Makarska: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Makarska lies in a bay between two wooded headlands, under the bare wall of the Biokovo. It was an Ottoman town for about a century and a half, and when the Ottomans left in the 1640s it grew into a small Venetian port. Its hero is a Franciscan friar who wrote the history of the South Slavs in verse. This walk goes from his square along the harbour to the peninsula. About an hour and a half on the flat, and a swim at the end.
A short history of Makarska
Makarska sits in a sheltered bay at the foot of the Biokovo range, which rises to 1,762 metres. At the end of the 15th century it was captured by the Ottomans, and for about a hundred and fifty years it was their port on this coast. In the 17th century it passed to Venice, and most of the houses and churches in the old town were built in that period. The town's Franciscan monastery houses a large seashell museum. In January 1962 a severe earthquake struck the area, and after it, in the 1960s and 1970s, many hotels were built on the coast, and the town became the tourist centre of the Makarska Riviera.
The ten best sights in Makarska
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1St Mark's Church
The big church on the main square; cool inside at noon
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2Malacological Museum
Thousands of shells in the Franciscan monastery; a good rainy-day hour
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3Makarska City Museum
On the Riva; old photos of the town before tourism
4Vepric shrineA copy of the Lourdes grotto in a wooded valley, 3 km north
5Zaostrog Franciscan MonasteryWhere the poet-friar Kačić lived and is buried; half an hour south
6Kačićev trgThe main square, between the church and the sea; the evening starts here
7The RivaPalm-lined harbour front; boats to the beaches leave from here
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8St Peter peninsula
Pine woods, a lighthouse and rocks to swim from, west of the harbour
9Osejava forest parkShaded paths on the headland east of town, with coves below
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10Donja Luka beach
The long town beach, pebbles and pines
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Makarska →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Makarska:
Free walking tours in Makarska
Kačić's town
Makarska lies in a bay between two wooded headlands, under the bare wall of the Biokovo. It was an Ottoman town for about a century and a half, and when the Ottomans left in the 1640s it grew into a small Venetian port. Its hero is a Franciscan friar who wrote the history of the South Slavs in verse. This walk goes from his square along the harbour to the peninsula. About an hour and a half on the flat, and a swim at the end.
- Kačićev trg · The statue in the square is Andrija Kačić Miošić, by Ivan Rendić, unveiled in 1890. His "Pleasant Conversation of the Slavic People" of 1756 told history in the metre of folk songs, and for a century it was the most read book in Croatian.
- St Mark's Church · After the Ottomans left, Makarska became the seat of a bishop, and this church was built in the 18th century as its cathedral. The diocese was later merged away, but the town still calls it the cathedral.
- Malacological Museum · Fra Jure Radić, a Franciscan of this monastery, opened the museum in 1963 from shells he and fellow friars collected around the world. The same friar later founded the botanical garden on the Biokovo above town.
- The Riva · The two headlands of St Peter and Osejava close the bay into a natural harbour, which is why there has been a port here since Roman times, when the place was called Muccurum.
- Donja Luka beach · The town beach runs for about two kilometres along the bay, with pines planted behind it for shade. Morning is the time to come, before the sun-loungers fill.
- St Peter peninsula · The peninsula takes its name from the small church of St Peter near its tip, by the lighthouse that marks the harbour mouth. From the rocks you see Brač across the water and the whole Biokovo behind the town.
The mountain over the sea
The Biokovo rises to 1,762 metres only a few kilometres from the beach, one of the steepest climbs from sea level anywhere on the Mediterranean coast. Its seaward side is a nature park with a narrow road to the summit, and behind it the karst drops into the great sinkholes of Imotski. This drive goes up the mountain and over to the far side. A full day; the summit road is single-lane in places, and it is cold and windy at the top even in August.
- Vepric shrine · Bishop Juraj Carić founded the shrine in 1908, choosing this valley because its cave and spring reminded him of Lourdes. Pilgrims still come on the Marian feasts, and in summer outdoor masses are held under the trees.
- Biokovo Botanical Garden · Fra Jure Radić, the same friar who made the shell museum, founded this garden at Kotišina in 1984 to show the plants of the Biokovo in their own setting. Several of them grow nowhere else.
- Biokovo Skywalk · The glass horseshoe opened in 2020, sticking out over the cliff at about 1,200 metres, with nothing but air between your feet and the coast far below.
- Sveti Jure · At 1,762 metres this is the second-highest peak in Croatia, with a small chapel of St George on top beside a TV mast. The road up is the highest paved road in the country.
