Split/Makarska/Brac (Croatia)

VincentHanna

VincentHanna

VincentHanna

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Booked a last minute holiday here without bothering to do much research beforehand. It's coastal, warm, looks cool and only a couple of hours away, which fit the bill well enough.

It sounds like it's the shoulder season so things are opening up but it won't be too busy.

We'll arrive in to Split around 8 p.m. with a rental car but we are only here for one night, so:

Split recommendations for dinner?
Split recommendations for things to see/do in half a day.

The following day we're driving to Makarska for 4 nights and will have the entire weekend here and the Monday.

I can see that Dubrovnik is about 2 1/2 hours away by car. Is it worth the 5 hour round trip? We were thinking of going on Monday to avoid the cruise ships.

If so what are the recommendations to do there for 8 hours? We watched all of Game of Thrones, but we aren't die hard fans nor are we particularly interested in history :cry:

Finally we have 2 nights on Brac, right near Bol and the Golden Horn beach, so again any recommendations of where to go on that Island?

I don't mind driving, but equally I don't want to spend half the day in the car.

Thanks in advance.
 
Ok, so:

Split: The main attractions from Split are boat tours to nearby islands and the Blue Lagoon. If you only have a few hours, I'd recommend to remain near the main Esplanade and explore Diocletian's Palace, a huge 3rd century Roman palace complex that covers the length of the Esplanade. It has been continuously occupied through the ages, and the juxtaposition of lively modern life with the palatial architecture is interesting. It's free to enter, although some specific attractions are ticketed - e.g. the crypt. There are restaurants and cafes stretching the length of the Esplanade and harbour area - it's a great place to people watch. There's a local market to the side of the palace too, where you can pick up goodies.

There are a raft of beaches (mostly rocky) you can drive to within 15mins of central Split. Kasjuni in Marjan Forest is one of the best. Or you can drive to the ruins of Salona within around 20mins, one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the Balkans (YMMV given your comment on history though!)

Dubrovnik: Driving to Dubrovnik is a treat. The road hugs the coastline almost the entire way and it is beautiful. However, and this is a big caveat, Dubrovnik Old Town is absolutely rammed with tourists during the day. It really is best appreciated in the evening, when the hordes have dissipated and the atmosphere is far more relaxed, and you have your pick of seafood restaurants. If you can stay overnight nearby and wangle a full day in Dubrovnik, then walk the city walls early and take the cable car up to the observation point on Srđ mountain for proper panoramic views. And/or take a ferry over to the little island of Lokrum, a mile offshore, which has amenities but isn't inhabited.

If you do drive to Dubrovnik, have your passport handy. You'll cross into Bosnian territory for a mile or so near Neum.

Another option: From Makarska, you can drive to Mostar in Bosnia in around 1.5hrs (~ 80 miles), and maybe take a short detour to Kravica Waterfalls en route. The drive through the Bosnian countryside is very pleasant and Mostar old town is incredibly picturesque. A few regional ideas here.

Makarska: Can't vouch for Makarska itself, I've only ever driven through it.
 
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Thanks, that's quite comprehensive.

I was looking at Mostar just the other day.

The regional ideas link you posted suggests going to Brac on the way to Mostar, which doesn't make much sense though :cry:
 
VincentHanna said:
Thanks, that's quite comprehensive.

I was looking at Mostar just the other day.

The regional ideas link you posted suggests going to Brac on the way to Mostar, which doesn't make much sense though :cry:
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No, it doesn't! It's basically just regional points of interest, with a bad title. :D

Re: Mostar. I first had the opportunity to visit in 2007. I remember the town being attacked during the Balkans war as a child, and a BBC documentary covering the rebuilding of its Ottoman bridge in 2004. Back then the Old Town had been refurbished, but walk a couple of streets in either direction and you'd find buildings riddled with bullet holes and the scars of battle, burned out and overgrown. A lot of regeneration had happened by the time of my next visit in 2013, with more tourists too. However, on that visit, I spent the bus journey on to Montenegro sat next to a young Bosnian girl. We got talking and it turned out she was a War Baby - sobering reminders about Bosnia's recent history, which can be easy to forget when the scenery is often spectacular.

Anyway, I digress - go to Mostar! And if you do, consider having lunch at Sadrvan, the restaurant adjacent to the bridge. Been twice and fully enjoyed the dishes (never seen so much meat served on a plate), plus half-glass vodka measures that were about 70p. Although I daresay prices have changed since.
 
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If you go to Dubrovnik I recommend going to Lapad on the evening to escape the hoards, it's a nice town not far from Dubrovnik can get easy Uber there.

Lapad has cave bar also in the cliff which is cool, and sofa overlooking the ocean awesome for sunset and a few drinks.

Dubrovnik itself I recommend cable car up to the top for high views, and also a walk on the old town walls is lovely.

Also the island which I've forgot the name at the top of my head directly opposite only 15 mins ferry and worth a walk around, got peacocks roaming and quite nice places to walk around there.
 
Dubrovnik worth a visit, as above the drive is really nice but it is stupidly busy. You will pass Slano where I have stayed before, in the Grand Admiral. Ston is also worth a visit for some history. If you are feeling adventurous, we drove into Bosnia and went to the Vjetrenica caves. Some of the scenery on that drive is just amazing, there is still a lot of old war stuff to be seen, bullet holes everywhere as well.
 
Montenegro is worth a day trip from Dubrovnik also stunning country, Budva and Kotor are beautiful.

You can use the app getyourguide very useful for booking daytrips in whatever city.
 
Thanks all for the recommendations, a wonderful time was had and many lovely meals consumed.

Unfortunately didn't make it to Dubrovnik or Mostar in the end, but we might fly to Dubrovnik in September and maybe do some of the islands we missed such as Hvar and Korcula.

MrRockliffe said:
You must go to Soul Kitchen in Split. Excellent food and service.




Very nice restaurant indeed.
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This was actually our last meal of the holiday, as we got the ferry back to Split from Brac and it was right near the harbour. As you said the food was great and the service was outstanding - I got a handshake at the end.

It was also quite reasonable for Split, actually.
 
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