Makarska sits under a wall of grey limestone, with the Biokovo mountains rising almost straight out of the sea behind the town. The highest peak, Sveti Jure, stands at about 1,762 metres, and the ridge runs for thirty kilometres along the coast, so the town and its neighbours, Tučepi and Baška Voda, are squeezed into a narrow strip between mountain and water. This is the Makarska Riviera, one of the most scenic stretches of the Dalmatian coast, and the old Adriatic Highway runs right along it, with views over the sea to the islands of Brač and Hvar.
The town is built around a horseshoe harbour, with a wide pedestrian waterfront lined with cafés and restaurants and a baroque square beside the cathedral. The Franciscan monastery on the western edge has an unusual museum of shells, collected over generations by monks, and the Biokovo Nature Park above has hairpin roads that climb to a viewpoint, on a clear day, as far as Italy. The coast has long been a crossing place between the Venetian and Ottoman worlds, and the old defence towers and walls remind you of the centuries of conflict.
The riding is superb but busy. The coast road is a ribbon of curves, with the sea on one side and limestone cliffs on the other, and the traffic in summer is heavy, with tour buses, camper vans and cars heading for the beaches. Overtaking is difficult, and speed limits are strictly enforced. The best time is early morning or late afternoon, or the shoulder seasons of May, June and September, when the sea is warm and the roads are quieter. The bora wind can blow hard and unexpectedly down the mountain slopes, so be ready for sudden gusts.
Makarska has about thirteen thousand people, so fuel, supermarkets, cash machines and plenty of places to eat are easy, and the seafood is excellent. The beaches are pebbly, so bring sandals for the water, and the sea is clear and clean, with good swimming from the rocks.
This is a place to slow down. After the long drive from Split, take a walk along the harbour, have a coffee and an ice cream, and look up at the mountains. The ride to Dubrovnik continues south along the same road, with the Pelješac peninsula appearing across the water and the Neretva delta spreading out before you.