.
Gradac map:
It is a place partly living on tourism and partly on agriculture and fishing. It is distinguished by a five-kilometer beach – Gornja Vala, with a fine gravel, which is supposedly the longest on the entire coast. There is a walking promenade, of course.
How to get to the Makarska Riviera?
Access from Poland (Poznań) to the Makarska Riviera (Makarska):
You can get here in two ways: either through the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovenia or through Slovakia and Hungary. However, the second option is slightly cheaper (fewer fees – vignettes), but the condition of the roads is worse and there are fewer highways. Heading from Zagreb, you have to take the A1 road and take the exit at Sestanovac to travel the last 30 km along the national road (Adriatic Highway), straight onto the Makarska Riviera. It is 458 kilometers from the Croatian capital to the coast and the trip will take approximately 4 and a half hours.
Another video illustrating what the Makarska Riviera looks like in a nutshell:
We are waiting with great curiosity for your opinions on spending the holidays on the Makarska Riviera. We’ve been there 4 times and each time we have discovered for ourselves new, interesting places that are worth seeing.