By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Editor
At first glance, it was intimidating. Nearly a mile up in the air, the only thing separating me from the rocky bottom of a mountain was a curved piece of glass. Far down below lay the area of Makarska in Croatia. I was at the Biokovo Skywalk, a walkway 1,228 meters (more than 4,000 feet) up in the Biokovo Nature Park. It is attached – solidly, I hoped – to a cliff. To get there, we drove a switchback road that is the highest paved road in Croatia.
Now, I have no fear of heights. Unless I think I can fall. So slowly, I walked out onto the platform and immediately said to myself “hey this isn’t too bad.” The view from that high up was fantastic – sweeping, unblocked vistas of mountains and the sea. On sunny days you can even see Italy. After a few steps, I gained confidence and leaned against the railing to soak up the scenery.
At first, I avoided looking down. I didn’t want to have a “whoa” moment and lose my nerve. But the glass floor is solid and it didn’t take me long at all to look down beyond my feet to the ground waaaayy below me. I felt relaxed.
I also felt powerful. I mean it’s quite a feeling to be that high up and to see the ground that far below your feet. It’s one thing to be standing on a mountain and quite another to be hanging over it.
I walked around Skywalk a several times, knowing I would not likely be able to experience it again, at least for quite some time. My total time there was about 45 minutes (it only takes a minute or so to walk around it, not counting the time stopped for admiriing the views, of course).
Our group drove up to it – it takes about 30 minutes from the entrance – but if you have a real sense of adventure you can ride a bike. There were a few people there who did just that, tho they were wisely on e-bikes. The mayor of Makarska, Zoran Paunović – who, ironically, once lived in Newport Beach, CA, not too far from me in San Diego – said that a gondola or some other type of lift is being planned and he anticipates it being completed in 2028.
Skywalk is 90 kilometers from Split.
Pro’s Tip: Take a jacket because it can be windy and cold that far up in the sky.
The cost to visit Skywalk is 20 Euros and available in advance only on Skywalk’s official website, Skywalk | Nature park Biokovo (pp-biokovo.hr)
Related Post:
• All You Need To Know About Visiting Croatia
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PubClub.com is one of the original websites on the Internet. It features articles on nightlife, food & drink, events, activities, travel and sports. It has been featured in USA Today, the LA Times and American Way magazine, among other major media outlets. Kevin Wilkerson is an award-winning journalist.