Hiking trails on Biokovo mountain offer stunning views over the sea

At the longest and probably most beautiful coastline in Dalmatia there is a little place of Brela which is a favourite destination on the Riviera Makarska, with over a hundred years old tourism tradition. Brela has everything to delight visitors...

The place is certainly recognizable by the charming ‘Punta rata’ beach, which ‘Forbes’ declared the most beautiful beach in Europe and included among the top 10 most beautiful beaches of the world. Another essential sight is the ‘Kamen Brela’, a rock that has become not only the most common motif of postcards from Brela, but also one of the striking symbols of the entire Croatia. Although, nearly seven kilometres of pebble beaches that seem to compete in beauty, the turquoise sea ideal for swimming and the picturesque sunsets could quite understandably push tourists to lie on the beach all day, Brela certainly has something to offer to the active holiday enthusiasts. Namely, the mighty Biokovo, the highest coastal mountain, watches over the place, beauty of which is evidenced by the fact it has been declared a nature park in 1981.

The suggestion for hiking lovers is to start hiking trip from the upper part of Brela called Kričak, from the spot where the educational path known as ‘French or Napoleon's road’, bordered by picturesque dry-stone walls, begins. At the info boards placed next to the road one can find out the road was built during the short-term French presence in Dalmatia at the beginning of the 19th century. Furthermore, Napoleon’s road is very long and connects Obrovac (near Zadar) with Boka Kotorska (Montenegro). Special merit in its construction goes to general August Marmont, who is remembered in the Croatian history as the visionary governor of the Illyrian provinces. He has initiated many, at that time, very advanced projects in the Dalmatian area. In addition to the key role of the building designer Frano Zavore, the immeasurable contribution of the local population should also be emphasized, who has been participated in the works under force and in very difficult conditions, but left this masterpiece of engineering in legacy to us, as a source of pride. The mentioned section was planned to be connected with other roads that stretch along the entire Dalmatia, but this idea was abandoned after the departure of the French. Precisely this unfolding of the local history allows visitors today to gain an extraordinary insight into the stages of construction and the technology of the era. The unique value of this road-monument is evidenced by the fact it has been included in the Register of Cultural Property of the Republic of Croatia in 2017.

A few minutes' walk from the exit of the Napoleon's road, a particularly interesting encounter awaits for passers-by. That is, once upon a time a local girl fell head-over-heels in love with a young man from Primorje (coastline) and decided to marry him despite her mother's strong opposition. Furious and humiliated, the old woman hissed the curse to her daughter on the way out: "When you see the sea, you’ll become the pillar of stone." Despite this, the wedding procession headed towards the church, but the moment they reached the pass with a view of the sea, all the wedding guests became rocks in the blink of an eye! They stand there even today as silent witnesses of tragic forbidden love. Visitors will easily recognize the bride whose veil is blown by the wind, as well as her horse. An interesting rock formation is named ‘Nevistina Stina’ (bride’s rock) in honour of that legend. It is located at the intersection of two hiking trails: one leads to the chapel of St. Nicholas a past patron saint of the place, and it is pre-Ottoman church built in the 16th century; while the other meanders through a landscape that seems to have come out of some mystical legend or fairy tale.

Furthermore, the ‘Paklina’ – forest of black pine trees got its name by the resin (paklina) that was extracted from these trees in ancient times and coated on ship hulls to protect it from seawater leaks. Their treetops of intriguing shapes will certainly ignite the imagination of visitors. In addition to enjoying the amazingly diverse flora, one can also expect to meet some of the mountain animal inhabitants, be it a wolf, fox, badger, chamois or even a golden eagle. Not too demanding and well-maintained trail will surprise walkers when the dense shady forest is instantly replaced by a ridge from which the view of Brela, islands of Brač and Hvar and the rest of southern Dalmatia breaks out. Not long after parting ways with the unfortunate Nevista (the bride), the walkers will come across another secret of Biokovo mountain, the ‘Šuplja Stina’, in other words it is a rock with a large hole in it. Among other things this rock reminds of a little bit forgotten ‘Zjatva’, a bottomless pit located on the slightly southern part of the massif. Through the ‘Šuplja Stina’ one can see a truly beautiful panorama of Brela and the rest of the Riviera Makarska. Here is the favourite photo spot of this Biokovo eye that watches over the coast eternally... Therefore, it is not surprising that this wonderful natural phenomenon has become a kind of attraction.

A little less than half an hour's walk away from ‘Šuplja stina’ there is the ‘Pakline shelter’, one of the most beautiful on the whole of Biokovo. Given that it is located on an 852-meter-high ridge, it is not surprising that it was placed there by HGSS (Croatian Mountain Rescue Service) with the help of a helicopter. Although the journey “from the idea to the realization” was difficult, the peace and the view offered to tired hikers at this spot is really worth the effort. Namely, from the surprisingly spacious wooden house the shape of which is somewhat reminiscent of train’s wagon from western movies, on one side there is a beautiful view over the sea, and on the other at a thousand-meter-high peaks of Biokovo, which seem to tear apart the clouds.

Finally, it should be noted that Brela also offers a real treat for climbing enthusiasts, who especially enjoy the sudden surge of adrenaline they feel with every ascent. This is also where the climbing site is located, which was renovated in 2019 so it is completely safe for climbers. It is commendable that this climbing spot offers a handful of climbing options even for beginners. This is surely a reason why some of the active tourists will return from vacation as new fans of this demanding but exciting sport. Moreover, their efforts will be rewarded with a stunning views at Brela and the entire Makarska coast, beauty of which takes breath away.