Top Four Things I Adore About Living In Makarska, Croatia…So Far

Photo by Jaxson Bryden from Pexels

I’ve been living in Makarska for six months. In honour of spending two seasons in this lovely seaside town, here’s a list of four things I love about it.

1. CAFES AND COFFEE

This is not new.

I’ve written about the cafes and the coffee culture before.

The Little Things

What is new?

Just how extra excellent the wait staff can be!

Recently, I switched up my coffee order. I reminded myself that I couldn’t tolerate milk. I lived in fantasy land for six months and drank coffee with milk.

That’s changed as of a few weeks ago. I now drink a long espresso.

After making the change, I sat at my neighbourhood cafe, and the waitress arrived with my usual order—the one with milk.

As she smiled and placed it on the table, I looked up at her, smiled, and said: Thank you. I’m not drinking milk anymore. So, my new ‘usual’ will be a long espresso.

I can’t adequately describe her facial expression. It was one part of confusion mixed with two parts of embarrassment.

She looked at me and said: I’ll make you a new one immediately!

I told her it wasn’t necessary. How could she know that I changed my order?

I told her that she made the drink with thought and care, and I could handle it. Honestly, I was happy to have one more coffee with milk. Felt as if it was a gift, a treat.

The next day, I arrived at the cafe, and the waitress brought me my long espresso and said: this one’s on me. I was touched. It was a little thing, but it meant a lot.

Cafes are such an essential part of Croatian culture. My hairdresser recently told me that one of the most challenging things about the pandemic was when they closed the cafes. Cafes are more than a place to get coffee. They are meeting places. A place to socialize, to connect. It is a daily ritual. When that was taken away from them, it was a considerable loss.

In Makarska, they take their cafe life very seriously. And they take their coffee orders very seriously.

And I love it.

2. PROXIMITY TO SEA AND MOUNTAINS

The view from my balcony: the Adriatic Sea.

Every day, I look out my balcony window and see a stunning piece of art created by Mother Nature. Some days it's calm. Some days, like in the photo below, it’s not so calm.

Photo was taken by the author. It was a windy day!

The view from my bedroom window: the Biokovo Mountain range.

Biokovo is the second-highest mountain range in Croatia. The highest peak is 1762 meters.

Since moving here, I’ve joined a local hiking group. We’ve gone on several hikes throughout Croatia. All locations have been breathtaking, but there’s something extra special about having a mountain range in your backyard.

I’ve never lived this close to a body of water AND a mountain range.

In Toronto, my apartment was seconds from Lake Ontario, but I was on the third floor, and my balcony looked out onto the street. My view was a very cool mural.

While looking out at a mural is very cool, I will admit that I prefer the sea and the mountains.

3. THE PACE

Words you hear often in Makarska:

Pomalo. Laganini. Ništa ne gori.

Pomalo: The word has no direct translation. Loosely translated, it means: to take it easy, to relax, no stress, and slowly, slow down, no worries.

Laganini: Dalmatian slang means taking it easy/slow.

Ništa ne gori: nothing is burning (no rush).

I like the words a lot.

I will admit that I struggle with the pace of things in these parts on some level. I was raised in Canada. The land of systems, processes, and order. The land where people boast about multi-tasking, getting things done in minutes, and drinking their coffee-to-go.

But in the same breath, I adore that I live in a place that reminds me to slow down, relax, do one thing at a time, and enjoy my coffee, sitting in a cafe with lots of people around me, doing the same.

4. TENNIS

Watering the clay court. Photo taken by author

I’ve written about tennis here. A lot.

The Makarska Tenis Centre is minutes from my apartment. I take lessons once a week. I am in the zone when I take lessons. It is a feeling unlike any other.

I’m doing something I put on the backburner for decades. I am learning to follow through. I am learning to give it all I’ve got. I’m learning so much about tennis and myself while on the court.

This experience has been priceless.

If I ever build a home, I would like to add a tennis court. Why not?

While the tennis courts have been a place of significant growth, they’ve also been a place of pure joy.

And now, I want to imagine having that joy in my backyard.

There’s so much more to love about Makarska.

But for now, I think these four things are a great start.

Have you been to Makarska? What did you like about the town?

Have you been to Croatia? What did you like about the country?