September 14, 2020 – 10 minutes from the centre of bustling Makarska, blending traditional Dalmatia with incredible 5-star facilities, My Home Adriona is a blissfully secluded paradise and one of the most singular luxury villas Croatia has

My Home Adriona sits in the foothills of Biokovo mountain, just 10 minutes drive from the centre of bustling Makarska

Not everyone knows exactly what kind of holiday they want. Taking to the crystal clear waters on a pristine beach and soaking up the atmosphere of winding old town streets and their taverns are essentials of every holiday in Dalmatia. But, sometimes you need to break off from the crowds. They are not who you chose to spend your precious holiday time with. Neither are the all-too-near neighbours in the crowded apartment complexes or the town's full capacity hotels.

Views from the first-floor bedrooms show the wild nature which surrounds the custom-designed pool, the Adriatic close by and Brač island is the distance

A handful of houses are the villa's only neighbours, the only sound you hear all day is the crickets in the trees and the splashes you make in the pool

Luxury villas Croatia are the best way to make sure you and your fellow travellers get the most out of your vacation, and each other. Located in Kotišina, a small village in a Makarska neighbourhood, My Home Adriona is one of the most singular luxury villas Croatia has. Balancing traditional Dalmatian architecture with 5-star luxury, the villa is surrounded by the indigenous flora of the region and breathtaking views of the Adriatic and Brač island. Out of sight, but less than 10 minutes drive by car, the beautiful beaches and vibrant tavern and town life of Makarska await. Like the salty waves, they are on your doorstep any time you feel like dipping in.

Olive, citrus, fig and pine trees surround the villa.

The scent of wild rosemary, lavender, citrus and other Mediterranean plants and herbs fill the air on the ample terrace of My Home Adriona. Gazing across the custom-designed pool and down into the tree-filled valley below, only the sounds of crickets fills the air. The village is quiet. Many of its quaint, traditional houses lie empty, used for a week or two as holiday homes. A car or moped might travel through the single road in the village once every hour. Or maybe none will pass through all day.

The 17th-century Kotišina castle is carved into the mountainside, just 10 minutes walk from the villa, before it, the Botanical Gardens, dedicated to local plants and herbs

Shade from the sun by the side of the pool or soak up the rays in the morning or late afternoon

Sitting elevated from the shoreline, in the foothills of the mighty Biokovo mountain, it's all too easy to become captivated by the seascape from Adriona. But, of all the coastal luxury villas Croatia boasts, this is one where the breathtaking view surrounds completely. Olive and fig trees line the property boundary. Beyond them, the handful of traditional dwellings sit on gentle slopes before, suddenly, the karst rock shoots up towards the sky. At dusk, you can watch the colour shadings on the mountain change spectacularly every minute in response to the waning sun. Carved into the mountain, 10 minutes walk from Adriona, a 17th-century castle dominates the view behind. Below it, 300 wild plants grow in the Kotišina Botanical Gardens, each of them indigenous to this specific area, just like those surrounding Adriona.





The spacious open-plan living room and dining area sit next to a monster-sized, modern and fully-equipped kitchen. There's an additional eating area on the terrace, perfect for dining in the evening

Bedrooms come with king-size beds and ensuite bathrooms. Each double bedroom is individually named after locally growing fruits and herbs - the natural bathroom products of each room hold a corresponding scent

The games room and its bar are a proper man cave, with snooker table and poker table. Like the rest of the villa, it is furnished with fully restored antique furniture

The traditional white stone of Dalmatian houses forms the exterior to Adriona. Inside, restored antique furniture maintains the authentic feel, but it's combined with jaw-dropping luxury features that are wholly contemporary. On the ground floor, a spacious living room and dining area sit next to a fully equipped kitchen. A games room comes complete with snooker table, poker table and a fully stocked bar (although it's not as well-stocked as the wine cellar which, like the rest of Adriona, displays exquisite taste). In the basement, a spa and wellness area boasts a gym, sauna and a jacuzzi. Each of the four double bedrooms is huge, with kingsize beds, ensuite bathrooms and incredible views which perfectly welcome each day. All floors are accessible by lift and one bedroom is designed to accommodate those with disabilities or mobility issues.

The wine cellar is stocked with exemplary Croatian wines. Some of the best red wine from the country comes from this region and all feature within this connoisseurs collection

What a view to wake up to in the morning!

When it comes to luxury villas Croatia has more than a small share. But, among them, Adriona is quite unique. Neighbourless and remote, yet just 10 minutes from the centre of a town brimming with people, beaches and nightlife, it's a luxurious base perfect for exploring the Makarska riviera and wider Dalmatia. Beautiful beaches, the Biokovo nature park, islands Hvar and Brač, adventure sports on the Cetina river, traditional taverns and Michelin-starred restaurants are all within very easy reach. This is a luxury villa at which every day can be different, and at which you can take your holiday at your own pace.



The view of Biokovo mountain and the castle from the upstairs terrace of My Home Adriona. The colours of the rock face seem to change every minute at sunset

All photos © Marc Rowlands / My Home Adriona

You can check out more photos of My Home Adriona on their Instagram page

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 14th of May, 2020, right up until the beginning of March this year, it seemed that Croatia could safely expect yet another excellent tourist season. The market for renting Croatian luxury villas with swimming pools was booming, putting everyone into a false sense of security before the coronavirus pandemic spread across the globe.

The market for the renting out of Croatian luxury villas has been growing unstoppably in recent years due to better and better tourist seasons with the rolling around of each and every summer. The beginning of 2020 also promised the continuation of this positive, encouraging and directly upward trend, but with the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic, everything simply came to a halt. Tportal talked about this topic with Daniel Prebeg, the owner and director of Klick and Book platform. Prebeg rents about 200 Croatian villas, and they're mostly located in Istria.

''There were so many bookings that I was expecting another record year. In the first two months of 2020 alone I made half my earnings from all of last year, and then the pandemic broke out. Over the past two months, I have received only two inquiries, and otherwise there'd usually be hundreds of them. We have a prime time for reservations after Easter and for last minutes, when we earn the most,'' Prebeg told tportal.

His clientele is mostly made up of wealthy guests from Germany and Austria, for whom it's not a problem at all to set aside anything from 500 to as much as 4000 euros per week for a stay in Croatian luxury villas in the interior of Istria or in the vicinity of Croatia's southernmost city and longstanding tourist Mecca - Dubrovnik.

Thanks to decent early bookings, all of his villas currently have reservations. Of that, about 30 percent of arrivals were postponed to later dates or to next year.

''I crossed May and June off because no one will come then. As long as the rule is in force that a German or an Austrian must spend fourteen days in self-isolation after returning from abroad, no one will bother travelling. Now we're all waiting for an official decision to open the borders back up again in Europe. If that happens, I'll fill the villas. There will be no problems then, but if July fails, we're going to have a fight on our hands for survival,'' Prebeg warned.

''In Istria, but also in Dalmatia, we could have a boom if the borders are opened. Croatia is a car destination. Many airlines have failed. It's unsafe for people to fly to Greece or Turkey, for example. And that's why we will be the first choice for many for this summer,'' Prebeg concluded optimistically.

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