The Seven Wonders of Makarska, Croatia

I visited Croatia twice, in July, 2010 and in August, 2011. My friend from Switzerland Andy recommended me to go to Korcula, a unique picturesque island in Adriatic sea. Even though I have not gone there yet, I still fell in love with Croatia, a country of fairy-tale nature and beautiful sea, where you get the most of landscapes and sunsets. Let me just start by describing a few wonders of the place where I stayed at the hospitable apartment of my friend, Stanko Erceg.

When we arrived in Makarska in later June 2010, the water was quite cool, maybe 20 degrees Celsius, and I had difficulties staying in water for more than 15-20 minutes. It became warmer after a week. This summer (we arrived on August 20, 2011), the temperature was quite above 20, maybe 23-24 degrees, and even though it was a little cooler than Bulgarian Black Sea, nevertheless, the temperature was comfortable for swimming and snorkeling.

The unique quality of the Adriatic sea at the Croatian seacoast is its crystal transparency. You can see underwater as deep as 20-25 meters without effort, and as the coast is pebbles, not sand, you do not find any mud.

People are mainly aware of the environment, and do not throw garbage on the beach.

When you look at the horizon, you do not generally see it, as two giant islands, Hvar and Brac, are impeding the view. Nevertheless, it is magnificent. They seem to be easy to reach, yet even with a fast-speed boat it takes more than an hour to get to their rocky coasts.

These islands are a theme of a separate hub, and they contain so many bays that become resorts or shelters for locals or peace-seekers that your head starts contemplating about future life where all your troubles are behind.

There is a unique combination of sea and coniferous forest on Croatian coast. Pine-trees are so close to the water, they are even bending over it. You smell a wonderful scent of pine-trees that is so beneficient for your lungs. Really the atmosphere, the air is very curing, you can take it in place of pills.

The town of Makarska is divided in two large zones, and there is a peninsula with a lighthouse in between. The first zone contains a city beach, and the second is a port adorned by embankment with palm trees.

There are all sorts of little boats, sailing vessels, cutters, flyboats and ships. Every day about a dozen of them take tourists on different tours, fish picnics, evening panoramas or island trips, to Korcula, Hvar, Brac, etc. Some wealthy travelers keep their vessels at moorage here, and people take pictures.

There is a great natural barrier keeping Makarska out of strong winds, the great Biokovo mountain. You can take a guided trip on the hills of this mountain that is about 1km high. There is a state preserve on Biokovo. You can see this mountain from any part of Makarska town.

Labeled with Blue Flag of UNESCO, this beach welcomes thousands of people each summer day. All kinds of restaurants, cafes, hotels, small shops are located along the beach. I think that about half of people here are croatians, a quarter of them are german, and others include people from England, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, France and other countries.

I like this town a lot, all the buildings, streets, people. I especially like the Central Square right after the sunset when beautiful lights are in the church and nearby restaurants. You can sit here listening to street turmoil. I like to make pictures, and here are a few for you.

Please visit my Zlatni Rat, the Golden Horn of Croatia Hub!