Brela
Brela (pronounced [brě̞la]) is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County of Croatia. The village of Brela is located on the Adriatic coastline of Dalmatia, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of Makarska.
Brela | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
Panoramic view of beach Liskamen (front) and beach Punta Rata in Brela | |
Brela Location of Brela within Croatia | |
| Coordinates: 43°22′11″N 16°55′21″E | |
| Country | Croatia |
| County | Split-Dalmatia County |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Stipe Ursić (HDZ) |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 26.8 km2 (10.3 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 6.9 km2 (2.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Municipality | 1,626 |
| • Density | 61/km2 (160/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,472 |
| • Urban density | 210/km2 (550/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 21322 |
| Area code | 021 |
| Patron saints | Saint Stephen Our Lady of Mount Carmel |
| Website | opcina-brela |
In the 2011 census, the total population was 1,703. The municipality consists of two villages: Brela (1,575) and Gornja Brela (128).
Brela is a tourist town located between the Biokovo mountain and the Adriatic Sea. It is known as the pearl of Makarska riviera. The pearl of the Adriatic or the pearl of Mediterranean is the name given to the city of Dubrovnik. In 1968, Brela was crowned as "Champion of Adriatic" for high achievements in tourist activity.
The symbol of Brela is "Kamen Brela" (Brela Stone), a small rock island just off the main beach in Brela, the Punta Rata beach. In 2004, American magazine Forbes put the Punta Rata beach on the list of 10 world's most beautiful beaches, where it is ranked 6th in the world and first in Europe. In January 2024, Lonely Planet ranked Punta Rata as the 11th best beach in the world, calling it "one of the Croatian coast’s most exquisite beaches."