At the foot of Mt. Biokovo, right at the edge of the warm, crystal-clear Adriatic Sea, you’ll find Baska Voda and our beautiful Villa Prestige. Once a farming and fishing town, this idyllic spot has grown into a modern tourist destination on the Makarska Riviera, in the heart of Dalmatia.

Baska Voda, Basko Polje, and the surrounding villages of Topici, Bast, Krvavica, Bratus, and Promajna together form a kaleidoscope of hospitality, tradition, modern life, and a beautifully preserved environment. Baska Voda offers far more than sun, clear sea, and beautiful beaches amid pine woods and fresh mountain air.

Besides its wonderful scenery, Baška Voda offers facilities of the highest quality — from food and sport to recreation and historical sites. Visitors can explore archaeological remains dating from the 1st to 7th centuries AD, along with the churches of St. Lawrence (built in 1750) and St. Nicholas (built in 1889), both fine examples of Dalmatian rural architecture.

Crystal-clear, warm sea, a well-preserved natural environment, and a magnificent geographical position in the heart of Dalmatia on the Adriatic coast make Baška Voda an ideal tourist destination — further confirmed by traces of life found here dating back more than three thousand years.

We invite you to visit Baška Voda and explore this unique town and its surroundings!

Ancient Origins

The area where Baška Voda stands today was first settled in ancient times. Numerous springs of drinking water in the surroundings were always the main reason people chose to live here.

Around 1300 BC, a fortified settlement called Gradina was built on this site. Its ruins have been preserved to this day. Later, during the Roman Empire, a fort named Biston (Bast) was constructed at the same location. Ancient gravestones found here are now housed in the Archaeological Museum in Split, suggesting that a Roman necropolis once stood on the slope above Baška Voda.

The Move to Bast

After the fall of Biston in the 6th century, life in the area came to a standstill for nearly 1,000 years. Local inhabitants moved closer to the Biokovo mountain range to escape the Turks and frequent pirate attacks. Near a freshwater spring at the foot of Biokovo, they founded the village of Bast.

Return to the Coast

Once the Turks and pirates were driven from the region, the people of Bast returned to the coast and resettled the site of present-day Baška Voda. The oldest written records from this period date back to the 17th century. In 1686, Baška Voda first appeared on a map of Dalmatia, drawn by the Italian cartographer Vincenzo Maria Coronelli, under the name Basca. Another Italian cartographer, Marcelo, later labeled the same town Fontana di Basca on his own map. The name “Baška Voda” itself first appeared in a written document in 1724, recording the sale of a house.

Growth of the Town

In 1750, the Late-Baroque Church of St. Laurence (Sv. Lovro) was built here, at a time when the settlement consisted of just ten houses. It wasn’t until a century later that a larger population began settling in the town. Baška Voda got its first school in 1845, followed by the parish Church of St. Nicholas (Sv. Nikola) — the town’s patron saint — in 1889, and its first port in 1912.

The earliest residents made their living through agriculture, fishing, and sailing.

Baška Voda is one of the most beautiful towns on the Makarska Riviera — and arguably in all of Dalmatia. Today, it stands as a well-known tourist resort, rich in dramatic natural beauty. Here, the deep blue of the Adriatic Sea meets the green of pine forests and the dazzling white stone of the Biokovo mountain range.

Few places offer such a long stretch of pristine pebble beaches, gently sloping into crystal-clear blue waters.

A Mediterranean Climate

Baška Voda enjoys a classic Mediterranean climate: mild winters and dry, hot, sunny summers. Average temperatures reach 24.3°C (air) and 25.1°C (sea) in July, dropping to 8.3°C (air) and 13.5°C (sea) in January.

This region is among the sunniest parts of the northern Mediterranean, with approximately 2,700 hours of sunshine per year. On average, Baška Voda sees 40 days a year with temperatures above 30°C, and just seven days below 0°C.

Local Winds

Local and seasonal winds help maintain this favorable climate. The most distinctive are the jugo (south-east wind) and bura (north-east wind), both present year-round but especially strong during winter.

During spring and summer, the dominant wind is the maestral, bringing a cool, refreshing breeze off the sea. At night, it gives way to the burin, a light breeze that cools the sun-warmed land.

Rainfall

Rainfall here also follows a typical Mediterranean pattern, averaging 810 mm per square meter per year. However, it’s unevenly distributed throughout the seasons — spring and especially summer remain largely dry, while most rain falls during autumn and winter.

Snow is a rare sight along the coast, though it can appear on the slopes of Mount Biokovo. In fact, in May it’s sometimes possible to see snow-capped mountain peaks and swim in warm sea water on the very same day.