This summer I visited Baška Voda several times, and being a bit of a Brela fanatic, I had totally forgotten how nice it is. It sits right next to Brela on the Makarska Riviera, around 10 km north of Makarska, yet it has a different feel, maybe because it’s a proper little holiday town.
What blew me away was the number of people. Most of the beaches were packed. Brela is full too, but this was one notch up, which also explains why I couldn’t book an apartment for my colleague and me. We ended up staying in Makarska.
This year I also experienced the evening vibe in Baška Voda for the first time, and I totally get why people come here: pure holiday vibe!
We recorded this video in Baška Voda. If you don’t like summer holidays, don’t watch it, just read the text below 😉
Baška Voda at a glance
- Population: around 1,800 in Baška Voda, around 2,500 in the municipality (which also includes Promajna, Bratus and Krvavica)
- Distance from Split: around 52 km (78 km via the motorway)
- Distance from Split Airport: 69 km (89 km via the motorway)
- Distance from Makarska: around 10 km
- Tourism: a family beach town, busiest in July and August
- Promenade: runs the full length of town and continues north into Brela and south into Promajna
- Beaches: around 2.5 km of pebble beaches, mostly small pebbles
- Best for: families, and anyone who just wants beach days and relaxed evenings
- Not for: big nightlife
- My tip: parking is usually easy, but on public holidays come early, as even the big car park fills up.
Where is Baška Voda?
Baška Voda lies between Brela to the north and Makarska to the south, with Biokovo behind it and Brač out in front. The municipality also includes the small coastal villages of Promajna, Bratus and Krvavica. The motorway access road is just a few km south of the village, in Baško Polje, so it’s easy to get here by car!
The promenade
The promenade runs along the whole town and continues north into Brela and south into Promajna. In the centre, along the marina, it is much wider and looks a bit like the promenade in the centre of Makarska. It’s lined with palms, but the shade comes from the plane trees along the main road in the centre, on the side with the houses and apartments, so the coffee bars and restaurants there are nice and shady.
In the centre of Baška Voda, the main road runs along the coast, and this is where you’ll find most of the restaurants and souvenir shops.
Beaches in Baška Voda
All the beaches in Baška Voda are pebble, mostly small pebbles. The water gets deeper faster than on the sandy beaches in Split, like Bačvice, but it’s still great for kids, and the colour of the sea is what everybody mentions.
You can rent sunshades and deckchairs on all the beaches. Prices range from €6 to €10 for a sunshade and €10 to €14 for a deckchair, and they seemed to be highest at the most popular spots.
We visited all the beaches in Baška Voda, except the nudist beach, which is all the way to the south near the Alemaris resort and Pinadria Camping.
Ikovac Beach
Ikovac Beach is at the northern end of Baška Voda, on the border with Brela. The first part of the beach is relatively wide, but it gets narrower as you get closer to the centre. There is some natural shade for those who come early.
At Ikovac there’s a really cool beach bar called Southern Comfort (Južnjačka Utjeha). As you can see in the gallery below, it looks really inviting. Just above the beach bar is a restaurant called Orange.
Closer to the centre there’s an inflatable aquapark, which charges €30 for a day ticket, and a public toilet, which was free when I visited.
Note: these photos were taken at around 10am.
Podluka Beach
The next beach, just north of the centre and the marina, is Podluka Beach: a pebble beach with some natural shade. It’s wider than Ikovac and has several coffee bars, such as Bahari Lounge & Beach Bar, as well as a playground.
Podluka is also next to the largest car park in Baška Voda. The main road runs alongside the beach, with several shops along it.
Many apartments are within a few metres of the beach.
Note: these photos were taken at around 10am.
Nikolina Beach
Just south of the centre you’ll find Nikolina Beach (the main beach), a very popular pebble beach, as you can see in my photos. In my video you can see that from above, all the sunshades make it look like a field of mushrooms. 🫣
The beach is relatively wide and has some natural shade near the walking path. The popular beach bar Zanzi Bar is also here.
The main road runs alongside the beach, so all sorts of shops are close by.
Note: these photos were taken at around midday.
