Best Tips for a Visit to Omis in Croatia

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Omis deserves its reputation as the adventure capital of Croatia. The touristy vibe, diverse adventure sports options, rich history, natural beauty, and dramatic canyons all combine for a great experience.

At Hacking the Road, we are dedicated to finding ways to help people live a Better Life ... on the Road! We are full-time travelers and experience seekers, and we want to share our journey with you. We believe that travel opens hearts and minds, and makes the world a better place. Join us as we explore each new destination.

We are Rainman and Tricia ... and we are the Road Hackers! As Road Hackers, we specialize in building itineraries that allow us to discover diamonds in the rough all over the world.

These amazing places are usually well known to domestic travelers, but tend to be overlooked by most international tourists. Our Croatia itinerary was no exception, yielding several gems!

Omis is one of these lesser-known diamonds in the rough we discovered on our Croatia trip!

Omis (Omeesh n Croatian) is not to be missed. If you like a combination of adventure, history, natural beauty, along with a touristy vibe, then Omis should be on your Croatia itinerary.

Join us as we share our best tips exploring the area around Omis.

Our visit to Omis was left till the end of our Croatia itinerary, even though it is only six miles/10 km from our Croatia home base of Suhi Potok. Many of the locals had encouraged us to visit the natural beauty of Omis, so we were quite eager to see what all the fuss was about before we left Croatia.

Having seen the bus to Omis pass us many times while we were waiting for our Split bus, we felt confident about getting to our destination without incidence. Hmmm...wrong! A reality check was in order.

After boarding the correct bus, we missed the Omis stop near Old Town and ended up at a remote stop a few miles south of town--with no cell signal.

We tried to query the bus driver once we realized our mistake, but he wasn't very nice, telling us to get off because he didn't have time and was about to take his break!

Flustered and confused, we were fortunate to meet a very nice Croatian woman who let us know that the bus would be coming back through in about 30 minutes. She was right! The same rude bus driver arrived, this time friendly and polite, and took us to the correct stop at no further charge.

Our Omis adventure began when we found a local pekara, or bakery, a short distance from the stop. One apple, one blackberry pastry later, and the memory of our mistake faded away. Happy again! 

Pastries in hand, we headed to the small Old Town section of Omis. The town was built at the strategically important point where the Cetina River enters the Adriatic Sea.

Omis was likely originally settled by the Illyrians and Greeks more than 2,000 years ago. The area was later controlled by the Romans and Byzantines. These were all minor outposts.

The first major settlements appear in the archeological record some time after the 10th Century AD. Omis' strategic location on the the Adriatic was of great interest to the major seafaring powers--and the pirates (Corsairs) of the Adriatic.

The Corsairs actually became quite a power broker in the region when they joined with the local Poljica Principality highlanders to defend their territory.

The local inhabitants were originally known to be skilled and innovative boat builders. Their biggest maritime advantage came when they built the Sagittae--the Arrow. These versatile seafaring boats were equally adept in the shallower canyons of the Cetina River. 

The smaller Sagittae design allowed merchants and pirates to easily evade the bigger ships. Their size and speed were also seen as an advantage for maneuvering the many inlets scattered around the Adriatic.

Omis became a pirate haven between the 12th and 13th Centuries. Between raid, the canyons of the Cetina River were perfect for hiding. The big ships could not follow them up river.

The Omis pirates were also known to attack the Crusader fleets as they returned from Constantinople. Pirating was such a problem that the Pope eventually ordered a coordinated attack to crush the pirates once and for all. But, it wasn't until 1444 that the Corsairs were finally defeated by the Kingdom of Venice. 

Venetian control eventually passed to the French, Austrians, and Austro-Hungarians in the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Reaching the eastern gates of Omis Old Town, we wandered along its quaint, narrow streets. Winding in and out of each other, they created a maze-like effect, taking us in circles at times. Not minding at all, we just took our time absorbing the Old Town charm.

Omis had so many nooks and crannies waiting to be explored. One could feel the history and culture with every step.

The first major building of note was the beautiful 17th Century Church of St. Michael, the focal point of St. Michael's Square. Taking our time to appreciate the architecture, we stepped inside for a few moments of peaceful contemplation before continuing our explorations.

Next stop was Mirabella Fortress, the largest imposing structure in Omis. Rising above the town's tallest buildings, we realized there would be quite a bit of climbing.  The hike was really steep, along narrow stone paths and countless stairs ... but the pay off was sure to please! 

The fortress entry gate was locked when we finally reached the top of the first series of stairs. The opening time, according to the schedule on the old rusted sign, was 9 am. Fortunately, we didn't have long to wait. 

The attendant soon arrived and welcomed us to the fortress. Looking up at the very narrow stairs and pathways leading to the fortress, we were definitely concerned about getting to the top. Rainman's fear of heights was always a factor in these situations.

Consulting with the entrance attendant, he graciously gave us the option to pay the $4 admission fee on our way out--assuming a successful summit.

As always, the best strategy would be to tackle the ascent one stage at a time. The first set of stone steps were very doable. Rising to the next level, we reached the first viewing platform, with stunning views of the Cetina River, the Cetina Canyon, and Omis Old Town.

Leaving the perceived safety of the flat viewing area, we inched our way up the next series of stairs heading toward the second viewing platform. From here we had the perfect view of the east-facing part of Omis.

Next came the toughest part of the climb--the final series of stone stairs leading to the summit of Mirabella Fortress.

The fortress was originally built to help in the defense of the town. Omis Corsairs also used this defensive position as they fled from their pursuers. This all made perfect sense. Invaders would have a very difficult time fighting their way to the top.

The final stage of the ascent took its toll! Look carefully ... who's missing on this climb? Rainman's fear of heights kicked in as usual. Tricia had to summit  by herself.

Whether you choose to summit or only venture to the second viewing platform, views of Omis from either vantage point are more than worth the effort.

The time had come to head back down the stone stairs to continue our exploration of Omis.

Reaching the ground level, we made our way toward the street that runs along the river.

Omis is  known as one of the major adventure tourism centers in Croatia. Given that we were already deep into June, it wasn't surprising to see row upon row of water excursion craft up and down the river.

Omis is all about outdoor active fun! The most popular excursions include:

In other words, there's something for just about everyone in Omis! Just be warned, the summers tend to be insanely busy. You'll want to book your lodgings and excursions early if possible.

The modern downtown area of Omis has everything vacationers need for a great vacation--all within easy walking distance. 

One of the main streets has a vibrant market with vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables, dessert goodies, and all kinds of tasty cheeses and meats.

The town has a decided laid-back vibe. Who can argue with pastry and gelato shops on every corner, ... and they even have an Irish Pub! 

Omis is very accessible from Split. The #60 express bus will get you there in less than 40 minutes!

For those interested in lounging at the beach, Omis has several beautiful beaches near the mouth of the river.

Omis has all of the amenities and luxuries you'd want in a beach resort town:

As you can see, Omis has a lot to offer, making it a top-notch vacation destination for any visit to Croatia.

We really enjoyed our time in Omis, and would seriously consider it as a home base if we were to return to Croatia. It was one of our definite favorite destinations in the country.