This summer a group of friends and I spent our holidays in Makarska, Croatia. We booked an apartment online two months earlier and came to Makarska mid-July. We spent two weeks there and had a wonderful time, so I wanted to write something about the town and its surroundings because I really wish to suggest Makarska to everyone.
Makarska is some eighty kilometers southwards of Split, Croatia’s largest coastal city. Split has an international airport, so we landed there and took a taxi at the Split airport which drove us all the way to Makarska.
We’d spend most of our day at the beaches; and the town has great beaches. We’d mostly stay at the central beach near the town center. It’s a pebble beach with lots of cafes and beach bars, has some nice pine trees if you wish to stay in the shade, but it was also very crowded, especially around noon. The situation was somewhat better at the beach near the St. Peter’s lighthouse and at Ratac beach, although, if you wanted a good spot, you had to come really early.
It’s a charming town, with warm locals and lots of tourists. We were surprised an evening stroll along the promenade the first day and saw how many people were there; lots of cafes and restaurants, street vendors, candy salesmen, music – the atmosphere was great. Some locals told us about a few night clubs we should visit and we did. It seems that Makarska has a great nightlife as well: most of the clubs featured DJs, people were having a great time, and I especially liked the bars right at the beach (the cave bar was the most mesmerizing), with their nice cocktails and groovy music.
One day we went on to visit Biokovo Nature Park. Biokovo is a mountain looming over Makarska, and its peaks and cliffs seemed really impressive from the town, so we decided to pay it a visit. The hike was exhausting, but nothing too much, although we didn’t climb all the way up – the Nature Park Visitor Center told us it’s best not to push it too far up if you don’t have any climbing experience. But the look was amazing nonetheless; you could see the entire panorama and even a few islands in the distance.
Makarska is also a place of rich history, although none of us is a real history lover. Still, we went to explore the town’s cultural landmarks, which are mostly churches –the Church of St. Mark at the main square and St. Peter’s Church. These and other landmarks are literally surrounded by villas and small hotels as well as private rooms, so it’s pretty sure you’ll have a great view whatever sort of accommodation in Makarska you choose to stay at.
We really had days filled in activities; it seems that in Makarska you can always find something fun to do. One day we went to the local diving center and spent the afternoon diving on a location near the town (a boat took us there!). We’d also play lots of beach volleyball, tennis and football. I even tried jet skiing and it was amazing! Also, I would suggest you rent a car to explore the neighboring towns and villages: we did so and discovered amazing beaches in towns Tucepi and Baska Voda.
Two weeks passed really fast and our vacation was over, but Makarska was so amazing we decided to come back next year. With its charming locals, great atmosphere, beaches and lots of fun, it really is a place for a perfect holiday.