Croatia Summer 2021: Makarska

Our first post-COVID international trip was to Croatia in July and August of 2021 to visit my husband Jaroslav’s family.  We spent the first nine days on the sunny and picturesque Dalmatian Coast in Jaroslav’s hometown of Makarska, visiting Jaroslav’s sister Mariana and her family and reconnecting with old friends.  After Makarska we enjoyed some beach time on the island of Vis, where we rented a charming stone Dalmatian house for six days with Mariana and her family in the town of Komiža.  The final five days of our trip were spent in the Zagreb area with Jaroslav’s cousin Ratko and his family. 

As I write this, we’ve been back in the US for almost three weeks and we’re feeling quite lonely.  We miss very much our family in Croatia and the routines we had there.  In Croatia so much of life is lived outside around other people, whether it be in cafes and restaurants, on the beaches, or even just strolling around town, whereas in the US we tend to isolate ourselves in big and lonely houses, traveling around town in cars by ourselves. And the COVID isolation makes the loneliness even worse.  Of course in Croatia there are indoor COVID restrictions but since so much of life is lived outside, it’s almost as if the restrictions are not there and life feels the way it always did.  It was very refreshing to in a way put COVID on the back burner for a while. 

This post focuses on the Makarska part of our trip. I will post separate entries for the Vis and Zagreb parts.

Above three photos, clockwise from left: view from the Makarska flat where Jaroslav and Mariana grew up and where Mariana now lives with her family. The town of Makarska creeps up the base of Biokovo Mountain, giving many Makarska residents stunning Adriatic Sea views from their homes; early evening at Marušići beach, up the coast from Makarska; a verdant spot on Marušići beach.

Above three photos, clockwise from left: street sign in Makarska’s old town. It reads “Dalmatian Street” in Croatian; charming front door leading to the courtyard of a centuries old stone Dalmatian house; posh homes lining the main road through Makarska, with Biokovo Mountain towering above in the background. At an altitude of 5,781 feet, Biokovo Mountain provides a dramatic backdrop to the city of Makarska, a town that begins at sea level. The stony, exposed, and bleached mountain is made up of karst limestone, a popular construction material used for centuries in many of Makarska’s buildings.

Above: Me in an alley between two stone buildings made of the karst limestone so typical of Dalmatia.

Above: Jaroslav stand-up paddle boarding up the coast from Makarska along the quiet and uncrowded beach in Marušići.  He’s a natural, of course, paddling in a standing position all the way to the shore, unintimidated by the large rocks hidden just beneath the water’s surface!  When I get close to the shore I paddle in a seated position to maintain better control of the board and prevent falls.

Our routine while in Makarska is as follows: wake up between 8 or 8:30 AM; have breakfast; head to Caffe Bar Skala for coffee, where we sit for at least an hour and a half and drink at least two cups of coffee each; wander around town if it isn’t too hot; return to the flat and have a large and delicious lunch prepared by Mariana and her husband Željko around 2:30 or 3 PM; read a bit and sometimes take a nap (we must embrace the siesta lifestyle of the Dalmatian Coast, of course!); freshen up around 6 pm; stroll into town once the sun begins to set and the temperature begins to drop; head to a café or wine bar for a drink and perhaps a small snack; take a little stroll; return to the flat; go to bed; repeat.

In keeping with the strong Croatian café culture, we take our morning coffee ritual very seriously. Croatians typically do not make coffee at home, preferring instead to enjoy it in a café . Morning coffee offers an opportunity to connect with family, friends and colleagues and to see and be seen. People often frequent the same café at the same time each day and sit in the same place. Of course, it is important to have a back-up café in mind, in case someone else gets to your seat first!

Below are some photos from our morning coffee ritual.

Above four photos, clockwise from left: Me at Caffe Bar Skala, a cafe popular with Makarska’s locals. Named for the Italian word for staircase (but spelled the Croatian way), Skala is appropriately situated at the base of the staircase leading up to Trg Hrpina (Hrpina Square). Our nephew at work on a paint by sticker masterpiece as Jaroslav looks on, at our back-up cafe Caffe Bar Yeti at its new location on the square by the post office. Mariana and kids hanging out at Yeti. Our nephew holding court at Skala while his protective older sister keeps an eye out.

Here are some photos from our late-morning post-coffee wanderings about town:

Above five photos, clockwise from top left: palm-fringed walkway along Makarska Harbor; cute and welcoming flower-filled snail pots at the entrance to a cafe along Makarska Harbor; a quiet square nestled into a residential area in the old town; note the dark green shutters on the windows, a trait typical of Dalmatian architecture; yachts moored along Makarska Harbor, which fills up as the day progresses as nautical tourists anchor their yachts and sailboats for the night; Kačić Square, Makarska’s main square, with Jaroslav in the foreground.

Some photos from evening drinks in Makarska:

Clockwise from top left: the Grabovac Wine Bar, in my opinion the most sophisticated drinking and dining establishment in Makarksa. The photo was taken earlier in the evening before the crowds descended. Enjoying delicious Croatian wines at Grabovac. Jaroslav and Mariana at Skala with their cousin Daniel who was visiting from out of town. Daniel is telling a story in his characteristic entertaining and demonstrative manner. Our nephew can be seen in the background riding a bike that belongs to the Skala owner’s daughter, an example of the strong sense of community in Makarska.

Above: two photos taken on the terrace of the home of our friends Anita and Pero, up the coast from Makarska. Anita and Pero prepared the traditional Dalmatian dish “peka” for the dinner we shared. The view from the terrace captures an authentically Dalmatian scene: a stunning Adriatic Sea view with chairs positioned to best take in the view; beach towels drying over the terrace railing; a traditional stone Dalmatian grill (see right side of photo); and an alfresco dining table. It never ceases to amaze me how gifted Dalmatians are at creating inviting outdoor living spaces!

Our visits to Makarska are not only about relaxing and having fun. Below is a photo of Jaroslav and Mariana tending to their parents’ grave in the Makarska cemetery. A visit to the cemetery has been a solemn part of our trips to Makarska since 2004. My in-laws died unexpected and untimely deaths within six years of each other in 2004 and 2010.  I was lucky enough to know my father-in-law for three years and my mother-in-law for nine. It is still hard to believe they are gone.

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