Makarska: what to expect from the heart of the Makarska Riviera

Why Makarska

The Makarska Riviera is a 60 km strip of coast from Brela to Gradac where the mountains rise straight out of the Adriatic. Makarska is its natural hub: a ferry port for Brač, a palm-lined seafront (riva), a small stone old town around Kačić Square, a daily market and the only proper shops and medical facilities on the riviera. The quieter villages – Brela, Baška Voda, Tučepi, Podgora – lie 5–15 km away and are linked by frequent summer buses.

It suits families (gently shelving pebble beaches, shade, playgrounds), younger travellers who want bars and clubs, and anyone combining the sea with hiking. It suits less well those looking for peace in July and August, when the town is packed. Find places to stay in Apartments Makarska; the wider region is srednja-dalmacija.

Beaches in Makarska and along the riviera

Beaches here are pebble, not sand, with a gradual entry and pine trees right behind the shore – a real advantage in August heat.

• Town beach (Donja Luka) – the main beach, a 2 km arc north of the harbour with pebbles, sun loungers, water slides, playgrounds and bars. Best for families. Parking only in the paid town zones (€2–4/h), so walk.
• Nugal – a small naturist cove below cliffs south of town, 25–30 minutes on foot through the Osejava forest park. No facilities, superb water.
• Osejava – the pine-covered rocky peninsula just past the harbour; swim off the rocks in shade and quiet.
• Tučepi – 5 km south, one of the riviera's longest beaches (about 4 km), wide, with a promenade and hotel car parks.
• Baška Voda and Brela – 10 and 15 km north; Punta Rata in Brela is the beach from the postcards, with the pine-topped rock in the sea. Car parks by the coast road fill by mid-morning.
• Podgora – 10 km south, calmer, several smaller pebble beaches.

Parking and getting around

Summer parking in Makarska is expensive and tight. Under the town's 2026 tariff, zone 1 (centre) costs €4/h, zone 2 €2/h and zone 3 €1/h; open car parks are charged daily from 06:00 to 02:00. The enclosed Živkin dvor car park is €3/h round the clock; Sinokoša charges €1 for the first hour and €3 for each further hour.

• Pay at meters, by SMS or app; enforcement and towing are real.
• The sensible plan is an apartment with its own parking space and leaving the car there.
• Everything in town is walkable (25 minutes from the far end of the town beach to the harbour); local buses run Brela–Makarska–Podgora in season and long-distance coaches stop on the coast road.

Getting there

By air: Split Airport (SPU) at Kaštela is 85 km away, about 1 h 15 min by car, with year-round flights from London and Frankfurt and dense summer schedules from across Europe. Dubrovnik Airport is 150 km. From Split there are hourly buses to Makarska (1.5 h) and transfers cost roughly €90–120 (2026).

By car: from Split take either the coastal Adriatic Highway (60 km, 1–1.5 h, slow in summer) or the A1 motorway to the Zagvozd exit and the Sv. Ilija tunnel under Biokovo. Zagreb is 420 km (4 h), Vienna 800 km, Munich 880 km, Trieste 500 km. Croatian motorways are tolled and Austria and Slovenia need vignettes – see Croatia motorway tolls 2026/2027: prices, ENC, no vignette and Driving to Zadar, Croatia 2027: routes, vignettes and tolls.

By ferry: the Jadrolinija car ferry Makarska–Sumartin (Brač) takes 60 minutes and runs several times a day in summer.

Food and drink

Riviera cooking is Dalmatian with a mountain hinterland: grilled fish and octopus, black cuttlefish risotto, lamb or veal under the peka (order a day ahead – see Peka and Pre-Order Dishes in Croatia: How, When and How Much (2026)), gregada fish stew, and cheese and pršut from the Zagora villages. Restaurants on the riva and around Kačić Square are tourist-priced (mains €15–28 in 2026); more homely konobas sit in the lanes above the square, in Tučepi and above all in the villages at the foot of Biokovo (Kotišina, Veliko Brdo, Gornji Tučepi), where locals go for peka and house wine.

The morning market by the church is the place for figs, fruit and local olive oil; the fish market is next door. Nightlife means seafront bars, Kačić Square and, in summer, clubs by the harbour and below Osejava that run until dawn – light sleepers should book outside the centre. See Restaurants Makarska for an overview.

Day trips

• Biokovo Nature Park and Skywalk – the park entrance is 6 km east of town on the road towards Vrgorac. Tickets in 2026: €15 per adult June–September, €10 in April–May and October, children under 7 free, three-day pass €30; the Skywalk glass platform at Ravna Vlaška (1,228 m, km 13 of the mountain road) is included. Buy a timed ticket in advance in the park's web shop – the number of cars on the narrow road is limited. The summit road continues 23 km to Sv. Jure (1,762 m).
• Brač – ferry to Sumartin, then about 40 km across the island to Bol and Zlatni Rat beach.
• Hvar – ferry Drvenik–Sućuraj (30 km south, 35-minute crossing), then 75 km along the island to Hvar town.
• Imotski – the Blue and Red lakes, 40 km through the tunnel.
• Omiš and the Cetina canyon – 30 km north, rafting and zipline.
• Split – 60 km, Diocletian's Palace; easier by bus in summer.
• Mostar – about 100 km, passport and car insurance green card required.

Boat trips to Brač and the riviera coves can be arranged directly with owners in Boats Makarska.

Practical details

• Tourist tax: in 2026 typically around €1.50–2 per adult per night in high season, children under 12 free – see Tourist tax in Croatia 2026/2027: rates, who pays, children.
• Season: July–August is full and at peak prices; June and September are ideal, with the sea at 23–25 °C and Biokovo walkable by day. In May and October only part of the town is open.
• Pharmacy and doctor: pharmacies in the centre, a health centre with emergency service in Makarska, the hospital is in Split.
• Rough prices (2026): a 4-person apartment €90–170 per night in season; lounger and parasol on the town beach €15–25 per day; coffee €2–3.
• Dogs: designated dog beaches exist along the riviera, e.g. in Tučepi – see Croatia with a Dog: Pet Passport, Dog Friendly Beaches, Ferries.

Put an apartment, a boat and a konoba table together on Plan your stay.