Gradac

Gradac is the southernmost major resort on the Makarska Riviera and the centre of a municipality whose coastline continues through Brist, Podaca and Zaostrog. Long pebble beaches are the main reason for a summer stay; the local tourist board describes roughly seven kilometres of pebble shoreline across the riviera. Behind the settlements, the terrain rises quickly towards the Biokovo foothills and older hamlets, allowing beach time to alternate with walking or cycling routes. Gradac does not have a monumental historic centre on the scale of Split or Dubrovnik, but its position between the sea and steep hinterland gives it a clear sense of place. Zaostrog is the main cultural excursion because of its Franciscan monastery of St Mary, while Brist and Podaca provide quieter coastal walks along the same riviera. Gradac is also practical for travellers continuing towards the Neretva valley or Pelješac, although a short stay is best focused on the local coast rather than long daily excursions.

Gradac is the administrative and tourist centre of the municipality of the same name at the southern end of Split-Dalmatia County. The municipal riviera includes Gradac, Brist, Podaca and Zaostrog along roughly fifteen kilometres of coastline, so the name Gradac is often used in travel planning for a wider chain of neighbouring settlements. Behind the shore rise the Biokovo foothills and old hamlets containing examples of traditional Dalmatian architecture. This relationship between a long pebble coast and steep hinterland defines the area more strongly than any single major monument, and local walking and cycling routes connect these two landscapes.