Makarska Riviera - 1 Week Itinerary & Top Attractions In Dalmatia - Croatia

15/09/2023

The Makarska Riviera is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Croatia. Even though Dalmatia is a long way from Hungary, it's well worth the trip. This part of Croatia has a true Mediterranean feeling. The crystal clear sea, the bright green conifers lining the coast, the narrow, winding old towns and the rocky limestone mountains towering above are breathtaking. We first visited in May when we were only here for 2 days on our way to Montenegro, but we decided then and there that we would come back for a longer vacation. Which we didn't wait long to do, as we returned in early September, but this time for a full week. I think that says a lot about how captivating this place is.

Beach in Tučepi

Practical information:

Getting there: the Makarska Riviera is about 800 km from Budapest, depending on which town you stay in, which takes 7-8 hours by car. You can get to Zadar cheaply with Ryanair flights, from where you can also explore the area by bus. But if you can, take the car instead, so you can move around more easily.

How long to go for?: We stayed here for 7 nights because we wanted a quieter, more relaxing beach holiday, otherwise you can see the main sights in a couple of days, so it's worth coming for up to 3 days.

When to visit: If you are looking for a real beach-side, sunbathing holiday, it is recommended to visit from mid-May to the end of September. But if you're here for the mountains and sightseeing, any time of the year is fine.

How expensive is it?: Very high for a Balkan country, average for an EU country. In recent years, Croatia, including this region, has become very popular, and joining the eurozone is also detrimental for our Hungarian wallet. We opted for full board so we didn't really go to restaurants and shops. In restaurants a soft drink is 3-4 €, a simple main course 10-15 €. In grocery stores, prices are similar to those in Hungary. Accommodation prices are very mixed, depending on whether you choose an apartment or a hotel. For us, a beachfront hotel with a pool and full board was 615 € per person for a week. What is surprisingly expensive is the toll. We paid a total of 100 € for tolls during the week. Fuel is also at similar prices to here at home.

Accommodation: we stayed in Tučepi, a charming seaside resort town near Makarska. Here too, you'll find crystal clear beaches, huge mountains and a 3 km long coastal promenade. We picked very good accommodation, staying at the Bluesun Hotel Alga. It was right on the beach, the menus were super, the room was nice and clean too. We opted for full board because we didn't want to do the restaurant hunting, and we were working from home office during the week and wouldn't always have had time to do that. Otherwise the internet worked well and with kids it's also a good choice, there is a nightly show and mini club.

Sunset by the pool at Bluesun Hotel Alga and a taste of the buffet menu

8-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Journey to Croatia and Split
Day 2: Krka National Park
Day 3: Beaching in Tučep
Day 4: Tučepi beach
Day 5: Makarska
Day 6: Nugal Beach, Park šuma Osejava
Day 7: Biokovo Skywalk
Day 8: Zadar and drive home

+ Tip: For more activities, don't miss these places: Trogir, Omiš, Hvar with boat trips, Brela, Primošten, Bol and Golden Horn, Medro jezero, Klis fortress near Split.

Things to do and see in Dalmatia

Split

Split is the second biggest city in Croatia. However, this is not reflected in its charming old town and promenade. The city's history dates back to ancient times, and you can still see it in its buildings. The main attractions of the city are the Temple of Jupiter, Diocletian's Palace, the Vestibule, St. Domnius Cathedral, Pjaca Square and the Riva Promenade, all very close to each other and within easy walking distance. If you have more time, you can also visit Marjam Mountain and Klis Fortress.

Krka National Park

Krka National Park is probably the most popular national park in Croatia after Plitvice Lakes. The Krka River with its seven tufa waterfalls is a truly unique natural phenomenon. The national park itself is huge and has several entrances. The entrance fee is €40, but with this ticket you can enter the national park several times on the same day.

