With plenty of reasonably-priced accommodation in hotels, campsites and private apartments, Baška Voda is popular with young people and families with children. There's plenty to do, from sports of all kinds to beach bars that transform into night clubs, and no shortage of entertainment laid on.
Baška Voda's ancient core, known as Gradina, lies on a mound just uphill from the waterfront. The names on ancient gravestones testify that the site has been inhabited since Illyrian times, about 4 centuries BC. The Greeks traded here and the Romans settled here – the latter named the town Aronia.
Fortifications were built in the Middle Ages when this coastline was constantly invaded: there are sections of the bastions still standing today. This is the site of important archaeological finds such as amphorae, coins, jewellery and glass, which you can see in the town museum. There's also a museum of shells – the Malacological Museum.
The inhabitants of Baška Voda once made their living by fishing, as well as farming the fields of nearby Baško Polje, where today there's a large camp site. However, there are still plenty of vineyards around so you can buy local wine direct from the barrel – just bring your own container!
When Slav tribes sacked the coast in the 7th century, Aronia was destroyed. Life retreated into the mountainside villages of Bast and Topići – themselves largely depopulated since the 1962 quake. Nowadays, the architectural and cultural value of these villages has been recognised: Topići has been proclaimed in its entirety a protected heritage site and Bast offers a number of picturesque places to stay. Both will charm you with their folk architecture and delightful scenery, and both can tempt you with some authentic Dalmatian cuisine in old-fashioned taverns. They're also ideal points to start a hike to the Sveti Ilija peak (1642m). A less demanding walk is the 6km coastal path that leads through the delightful little resorts of Promajna, Bratuš and Krvavica.
Baška Voda Tourist Board, Obala sv. Nikole 31, tel. (+385-21) 62 07 13, info@baskavoda.hr, www.baskavoda.hr. Open 08:00 - 21:00.
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