Makarska

The Sveti Petar headland, the old town and a day on Biokovo or Brač

Makarska rewards two days. Swim and walk the promenade early, cross the Sveti Petar pine headland to its lighthouse, and see Kačić Square, St Mark's and the Franciscan monastery in the old town. Give a second day to Biokovo Nature Park above town, or take the ferry to Sumartin on Brač.

Give the first day to the town. Walk the promenade early while it is still quiet, swim off the shingle, then cut through the pines of Sveti Petar to the lighthouse at its tip. In the late afternoon, wander the old town behind the harbour: Kačić Square, the Baroque interior of St Mark's, and the Franciscan monastery at the south end, whose seashell collection keeps short summer hours. Eat in the old town lanes, away from the strip.

Day two goes up. Leave at dawn for Biokovo, stop at the Skywalk and continue to Sveti Jure, and you will be back by early afternoon for a swim in the coves of Osejava Park, south of the harbour.

Day three heads out to sea. Catch the morning Jadrolinija ferry to Sumartin on Brač, bringing a car or a booked transfer since island buses are scarce, or join a morning dive boat that is back in time for lunch. In summer, finish late at the harbour bars or at Deep, the club in a seaside cave by Hotel Osejava.

Biokovo at first light and the summit road tickets

Climb or drive Biokovo at first light, by 07:00 in summer, because the bare limestone heats fast and offers almost no shade. Biokovo Nature Park stretches about 36 km along the coast and 9 km inland, and drivers must buy tickets in advance on the park's web shop for the road to the summit area.

Start at first light. Biokovo Nature Park stretches about 36 km along the coast and 9 km inland, a high karst wall between the sea and the hinterland. Drivers buy tickets in advance on the park's web shop, the only place they are sold, and follow the 23 km single-lane road up through the switchbacks; stop at the Skywalk for the view straight down to Makarska and the islands, then continue to Sveti Jure at 1,762 m.

Hikers can start from the top of town on marked trails, which are quiet even in August. Carry more water than you think you need and a layer for the summit, where it is noticeably cooler. Stay on the marked paths, as the rock is sharp and the scrub is thick. Back in town, a late swim off Sveti Petar is the right way to finish.

Eating well in Makarska, from black risotto to peka lamb

Choose carefully in Makarska, because many places along the beach serve average food at holiday prices. Jež, one block back from the beach, does both seafood and meat well, and Kalelarga in the old town serves fresh fish slowly over a whole evening. Look for black risotto and lamb cooked under the peka.

Plenty of places along the beach and around the main square serve average food at holiday prices, so be selective. Jež, one block back from the beach on Kralja Petra Krešimira IV, does well with both seafood and meat. Kalelarga, in the old town, serves fresh fish slowly; treat it as the whole evening, and expect the odd surprise on the menu.

Riva, on the harbour quay, is a solid choice near the ferry, and Herc on the promenade is open from breakfast until after midnight. Berlin, on the beach strip near Hotel Park, is another reliable stop. Dalmatian staples to look for are fish grilled whole, crni rižot made black with cuttlefish ink, and lamb or octopus slow-cooked under the peka, which many kitchens want ordered in advance.

For a cheap night, buy fruit and bread and eat on the rocks of Sveti Petar while the sun goes down behind Brač.