The mountain of Biokovo stretches over the Makarsko primorje. During history, it was a refuge for the local inhabitants who fled before the attacks from the sea and it was an obstacle for the conquerors from the inland. Biokovo today is a natural park, an excursion site with many marked hill walking paths, endemic plant species and diverse animal species. Its tops covered with snow are the spectacular contract to the beautiful beaches and pine woods in its bottom. In the area of Bukovac, there is a hunter’s house which is often visited by the mountaineers who pass nearby. It takes only 1 hours drive on the adapted road through the park to reach the highest peak Sv.Jure ( 1762 m) where you get the unforgettable view to Makarsko primorje, surrounding islands of the Middle Dalmatia and the inner area of Zagora.
This is a part of Brela which consists of several hamlets: Gornji Kričak, Ribičići, Medići, Jurišići and Donji Kričak. This a part of Brela where you can still see the examples of the authentic rural architecture such as Ivandića dvori, sometime the centre of the local events. The first public school in this area was also opened here. Above the Gornje Kričko, there is a suitable terrain for all free-climbing fans.
The first family pension was opened in 1932 by Maša Chmelikova from Prague under the name of „Pension Soline“( the present restaurant „Hrast“ and tavern„Feral“). The settlement of Soline is the oldest tourist area of Brela. Her example was soon followed by the natives who welcomed the tourists in their houses and built the new houses intended for that business. Thus five family pensions were permanently active by the war, all with the full-service as there was no other dining options. Only a couple of years before the war was the ground-floor level object built and the first restaurant was opened in it. Today it hosts the restaurant „Palma“. We should mention the information that in 1934 there were 808 overnights. By the beginning of the World War 2, 2 hotels were built, the first at the site of the present hotel „Soline“, and the second one is the still-existent hotel „Brela“, with the total capacity of 70 rooms. Arrival of the tourists to Brela after the war begins in 1960s by building of the necessary infrastructure. The tourism becomes more present and it spreads throughout the Brela coastline, where the new centres appear: Loznica, Podraće, Šćit,Stomarica, Luka, Jakiruša, Jardula, Podcrkavlje.
One of the numerous hamlets in this area with a typical rural scenery. In the area of Solin, there is the antic necropolis with the remnants of the ware and pottery which tells of a long tradition of the settlements in this area. A centuries old oak, the monument of nature, is also situated here.
Loznica is a part of Soline with numerous houses for rent, where you can spend a pleasant holiday, the numerous beaches are hidden from the inquisitive eyes, and the beach Berulia proudly presents its Blue flag.
‘Lungo mare’ is a traditional name for the promenade next to the sea. This one in Brela reaches the distance of 5 km and it represents the ideal way of relaxation and learning about everything that Brela has to offer.
The rock of Brela is a trademark of this pearl of the Adriatic which is a constituent part of the beautiful pebble beach but still remote, and it creates a picture the visitor will surely remember. There are various legends on how the rock got to the sea, but in any case, it is a unique occurrence. The beach Punta rata is the most beautiful in the range of the Brela beaches and it attracts the swimmer by the crystal clear sea and the shade of the hundred years old pines. It has a blue flag since 1999, an in 2004 the American magazine „Forbes” included this beach among 10 most beautiful beaches in the world.
Podrače is a hamlet which emerged recently, below the hamlet of Šošići next to the shore of that beautiful small bay.
Šćit, in comparison to most other hamlets of the Brela area, has no such rich history. It is one of the new settlements created at near the shore with the intensive development of tourism in this area.
One of the beautiful beaches to be found at the Brela area is also Stomarica. The numerous holiday houses are lined on the surrounding hills with the beautiful view on the nearby beach. The Blue flag confirms the quality of environment preservation and decorated beach.
At the mountain bed of Biokovo, there are many hamlets, among them also Zelići. In this authentic sentiment you can scent a breath of the past.
There are two hamlets near the St. Stephen’s church, Jardula and Pocrkavlje. Pocrkavlje is specific by its bay which is a real beauty of this area. The original building of the St Stephen church was built in 1706, while the new church exists from the late 19th century.
Westwards from the centre of Brela, there is the Jakiruša bay. The traces of the human inhabitancy in this area go back to the antic times and many archaeological evidences at the sea bed of the bay point to that. In cooperation with the City Museum of Makarska, the permanent exhibition of the antic wares and amphorae found at the sea bed of Jakiruša is set in Brela.
A magnificent place where the cliffs fall into the sea deep more than 100 m. Unfortunately, the numerous efforts to determine the final depth where the water springs from were unsuccessful. It is a system of springs of water or even a part of the river of Cetina which plunges somewhere in Zagora and rises here, making a fascinating locality for divers. The great schools of fish gathering for food and mating creates a magnificent look to those who are used to seeing that in shows on the Red Sea. That is the very reason why every dive at this place is so unpredictable and interesting. The submarine spring abounds in many lonely, quiet beaches as a haven for nudists.
This area used to be called Počivala. But with the coming of the Novaci family, this part of Brela acquired a name Novaci after them.
It is now hard to forget the unsafe and dangerous surrounding of the turbulent history in these areas. The primary concern was the safety, that is why the majority of settlements occurred on the slopes of Biokovo, that was also the case with Gornja Brela. The first inhabitants were the members of the Illyrian tribe of Delmati, and the place was first mentioned in writing in 1687. With the development of tourism in these areas, the hamlets of Gorman Brela have less and less inhabitants who move closer towards the sea. But this area has the impression of the authentic rural environment even today.
This hamlet used to be called Banja, and a certain parts of it retained that name today. As the majority of the other settlements in this area, it got its name from the family name who settled there.