- Red Lake · The Red Lake fills one of the deepest sinkholes in Europe, over 500 metres from the rim to the bottom of the water, and the iron-oxide cliffs give it its name. There is no path down; you look from the rim.
- Blue Lake · In very dry summers the Blue Lake can drain almost completely, and then the people of Imotski play a football match on its floor. In a normal year a zigzag path leads down for a swim.
Along the Riviera
The Makarska Riviera is a string of pebble beaches and old fishing villages pressed between the mountain and the sea for some 60 km. Pines grow right down to the water, and each village has its harbour and its bell tower. This drive goes north to Brela and then south past Podgora to the monastery where Kačić is buried. Half a day with stops, more with swims; the coast road is slow in August.
- Punta Rata · The beach curves round a point of pines at Brela, and just offshore stands Kamen Brela, a small rock with a pine tree growing on top. The rock is the symbol of the village and on half its postcards.
- Kamen Brela · It is a short swim from the beach. The pine grows out of the bare stone with almost no soil, and people swim out to photograph it.
- Tučepi · The villages of Tučepi once stood up on the slopes of the Biokovo. After the strong earthquake of 1962 most families moved down to the shore, and the old stone hamlets above were largely left empty.
- Seagull's Wings monument · The Yugoslav Partisan navy was founded in Podgora in September 1942, and in 1962 the sculptor Rajko Radović put up these two white wings on the hill to mark it. They are visible from far out at sea.
- Brist · Andrija Kačić Miošić was born in this small village in 1704. It is a quiet stop with a small harbour, far from the resort bustle.
- Zaostrog Franciscan Monastery · Kačić spent much of his life in this monastery by the sea and died here in 1760; he is buried in its church. The friars keep a library and a small collection about him.
Getting to Makarska and getting around
- Split Airport · About an hour and a quarter up the coast road or the motorway
- Makarska bus station · Above the centre on the main road; ten minutes down to the sea
- Makarska ferry (Jadrolinija) · Car ferry to Sumartin on Brač, about an hour; buy the ticket at the office on the Riva
Cheap eats in Makarska
The Makarska coast eats from the sea and from the mountain behind it: grilled fish, octopus, lamb and pršut, with figs and olives from the terraces. Croatia uses the euro, and Makarska is a busy resort, so prices on the Riva are high in July and August; bakeries and the market are the cheap lunch. Sit-down restaurants fill late, after nine.
- Pekara Vita · Burek and pastries a few steps from the square, about 2-4 euros
- Mlinar on the Riva · Sandwiches and pastries on the harbour, about 3-5 euros
- Jeti Fritule · A paper cone of fritule, about 4-6 euros
- Mr. Wok · Noodles and rice boxes to go, about 8-12 euros
- Makarska market · Figs, peaches and a bag of dried herbs, about 2-6 euros
- Kantun · Coffee on the main square, about 2-3 euros
Museums in Makarska
- Malacological Museum · Shells from every sea, in the Franciscan monastery
- Makarska City Museum · Town history and seafaring, on the Riva
- St Mark's Church · The 18th-century cathedral on the square; modest dress
- Zaostrog Franciscan Monastery · Kačić's grave, a library and a quiet cloister
- Vepric shrine · Lourdes copy in a pine valley, 3 km north
Nature and day trips near Makarska
- Sveti Jure · The summit by car; check the park road hours
- Red Lake · Look from the rim; about 40 minutes over the mountain
- Biokovo Skywalk · Glass platform over the cliff; early morning has the clearest air
- Biokovo Botanical Garden · Mountain plants above Makarska at Kotišina
- Osejava forest park · Pine paths and small coves, five minutes from the centre
Things to do in Makarska with kids
- Biokovo Skywalk · Walk on glass over a 1,200 m drop
- Blue Lake · A swim at the bottom of a sinkhole
- Donja Luka beach · Long pebble beach with pine shade
- Malacological Museum · Giant shells and starfish for a hot afternoon
- Osejava forest park · Easy shaded paths to small swimming coves
Where to eat in Makarska
- Hrpina · Dalmatian dishes on a small square off the Riva
- Briškula · Restaurant in the Kalalarga lane
- Jeska · Restaurant on the main square
- Castellum · Dinner by St Mark's on Kačićev trg
- Cvit Soli · Seafood restaurant in Marineta
Frequently asked questions about Makarska
What is there to see in Makarska?
The top sights in Makarska are St Mark's Church, Malacological Museum and Makarska City Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Makarska?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Makarska without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Makarska?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Makarska, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Kačić's town.
How do you get to Makarska and get around?
The main ways are Split Airport, Makarska bus station and Makarska ferry (Jadrolinija). Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Makarska, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Makarska that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Makarska for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.