Highlights
Climb Vidova Gora – highest peak of Adriatic Islands
Discover the solitary life in Desert Blace
Swim at the famous Golden Cape (Zlatni Rat)
Walk the Biokovo mountain range
Rarely do mountains come so close to the sea, as it happens in Central Dalmatia. The Dinaric arc, starting from Slovenia and going all the way to Albania, has some of its most splendid „moments“ in this area.
On the tour we will first walk the Biokovo mountain range, with views of the coast and islands from more than 800m altitude. On day when we climb Omiska Dinara, we will get a glimpse of the high mountains of Bosnia & Herzegovina, miles into the innerlands. Later we will cross to the island of Brac and enjoy the Mediteranean spirit of the fishing village of Bol. Durign our stay on this island, we will also visit the valley and monastery of Blace, learning about its 500 years old history. On the last day, we will again enjoy a stunning view, from the top of Vidova Gora (780m), the highest peak of all Adriatic islands.
Itinerary / 8 days
Arrival to Split airport and transfer to Makarska.
After breakfast, a hiking tour on the slopes of the Biokovo mountain, one of Croatia’s 11 areas protected as a Park of Nature. On our walk, we will enjoy the distinctive and varied flora of Biokovo, while visiting the open botanical garden in Kotišina village. We will end the walk back in Makarska, with a swim in the beautiful Adriatic sea or an ice cream on the beach.
Morning transfer to Bast village and a second walk on the slopes of the Biokovo mountain Park of Nature. During the walk, we will enjoy the views of the coastal riviera and Central Dalmatian islands. Descent to Makarka and afternoon free to relax on the beach or absorb the easy-going ambience of this relaxed coastal city.
Today we hike to the top of Omiska Dinara, the north-west end of the Biokovo mountain range. During the hike we will have splendid views on the Dalmatian coast and when we reach the top (863m), we will be rewarded with a view of the mountains of Croatia’s innerlands and Bosnia & Herzegovina, often still covered in snow, at the same time while we are bathing in sun on Omiska Dinara. We end the walk on the banks of river Cetina, known for being a refuge for Omis pirates in medieval times.
Morning ferry MAKARSKA-SUMARTIN (on island of Brac). Transfer to Bol village and accommodation in a hotel. Free time for swimming and discovery of this cosy little fishing village, on the south coast of Brac.
Transfer to the plateau at the middle of the island. Descent towards the hidden valley of Blace, dominated by medieval monastery built in solid rock. Here we learn about more than 500 years history of this monastery and their influence on the local community. Later on, descent to the south coast of the island of Brac, where we enjoy a picnic at the beach and a swim at the clear blue Adriatic. Walk back to the town of Bol.
In the morning, we start our walk directly from the hotel and climb the highest peak of Brač and all Adriatic islands – VIDOVA GORA (780m). At the peak, we are rewarded by a stunning view of the surrounding islands of Hvar, Vis, Korcula, etc. In the afternoon, boat transfer to the island of Hvar, town of Jelsa. Accommodation in hotel.
Transfer to Split airport. Departure.
Walking profile
Number of days walking: 5
Level: moderate
Average daily distance: 12 km / 6,25 miles
Terrain: medium altitude differences (up to 800m); quiet mountaineering paths, mainly rugged rocky terrain
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
4 nights in hotel 3* in Makarska
3 nights in hotel 3* in Bol, Brac island
All rooms have en-suite facilities.
Eating & drinking
All breakfasts are included throughout. Croatian cuisine is a mixture of fine seafood, grilled lamb, pizza, pasta and salads, with influences from Central Europe, Italy and the Balkans.
Vaccinations and Visa
Visas are not required by the following nationalities: British and other EU countries, Nationals of Australia, New Zealand, United States and Canada. Other nationalities should check with the relevant authorities. There are no specific health risks.
Holiday style
This program is dedicated to discovering the coastal mountains and island of Brac.
The walks are well balanced, starting with the easy botanical trail on day 2, after which we do the second Biokovo walk, going a bit higher. On day 4 we do the toughest climb of the tour, to the top of Omiska Dinara, with a litte bit over 800m altitude difference. The trail offers the possibility to pause and wait for the group at approximately 700m altitude, in a very nice, relaxed and shaded bellevue point. After that we will have a relaxed rest day discovering Bol and then do another 2 walks on Brac, ending the program on the highest peak of all Adriatic islands at 780m,.
The paths are well maintaned but we recommend taking good, sturdy walking shoes, due to the rocky limestone terrain we cross through.
Some hiking experience is desirable but anyone with a reasonable level of fitness can do the program.
If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to call us.
More info
Guides:
Our nature experts Zeljko Zarak, Krsto Lukic and Edo Vricic will be your guides through the wonders of the Croatian national parks. Their love for pristine wilderness takes them often to hikes far away from the cities and crowds, where they can feel one with the nature. They will try to convey this special connection with nature to you and will make you feel as a part of the Croatian wilderness,while learning at the same time about local traditions, customs and old ways of life. Find out more about your guide here.
Weather & seasonality
Croatia boasts one of the sunniest climates in Europe, and some regions are notoriously free from rain. We generally travel off-season, so you should expect some variation in temperature and possibly some rainfall. Temperatures can be high, particularly on the July departures and can reach the mid to high 30s (degC).
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.