"I stop and stare at you, walking on the shore. I try to concentrate, my mind wants to explore. The tropical scent of you, takes me up above, and girl when I look at you, Oh I fall in love ..." - Peter Andre
Oh Peter Andre you got that so right, and you got your video clip so wrong ... It should have been filmed in Makarska and not Thailand ... Just think of the guys in the Mysterious girl song and those are the guys you see everywhere in Makarska.
The centre of Makarska is an old town with narrow stone-paved streets, a main church square, and a Franciscan monastery. All around the beach are new apartment complexes which are available to tourists in summer; this is the place to stay as it is the warmest place in the Croatian summer with it's hot and dry climate.
Not to mention the warm Adriatic Sea with it's crystal clear and calm waters, which make it one of the most dramatic seas to take a quick dip or long swim. We managed to stay at 'Apartment Jozipovic', two streets up from the main promenade which had a large bathroom, bedroom, lounge, kitchen and deck.
The owners of that apartment complex were welcoming and very helpful with everything we needed, a place we recommend to anyone travelling to Makarska as it is quite and close to everything you need.
Down by the peninsula, Main Square and marina, you can take scenic walks and at night you get unforgettable panoramic views looking out over the whole of Makarska.
One of the walks we did along the shore took us over 2 hours in one direction; this was picturesque walking along the coast right by the ocean with no one around. Another shorter walk which is relaxing and not as crowded as walking the promenade at night is round the point - here you can buy love locks and place them underneath the statue which holds the key.
Here are a few warnings about Makarska:
- If you see FKK this means that there will be naked sunbathers, before you get too excited most of these are old men and like to show off their genitals.
- Even if there is no FKK sign you will still walk around the rocks and see naked men.
- The beach is not sand, it is rocks. (If you come from New Zealand or similar countries where sand is the norm for a beach you will be shocked at how hard it is to lie on rocks for the whole day.) A must is to spend 60 Kuna on a mat to lie on, roughly 7 euro or 12 NZD.
- Be warned boys, there is a lot of shopping places for girls so make sure you take enough Kuna to keep them satisfied. And that is the worst it gets.
For the girls out there, here is a tip just for you. At the southern end of the beach there is an outdoor market area. A big outdoor market area that sells a lot and I mean a lot of clothes at cheap affordable prices, souvenirs, beach gear and food.
Maybe I should place a map below so you don’t get lost and can find your way to the shops. I purchased a new bikini and a pair of denim shorts, a must when spending 11 nights at the beach.
The last thing I need to mention is the food, oh glorious food! On the promenade there is a lot of restaurants, between 50-100. The choices are endless and the prices are endless.
You will not stay skinny for long in Makarska. Your dinners start off with a nice evening meal (mainly Italian, Seafood and traditional local dishes are served) and by the end of it you are half drunk and ready to party ... but do not be worried there are many drinking spots where you can party till 4 am (thanks Ash, B and Amir for the wonderful hangovers I experienced ... sneaky vomit anyone?).
Overall Makarska is a place for families, young people and older people. It has everything you could possible want to enjoy and caters for every age group’s needs, not to mention it is super safe! I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there and will be back hopefully next year to relax and get my side tan on!