Makarska Riviera — beaches, the mountain, and the photo.

1. Pick the right beach

Makarska city beach is fine but busy. The better beaches are a short drive south or north. Nugal (a steep 15-minute path from Makarska centre) is the rare pebble cove that even in August stays calm — and it's clothing-optional. Punta Rata in Brela is the one that shows up on 'most beautiful beach in Europe' lists for a reason. Beach Slatina near Tučepi is the easy family option.

All of them share the same backdrop: white pebbles, lit-up turquoise water, Biokovo straight up behind. Any beach you pick photographs well in late afternoon when the mountain catches warm light.

2. The Biokovo Skywalk — for the other photo

If you have a car, drive up to the Biokovo Skywalk. The road is steep and twisty but paved; the drive itself is the experience. At the top, a glass-floored U-shaped platform juts out over a 1,200-metre drop. The photo is you on the glass with the entire Riviera below — your beach from earlier visible as a tiny crescent.

Pro tip: time the drive for golden hour going up and sunset at the top. The descent is easier in fading light than the climb up.

3. Eat where the locals eat — not on the promenade

The waterfront restaurants on the main promenade are fine. The food is much better — and half the price — one street back, in the old town around Kačićev trg. Look for konobas (small family taverns) serving Dalmatian peka (meat or octopus slow-cooked under a bell dome). Order ahead by phone if you can; peka takes three hours to cook.

4. Save the last hour for the harbour

Skip sunset at the beach, where everyone else will be, and walk back to the harbour fifteen minutes before the sun drops. The fishing boats are lined up, the lighthouse glows pink, and you get the Riviera's other classic photo — the small old harbour with Biokovo behind it — without the beach crowd in the foreground.