The most famous waterfall is Skradinski buk, which can be reached from the Lozovac entrance. Buses run from the ticket office to the trailhead, where you can take an easy 1.9 kilometer walk around the falls. Unfortunately, swimming is now prohibited at the falls, which many people don't know because they arrive in their bathing suits and flip-flops. This part of the park is quite touristy, with very well maintained trails, snack bars, and souvenir shops everywhere. So if you're looking for more untouched nature, be sure to visit the Roski Slap waterfall, 35 minutes by car and 2 hours by boat from Lozovac. The ticket you bought is also valid here, no need to buy a new one. It's much less touristy and much more natural.

Orgazined tours with transfer from Makarska: link.

Makarska

Makarska is also a charming seaport. The old town itself is not that interesting, but the beauty of the town lies more in its location in a bay. So if you walk to the statue of St. Peter in the park šuma Sveti Petar, or to the long pier on the other side, and look back over the city, you get a picture postcard view. The way the green of Biokovo and the azure of the sea rise above the yellow houses of the town is truly a sight to behold.

Park šuma Osejava

Osejava Park stretches for 3 km between Makarska and Tučepi. A great place to relax if you're tired of sunbathing. From the well-maintained hiking and cycling trails through the forested cliffs, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Adriatic Sea. We walked to Nugal Beach, which was a 1 hour walk from the accommodation. If you don't want to walk that far, you can stop at the nearby Kaufland car park, a 20-25 minute walk from there. As we found out after the hour walk, half the beach is nudist, but don't let that put anyone off, very few people are like that, most are in swimsuits. Otherwise, there are several places to swim in the park, it's better to choose a less popular beach, because unfortunately there are quite a few people here. Wear closed shoes, because the path is slippery and rocky!

Biokovo Skywalk

Biokovo Skywalk, also known as Makarska Skywalk, is located in Biokovo National Park. It is just above Tučepi and was visible from the hotel. At 1226 meters above sea level, the skywalk is a real specialty, and there are few other places where you can see such a spectacle. The view from the top of the mountain is breathtaking in itself, coupled with the bizarre sight of the rocky abyss beneath your feet.

The walk to the Skywalk is an experience in itself. The narrow path winds for several kilometers, in some places along the side of the mountain, past gorges, in others through wooded, rocky areas. Admission to the Skywalk is free, but to enter the National Park you must purchase a ticket, which costs €8 per person. Buy your ticket in advance as the number of cars allowed on the Skywalk is limited. Tickets can be purchased on this website up to 5 days in advance. In principle, you can only stay on the skywalk for 10 minutes, but no one checks this.

Cars are released in stages, every hour on the hour. The road is very narrow in many places, barely enough for one car, so I recommend it for experienced drivers. Downhill, unfortunately, they are not so organized, you can drive down anytime you want, which causes unpleasant jams and situations, so really only those who are experienced drivers should go on their own. If you don't want to drive yourself or if you don't come by car, it is possible to pay for organized tours, which I recommend checking them here: Makarska: Skywalk Biokovo.

View from the Biokovo Skywalk

Zadar

Zadar is a great place to take a break on the way home and recharge your batteries with a sightseeing walk. After a week's holiday in Croatia, there's not much to see that we haven't already seen elsewhere. Highlights include St. Donat's Church, the Roman Forum, Široka ul. pedestrian street, the City Gate and the City Wall, and here too, a long promenade along the seafront, with a cosy stepped dock at the end, which even plays music in the waves.

Finally, here are some experiences of working abroad. Although we've had the option of working abroad for a long time, we haven't taken advantage of it yet, but we're short of paid holidays this year, so we thought we'd give it a try. And how well we did! Even though there was no less work to do from here, it was a completely different feeling to work from the poolside or from a balcony overlooking the mountains. Besides, we had plenty of time to explore the area in the afternoons and weekends, and it was great to have someone else cooking and cleaning for us for a week. I would encourage everyone, if you have the chance, to try this kind of travel and experience being a digital nomad, you won't regret it!

To see more about Dalmatia, follow my Youtube, Instagram and Tiktok accounts.

Safe travels!

Heni

Accommodation

I always use booking.com when booking. We stayed at the Bluesun Hotel Alga. You can find more hotels on the following link

Booking.com

More programmes

If you would like to book your tickets in advance or are looking for organised activities, here are the options