On the southern part of the Makarska Riviera, at the foothill of mount Biokovo there lies Živogošće.
It is comprised of three smaller, non-coherent places on the coast: Porat - Mala Duba - Blato, and old hamlets along the old road. It is only 20 km away from Makarska, 80 km from Split and 120 km from Dubrovnik.
Živogošće has been inhabited since Illyrian and Roman times, to which Illyrian tombs on top of hill Suzina stand as witnesses. Also, villa Rustika in Mala Duba and Blato does the same. The well known Licinianus epigram from 474. g. BC, comprised of 16 latin hexameters is the most beautiful specimen of classical literature . It is carved into a living rock above the spring of Pokrivenice on the coast. In it the roman questor Licinianus celebrates the source of "drinking water", which still flows there.
As a settlement, Živogošće is for the first time mentioned in the mid 13th century.
The Franciscan monastery in Živogošće, founded in 1616 , was this area's center of spiritual life and literacy, with a rich library and valuable art work. It gained it's present form during the last 40's when a more significant tourism development in these areas begins. Natural beauties of olive groves and pine woods hovering over small pebbled beaches that are 6 km long, clean and unpolluted sea, all in the foothill of a big mountain (hilltop Sutvid - 1155 m) and all giving tourists a special lure and pleasure of stay.
There are numerous options for sort activities. With a number of activities on sport terrains, there are also the cycling and trekking roads. Water sports are popular too. There are also two smaller harbors.
The tourist board and tourist agencies in Živogošće offer the possibility of taking one - day excursions to surrounding places. Each place has good quality restaurants, shops, cafe-bar terraces and news-stands, and the seasonal post-office is in Porat.
There are excursion boats leaving every day towards the islands organizing fish picnics as well. Another popular tourist destination is the Botanical garden near Kotišina village next to Makarska. It can be reached by a path from Makar.
The tourist agencies in Živogošće organize trips to: Split, Trogir, Hvar island, Brač island, Imotski, Dubrovnik, Omiš, Međugorje.
Mount Biokovo offers various options for trekking and mountain climbing. You take a minibus for one part of the road, and then take a walk to St. Jure hilltop (1762m) or take a 5 hour long tour of Biokovo through the fields and pine forests.
