"Podgora - A Nice Hamlet by the Sea" Podgora by mbsimjam

Podgora is located along the Markarska Riviera, an area between (almost exactly) Split and Dubrovnik. Because of this, it is a great place to base yourself for trip to the Dalmatian Coast.

First, if you are looking for a sun filled beach holiday filled with some of the best snorkeling you will find in Europe, the Dalmatian Coast, actually all of the Adriatic coast, is the place to go. It is relaxing without the craziness of the Mediterranean, much cheaper, and, although I wouldn't say more friendly, it is definitely more personal.

If you are looking to explore the Dalmatian Coast and a large part of what Croatia, or even Bosnia has to offer, the Makarska Riviera is situated right smack in the middle of it all, with easy access to Split, Dubrovnik, Medugorje, and Sarajevo, all within 2 hours drive or less from Podgora/Makarska/etc.

We stayed in Podgora for 8 days. Our accomodation was a nice and small beachfront penzion with a terrace surrounded by palm trees, and overlooking the beach and water. It was run by a nice lady and was comfortable, aside from the extreme heat at night, but what do you expect in the middle of August!

Anyways, the town is set up around one street, the waterfront "promenade", which is the tourist centre and right next to the beach. All residences, etc., are built up the hill towards the highway, which runs along the coast about 1/2 way up the hill. The beach is nice and clean, and there are a few places to get away from the crowds...you just have to search, but when you find, it, you will really enjoy it!:)

Podgora is small enough that we would have gotten quite bored if we stayed there for the full week. Unless you are happy just to lie on the beach all day every day, I would suggest the same. But its location is a big part of the beauty of this village. We rented a car there and drove to both Split and Dubrovnik. It was perfect. Both cities within 2 hours. And if we had had time, Medugorje and Sarajevo are also very close.

Also, renting a car there is quite cheap. I think it was about 30 dollars a day or something. The best part was that we had asked for something similar to a Renault Clio, and they had none left so they upgraded us for free...to a Mitsubishi 4X4!

Because of its location, cheap accomodation, number of decent restaurants, and quiet slow pace, it is a great place to base yourself for a relaxing trip to the coast, with a few small adventures along the way!

• Pros:Location, price, beautiful views
• Cons:Not enought to do for it to be a long stay
• In a nutshell:a nice coastal village with great views