Borik Beach
Heading south, the next beach is Borik Beach, which sits on a pebble spit, making it one of the widest beach areas in Baška Voda.
At Borik, steps and a short path lead down from the main road. Along the way there are several souvenir shops, mainly selling beach gear.
Under the large pines you’ll find the Borik and Mango beach bars, as well as Al Dente Pizzeria. For the kids, there are trampolines.
The main road ends above Borik Beach, where you’ll also find Hotel Horizont.
Note: these photos were taken at around midday.
Urania Beach
After Borik Beach comes Urania Beach. The first part of the beach is very busy, but it gets less crowded as you walk south. There’s some natural shade, but less than at Borik and Nikolina.
At the start of the beach, there’s another inflatable aquapark, with similar prices to the one near Podluka.
There’s also a beach bar serving light food.
Above the beach, there’s a walking path and a second car park, which makes the beach easy to reach.
Note: these photos were taken at around midday.
The dog beach
To my surprise, when we walked south from Urania Beach, we ended up at a very nice dog beach (I’m sure my Oskar would have loved it).
The beach stretches quite far, and there were several shady spots for the dogs to cool off.
Oseka Beach
The last beach we visited was Oseka Beach, a pebble beach on a pebble spit further south. It’s harder to reach, and driving down to the parking is quite an adventure (we tried it, but I won’t do it again in my car).
The first time we visited Oseka, on the public holiday, the coffee bar and the beach were pretty full, but the second time there was plenty of space.
Note: these photos were taken at around 2pm.
Is a beach day in Baška Voda worth it, and what does it cost?
I think a beach day in Baška Voda is definitely worth considering (although it will be hard to get me away from Brela). I like the beaches in general, although the ones close to the centre were too full for my taste.
Although we had problems with parking on the public holiday, I don’t think it’s normally an issue, as the car park is big, so that’s definitely a plus.
In terms of cost, here’s what to expect:
- Deckchairs: around €10 to €14 a day
- Sunshades: around €6 to €10 a day
- Two chairs and a sunshade: around €30 to €35 a day
- Inflatable aquapark: around €30 a day, €20 to €25 an hour (Žnjan in Split is €60 a day)
- Paddle boat: around €20 an hour
- Food: fast food from around €8 per person
- Parking in the centre: around €3.50 an hour
For a couple, beach gear comes to around €30 to €35 a day, so slightly more than in Brela. Walk a little away from the centre and it drops.
The town centre and the marina
Compared with Brela, the centre of Baška Voda is much more town-like. The promenade, with its palms, reminds me of Makarska: cafés, restaurants, souvenir shops and lots of shade. Grand Hotel Slavija, one of the oldest hotels in town, sits right in the centre next to the church.
The marina and boat trips
Unlike Brela, Baška Voda has a small marina. I didn’t see many tour boats, but we found Padre, a boat going to Bol and Jelsa. If you want more choice, there are plenty of trips from Makarska. Parasailing is the water sport you’ll see offered most.
Market, supermarkets and shops
Walk up from the seafront and there’s a small town area with a few supermarkets and a green market selling local produce: tomatoes, peaches, whatever’s in season. Small supermarkets along the seafront stay open late, and the beach shops sell more or less everything you need for a day on the beach.
If you’re staying in an apartment and need to shop for several days, you might want to go to Makarska, where there are more options.
Eating out: what we tried
We tried the food at three places in Baška Voda.
One evening we had my favourite dish, peka. It’s the dish I’d tell anyone to try here. It’s cooked under a metal bell for around an hour and a half, so you can’t just walk in and order it: tell the konoba the day before, or early in the morning, that you want it for dinner. Veal and octopus are the classic choices. We had ours at Restaurant Mare. I forgot to save the bill, but as far as I recall, we paid around €25 per person.
Another evening we settled for fast food: a great tortilla kebab at Em Food in the centre. Prices were more than reasonable; we paid only €8 for a really sizeable tortilla.
One day we had lunch at Papagaj restaurant, where we enjoyed an excellent pizza. We picked the spot because we saw them preparing the pizzas outside, and they simply looked too good to skip.
