Updated: May 19, 2020
Makarska Riviera is an excellent starting point for easy full and half day excursions. Taking long distance rides in the middle of August, during the heat wave, takes any joy out of exploring new places of our little country.
Taking a day for excursion does not mean you need to give up your beach day. That is why we are starting with full day trip to the islands.
1. Islands Brac and Hvar - You have several transport options to get to the islands. Take a ferry from Makarska to Brac, Sumartin and then take a bus across the island to the most famous place on Brac, Bol. The ride takes around 20 minutes and it is a pretty narrow road. For Hvar, you need to catch a ferry from Drvenik or Split, depending on a place you would like to visit. If you would like to find out best things to visit, make sure to check out our page Islands.
Another way is taking an organized boat trip that includes both islands in full day excursion. The trip starts early in the morning and first stop is Jelsa, Hvar. The boat ride takes about 2 hours. You have about 1.5 hours in Jelsa for sightseeing. Jelsa is beautiful, but very small place, you will have time for some coffee and ice cream. From Jelsa, the boat continues towards Bol on the island of Brac, and lunch is served during the ride. It takes around 1 hour to get to Bol. From the port, you can walk to the beach Zlatni Rat (eng. Golden Horn), around 1.5 km or use a local taxi boat that will ride you to the beach for around 20 kn, paid in a taxi boat in cash.
The ride back is scheduled for evening hours.
Make sure to download our free app All in Makarska Riviera to make reservations and check out options. There are several travel agencies offering such excursions. You can contact them directly from the app. This app is free for every Android and iOS users.
2. Imotska krajina (countryside) - discover beauty of Dalmatian countryside only 40 minutes ride from Makarska. Located in the hinterland of Biokovo massif, Imotski, cute little town, is most famous for its two lakes, Blue and Red Lake, natural phenomenons.
The Blue Lake is around 150 m deep. The level of water in the lake varies throughout the year – sometimes it reaches more than 100 m, but it is not rare for the lake to dry up completely in the autumn. When it does, the locals hold a football match at the bottom of the lake. Over the years, this match became sort of a spectacle, and attracts many visitors.