BRELA + PUNTA RATA BEACH, CROATIA

July 2-4
The open road
We were initially going to drive back through the same border that we crossed into Montenegro from but last minute we decided to drive the coast and take in the fresh sea air. The views are amazing and the flowers and buildings are so colorful! We had an issue at the Croatia/Montenegro border [on the Croatia side] but after sorting out the issue we were on our way. We actually stopped in the small BiH portion for lunch along the drive.

Stands selling fresh fruit and local items

Waiting for me

And now onto the relaxation portion of our road trip. This stop had no real sightseeing portion. It was merely a place to sit on the beach and relax, which was great after a whirlwind first half of our road trip. 
Hotel: We splurged [for us this was a splurge] on our hotel and stayed at Guesthouse Seaview, which was worth every euro. We had a large terrace looking out over the water and easy access to the walkway along the coast. 120 euro per night.
Currency: Kuna and Euro although many places in Brela are still only taking Kuna. They are taking it real slow.
Pet friendliness: High. The hotel was great for a dog. She was welcomed outside at restaurants and on the beach for the nighttime bar setup. People did give us strange looks when we took her for a swim late in the afternoon, but I think it was curiosity.

Our private terrace

aperitivo

Tired coonhound

View from the terrace

View from the terrace

View from the terrace

Sunset from the terrace

View from the terrace

Brela is located on the Makarska Riviera which is filled with crystal clear beaches, both naturally sandy and pebbly, thick pine tree forests, Dalmatian architecture and Mount Biokovo, the second highest mountain range in Croatia.

Croatia as a whole is gorgeous and has slowly become one of my favorite beach destinations [there are just so many great places to choose from over here].

Cooling off after a hot day

Unsure…

The marina

The marina

Sunset on the mountains

Punta Rata

Punta Rata

Dusk

Sunset on Punta Rata

Family silhouette

Sunset at the marina

The beach turns into a bar at night

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Punta Rata
Our gorgeous vacation destination is actually home to the sixth most beautiful beach in the world, and the number one most beautiful beach in Europe [according to US Forbes Magazine]. I would have to agree, as Punta Rata has officially become my favorite beach out of all my travels.

The symbol of Brela is the 'Kamen Brela' which is a small rock island off of Punta Rata Beach. We spent most of our day on the beach looking out over the mountains, islands and Adriatic. They key is to get there early, as the crowds come around ten. We arrived at eight and had two hours of bliss and solitude. It was early July so the water was warm enough to enjoy, but still cool enough to be refreshing. I still can't believe how clear and clean the water is.

Kamen Brela

Tranquility

Tranquility

Our red white and blue for the 4th

Clear waters

Zach met us at the beach in the afternoon and from there we headed out to walk around Brela and along the water. I actually put my camera away for the rest of the afternoon and just enjoyed the beachfront town. The evening was filled with conversation, a nice dinner, some homemade brandy as a digestive and some nighttime relaxation on the beach.

The next morning we were off to our next adventure…