Split’s hinterland: Klis, the Imotski lakes and Biokovo

Route description

Climb out of Split on the D1 to Klis, about 15 km, where a long fortress sits on a ridge above the pass and looks down over the city and the islands. Continue inland through the Dalmatian Zagora to Sinj, known for the Sinjska alka, a knights’ tournament held on horseback every August. The countryside here is dry karst with small fields and stone walls.

From Sinj, follow the roads south-east through Trilj to Imotski, about 60 km, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Two collapse sinkholes lie on the edge of town. The Red Lake is one of the deepest in Europe, with sheer cliffs you can only view from the rim. The Blue Lake, directly under the town fortress, rises and falls through the year and can be reached on foot.

From Imotski, the road crosses the hills via Zagvozd and drops through a tunnel to the coast near Baška Voda, with the Biokovo wall rising above. At Makarska, turn up the Vrgorac road to the entrance of Biokovo Nature Park, where a narrow road climbs to Sveti Jure at 1,762 metres, passing a glass skywalk over the drop. It is single-lane, charges an entry fee and is not suitable for motorhomes.

Back on the coast, Makarska is a resort town with a long pebble beach beneath the mountain. From there drive north along the D8 coast road to Omiš, where the Cetina river leaves its canyon to meet the sea. Rafting and canoe trips run up the Cetina in summer, and a path climbs to the Mirabela fortress above town. Split is 25 km further, about 45 minutes in normal traffic.