And boy, were they fast! I think our pizzas were served just 3 minutes after we ordered.
All in all, we were super happy with the food we had in Baška Voda!
Baška Voda in the evening
This year was the first time I visited Baška Voda in the evening, and I was really positively surprised: the vibe is 100% pure holiday.
There were lots of people, families out for a walk and busy restaurants.
We walked from Borik Beach to Podluka Beach through the centre, heard music in several places and saw a lot of happy people.
It’s definitely not a party town, but for a family holiday it’s the perfect evening vibe.
Good to know about Baška Voda
Here’s what you should know if you’re planning to visit Baška Voda:
- Parking: the main and largest car park is next to Podluka Beach, and there’s street parking in the centre, both around €3.50 an hour. On the public holiday we couldn’t get into the car park at all, but on the other days it was no problem. There’s also a second car park near Urania Beach, but I’m not sure about the prices there.
- Day trips: visitors staying here gave Baška Voda 93 to 94 out of 100 in a survey, while day trippers gave a slightly lower score. Maybe that’s down to the parking or the very full beaches?
- Bus or car? Baška Voda is best suited to people with a car. You can get there by bus, but it isn’t hassle-free.
- Crowds: my pictures say it all. In June and September, expect far fewer crowds.
- Book early: in July and August, accommodation sells out. More on that below.
- Water sports: parasailing, paddle boats and two inflatable aquaparks.
Who should holiday in Baška Voda?
Families first of all: clean beaches, calm sea, aquaparks, beach toilets, shady cafés in the centre, and nothing too wild in the evening. Also couples and anyone who wants beach days and a nice stroll and dinner afterwards. Lots of people come back year after year: once they’ve found their apartment, why look elsewhere?
Who should not
If you want nightlife, look at Makarska or the islands. If you want shady, quieter beaches, Brela is next door. And if you’re coming for the day on a public holiday, come early, or the car park may be full.
Where to stay in Baška Voda
Most people stay in private apartments, but there are quite a few hotels, the Alemaris resort and the Pinadria luxury camping resort (Baško Polje). As I mentioned above, we couldn’t find anything in August, so for July and August, book early.
Grand Hotel Slavija
One of the oldest hotels in Baška Voda, right in the centre next to the church. Its restaurant, Del Posto, is one of the more upscale places in town. Probably not the cheapest place to stay.
Hotel Horizont
South of the centre above Borik Beach, with its own restaurant and coffee bar that anyone can use.
Baško Polje: Alemaris resort and Pinadria Camping
Alemaris resort and Pinadria Camping are 1.7 km south of the centre, and the walking path goes all the way out there.
Note: in the video you can see drone footage of both places.
Things to do near Baška Voda
If you need a break from the beach, there are plenty of options for a full or half-day trip from Baška Voda.
- Brela: walk there along the promenade (around 1.5 km from centre to centre).
- Makarska: more boat trips and nightlife, 10 km south (you can walk there along the coast 😉).
- Promajna, Bratus and Krvavica: the small villages in the same municipality (a 3.5 to 5 km walk along the coast).
- Omiš and the Cetina canyon: rafting and the old town.
- Split: visit Diocletian’s Palace, walk around the old town and maybe do some shopping.
Baška Voda or Brela: which should you choose?
Both are beach towns, not party towns, and you can walk between them. So which one should you pick?
Here’s how I’d decide:
For a longer stay in a hotel, I’d pick Brela, as it has more hotels right by the sea.
For a stay in an apartment, Baška Voda is easier: it’s less steep, and you can park near the sea, which you can’t in Brela.
For a day trip, both are great options, but personally I’d pick Brela. It just has a special vibe.
My honest verdict
Thumbs up. Baška Voda does exactly what it promises: clean pebble beaches, beautiful water, fair prices and a lovely evening atmosphere. The downsides are the ones you’d expect in a popular place in August: the beaches near the centre get very full, and accommodation is gone if you book late.
For a family with kids who want to spend most of their holiday on and around the beach, Baška Voda is the perfect pick. Everybody will enjoy it.
For couples who just want to relax, it’s also a great pick.
