The Makarska Riviera is a 60 km stretch of the central Dalmatian coast, backed by the dramatic wall of Mount Biokovo and facing the islands of Brač and Hvar across a sparkling channel. Many consider it the most beautiful section of the entire Croatian coastline, and it is hard to argue — the combination of long pebble beaches, clear Adriatic water, and a mountain that rises straight out of the sea to nearly 1,800 metres is extraordinary.
Makarska itself is the main town and a popular tourist destination, with a palm-lined harbour, a lively summer nightlife scene, and a Franciscan monastery that houses a quirky malacological (seashell) museum. But the riviera's real charm is in the smaller villages strung along the coast — places like Podgora, Brela, Baška Voda, and Živogošće to the north, and Gradac and the smaller village of Podaca to the south, where the Mediterranean pace of life still sets the rhythm.
