Trip review: Day Walks in Dalmatia – Abandoned villages, ruined fortifications, olive groves, a limestone gorge, high mountain trails, the blue waters of the Adriatic Sea and the footsteps of Napoleon were all part of an excellent week of day walks in Dalmatia. Here is my trip review of day walks in Dalmatia.
Joining an organised group for a series of day walks in Dalmatia operated by UK tour company HF Holidays, I had the lovely company of seven fellow hikers and two leaders all from the UK. For our week of day walks in Dalmatia, we were based were based at Hotel Villa Bacchus in the small coastal town of Baska Voda on what is known as the Markarska Riviera on the Dalmatian Coast between Dubrovnik and Split. We completed five day walks and had a day off to visit Split.
On each day a choice of two walks was offered; an easier and more difficult option although on several days the group stayed together. In the evenings we enjoyed delicious local cuisine back at our base.
Day 1: Rain, rain go away
The Biokovo Mountains stand over the Markarska Riviera coast and these were the scene for several of our walks. On the first day it rained heavily spoiling the excellent views of the Adriatic Sea that would be possible on a clear day. We walked into the foothills of the mountains and followed trails to Markarska, the largest resort town in the area. We had walked very quickly so added on an extension around the harbor promenade and to Spian Beach once the weather cleared up.
Day 2: Brač
On Day 2 we travelled by boat to the Island of Brač around four miles off the coast. According to our guide, the island is famous for its stone quarries. This time the sun shone beautifully. The charming captain of our chartered boat treated us to brandy, strawberries and fresh figs on the journey to Sumartin Harbour. From there we walked around the cove and through olive groves to the small harbour at Povlja where the boat collected us for our return journey. Throughout the day we encountered a number of snakes. For the rest of the week we kept meeting snakes.
Day 3: Views from above
Our third walk started with a 30 minute bus trip to the nearby village of Makar from where we climbed over 600 metres in a sharp ascent to reach a high route on the flanks of the Biokovo Mountains. We followed this route, enjoying lovely coastal views, until we reached a point above the village of Tucepi. Along the way we came across a ruined fortification that had been erected against the Turks.
Day 4: Gorgeous Gorge
Cetina Gorge, carved through the limestone of the Biokovo Mountains, was the scene of the fourth hike. Starting at the village of Kostanje we wound our way through villages and fields to find ourselves standing above a stunning gorge with a blue river winding through it. We hiked down to the water’s edge and were collected by a private boat that transported us to a riverside hotel where we had a coffee and ice-cream stop before continuing by boat to the village of Omis.
Day 5: The best for last
The final hike was a cracker. Starting from directly behind Hotel Bacchus, we climbed to around 540 metres above sea level and walked through the abandoned Dalmatian village of Topicia. From there we made our way to a short section of an old stone road built by Napoleon’s troops between 1812 and 1815. Details about how or why they did this were hard to come by – one article I found suggested it was to encourage visitors to the area but this seems dubious. The Napoleonic influence in Croatia’s history stems from it being, at one time, part of the Austrian Empire. The views over the sea and the resort villages from here were the best of the week. We then descended steeply down a trail back to sea level at the resort of Brela and returned to Baska Voda along the coast path through several of the resort villages by the Adriatic.
The verdict
Dalmatia is highly recommended. If you would like to know more about this trip you can check out the information at HF Holiday’s website www.hfholidays.co.uk where you can search for Croatia or browse the range of destinations.