The mountain comes first. Long before you spot the rooftops of Makarska, your gaze runs into the grey wall of Biokovo, which soars from the sea to more than 1,700 metres in barely a few kilometres. The small town nestles at its foot, in a bay sheltered by a pine-covered peninsula, and the modest-sized ships that call here anchor off the riva or moor along the quay, three minutes from the first café terrace.

The Riva and the Old Town

The waterfront unrolls its palm-lined promenade between the harbour and the main beach. Behind it, the old core consists of a few lanes paved with polished stone that converge on Kačić Square, named after the monk-poet Andrija Kačić Miošić, whose statue stands in front of St. Mark's Church. Cafés, ice cream parlours and family-run konobas occupy the ground floors; the atmosphere is that of a Dalmatian seaside resort that lives first and foremost for its residents, with a morning market where figs, honey and cheese from the hinterland still arrive by the mountain road. Try the homemade rakija offered at some stalls: the local brandy comes flavoured with cherry, walnut or herbs from the massif.

A Seashell Museum at the Franciscans'

At the far end of the shore, the Franciscan monastery houses a curiosity you wouldn't expect here: a malacological museum gathering thousands of seashells from around the world, patiently collected by a naturalist friar starting in the 1960s. The visit, short and surprising, appeals as much to children as to natural science enthusiasts — and the shaded cloister offers a cool break during the hottest hours. Two kilometres to the south, the Marian shrine of Vepric, laid out in the open air in a wooded valley on the model of Lourdes, attracts pilgrims and walkers in search of shade alike.

St. Peter's Peninsula

West of the harbour, the wooded peninsula of Sveti Petar can be circled by a cliffside trail of about twenty minutes, between umbrella pines and pebble coves. At the top, a chapel and a lighthouse watch over the entrance to the anchorage; at the end of the day, it is the meeting spot for photographers and couples who come to watch the sun slip behind Brač. The path leads back down to the main beach, two kilometres of round pebbles backed by a pine forest where the large hotels of the Yugoslav era have kept their gardens.

Biokovo and Its Glass Walkway

The region's signature excursion climbs into Biokovo Nature Park up to the Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass walkway suspended over the void at an elevation of 1,228 metres. Beneath your feet, the cliff drops straight down toward the coast; ahead, the islands of Brač and Hvar float on the Adriatic and, on very clear days, Italy can be made out on the horizon. The access road, narrow and dizzying, is travelled by authorized vehicle or on an organized excursion — allow half a day, and bring a sweater: up there, the air is surprising even in summer. Viewing tables installed at the summit help identify the islands standing out offshore.

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Between Stone and Water

Makarska strikes its balance between two elements: the sea that softens and the mountain that commands. You can spend the day with a toe in the Adriatic without ever ceasing to feel the mountain's presence at your back. It is this quiet tension, more than any monument, that stays in your memory as the coast fades away.