The Makarska Riviera

The Croatian coast between the cities of Brela and Gradac is called the Makarska Riviera, and it's is a beautiful section with nice beaches and a number of picturesque harbor villages.

The Gradac promenade

Gradac

With a pebble beach that runs along the sea and a string of coffee houses and restaurants, Gradac is an inviting city. We sat at the Pizzeria Lux and enjoyed coffee, watched the swimmers and gazed at the islands. The breeze was cool and the sky was sunny.

A little later, I put my feet in the water and couldn't believe how clear and clean it was. You can expect this everywhere in Croatia. I broke my ankle 2 months before this trip and I was still recovering, and several Croatians told me of the sea's healing powers. "Put your feet in the sea often. We Croatians have a saying, 'if we break a bone we have the sea to heal it.'"

Baska Voda

Sunset in Baska Voda

Click here for a quick video panorama of Baska Voda

The village of Baska Voda is as a cross between a fishing village and a resort—it has tourist shops, restaurants and cafes lining the small harbor but still has a quiet, pleasant feel to it.

Left: Ana and Smaragda were two of the friendly and helpful staff at the Hotel Croatia.

Hotel Croatia in Baska Voda

This hotel was a pleasant surprise and a bit of a splurge for us. Hotel Croatia has locations in a number of spots in Croatia, but the one in Baska Voda is only two years old. Its rooms are modern and attractively decorated and the hallways are large with expensive decorative touches. The breakfast was included and the hotel staff was friendly and helpful. While this hotel does not sit directly on the harbor front, it has a harbor view, and rooms with front windows also have this view. Our room had a wonderful little balcony with internet, satellite TV, and a small refrigerator and it cost approximately $100 per night in June. You can check out their web site for pictures of the rooms and you can also book a room on booking.com.

Karlo Restaurant and Pizzeria

This restaurant was recommended by Hotel Croatia and they offered a 5% discount, so we gave it a try. It has a patio on the harbor and a large menu with meat and fish, pasta and pizza dishes. I was eating light, so I had the mushroom soup, which was plain with few mushrooms, but everything else was great. My husband had the stuffed ground beef--a generous sized seasoned patty stuffed with cheese and ham and served with excellent fries. They brought complimentary garlic bread and tirimisu (as part of the hotel discount?), both of which were excellent. (so much for eating light!) The garlic bread was actually pizza crust seasoned with olive

oil and fresh garlic and the tiramisu was rich and silky. (By the way, did you know that tirami su means "pick me up" or "pull me up"--a fitting title for a dessert that leaves you with such a pleasing flavor on your lips!). I also had the best cappuccino of the trip with foamed milk overflowing on the cup. We definitely recommend this one, and the wait staff were pleasant and friendly.

Right: A fountain on the promenade, Baska Voda.

Neum, Bosnia Herzegovina

Bosnia Herzegovina

Between the Dubrovnik Riviera and the Makarska Riviera, the Croatian coast is cut in two by Bosnia Herzegovina. Approximately 25 kilometers of the coast has been out of Croatia's jurisdiction since 1699 when Dubrovnik gave it to the Otoman Empire. It provided Turkey with access to the sea and provided Dubrovnik protection from the Republic of Venice. In 1878, this area became part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and from 1939-41 it was part of Croatia. What's interesting is that less than 5% of the population of this coastal area is Bosnian; most are Croatian.

Neum

Neum is the biggest city and it has a steep descent into the sea with beautiful scenery and mostly newly constructed hotels, apartments and shopping facilities (very few older buildings). We didn't stop, but it is supposed to be a bit cheaper than Croatia. I thought it was interesting (considering the animosity between Bosnia and Croatia) that the Croatian island directly across from Neum was decorated with a large stone Croatian coat of arms in the traditional checkerboard red and white. Nationalistic attitudes between the ethnic groups of former Yugoslavia run deep!