February the 17th, 2026 – Makarska is home to stunning beaches and imposing mountains, but Makarska’s weirdest waterfall might just top it all…
As Putni kofer/Yuriy Dzyubenko writes, all of Dalmatia, and especially the magical Makarska Riviera, are known for their beautiful beaches where countless tourists seek refuge from the scorching sun in the summer. Among them is the gorgeous Nugal beach, which is by far one of the most famous. Most people don’t know that it’s also home to a secret that only occasionally “springs up” and shows itself in its full beauty. This is the Proslap waterfall, which was first recorded in 2010 and which only appears during periods of extreme rainfall. Makarska’s weirdest waterfall isn’t widely known, and it’s a phenomenon in and of itself.
makarska’s weirdest waterfall – something you’ll never find in a tourist guide…
The Proslap waterfall is one of those attractions that you’ll never come across in a tourist guide or book. That isn’t surprising, either. For a long time, it was not even known about and was a closely guarded secret of a few locals only. It only appears during periods of extreme rainfall, and the rest of the time, it simply vanishes. Last month, the weather station in Makarska recorded almost 200% of the monthly rain average, of which 126 millimetres fell in just one single day. That meant that Makarska’s weirdest waterfall reappeared.
During heavy rain, the Proslap stream transforms into a real torrent, a seasonal watercourse that cascades from the vertical cliff of the Osejava peninsula just 20 metres from the beach and flows out into the open Adriatic Sea.
The history of recording this phenomenon confirms just how exceptional it is. The first official mention of the waterfall in modern online sources appeared on January the 19th, 2010, when the powers that be of the City of Makarska published news about a rare stream after prolonged rains. In March of the same year, the first video evidence of the existence of this “phantom” waterfall actually appeared.
Later on, the activity of the waterfall was recorded in December 2019, while the last major reports by the national media were published in early 2026. These records allow the public to monitor the frequency of the phenomenon: it isn’t related to the seasons, but is a direct reaction of the karst system to anomalous storms and water.
specific geological structures around biokovo
The existence of Makarska’s weirdest waterfall is explained by the specific geological structure of the coast at the foot of Biokovo. During extreme rainstorms, the harsh karst system and the soil are instantly saturated with moisture, and when the water can no longer penetrate into the depths, it begins to flow violently out onto the surface, filling the bed of the waterfall. The water rushes through a natural crack in the rock, creating a waterfall about 9 metres high. Despite the lack of constant hydro-metric measurements, visual testimonies describe it as a dynamic stream that disappears only a few days after the rain stops.
Nugal Beach is located in an isolated bay between Makarska and Tučepi and can be reached by boat or on foot through the Osejava forest park. The walking route follows a rocky coastal path about 3 kilometres in length, which takes about 40 minutes to walk along. During the waterfall’s activity, the path becomes wet and difficult to walk on, and you’ll require appropriate equipment and a lot of care. The beach itself is completely devoid of tourist infrastructure, there are no sources of drinking water or catering facilities, which emphasises the status of this location as a zone of untouched nature.
nugal and baring it all…
The Nugal area officially has FKK status and is extremely popular among naturists, although in summer visitors in swimsuits often crowd out lovers of solitude and a distinct lack of clothing. The beach is not large compared to the city beach in Makarska, spanning about 1200 square metres in total. The entire Osejava massif is included in the Natura 2000 ecological network, and the state of vegetation is under control after forest fires ripped through back in August 2021. The preservation of the dense Mediterranean pine forest and natural riverbeds is of crucial importance for the entire region, because it’s precisely this natural balance that allows the waterfall to revive without damaging the fragile coast of the beautiful Makarska Riviera.
