About Korcula island:
Rich in vineyards, olive groves, and small villages and harboring a glorious old town, the island of Korčula is the sixth-largest Adriatic island, stretching nearly 47km in length. Dense pine forests led the original Greek settlers to call this island - Korkyra Melaina (Black Corfu). Quiet coves and small sandy beaches dot the steep southern coast, while the northern shore is flatter and more pebbly.
The main resorts are Korcula Town (people call it "Little Dubrovnik" because of its medieval squares, churches, palaces, and houses), Vela Luka, and Lumbarda. Small towns and villages are dotted around on the island for those looking for a more secluded holiday.
Korcula is one of Croatia's most treasured islands although, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, not quite as popular as some of its slightly more northern counterparts, such as Brac and Hvar. This may be because the island is a little further away (both from Split or Dubrovnik), and some of the most convenient ferry services to the island only run in summer.
About Korcula Old Town:
Korcula Old Town is a popular place to visit for anyone visiting the area around Dubrovnik, Split, or Peljesac in Croatia. It is a small medieval walled town built on the tiny peninsula on the northeast coast of Korcula island. The city is also called 'a small Dubrovnik 'due to its resemblance to the more popular tourist spot.
The old town of Korcula is one of the most important and best-preserved urban complexes in the Adriatic. Densely built inside powerful defensive walls, located on the most extended part of the channel, architectonically complete in whole and function, it gives an exciting and authentic picture of medieval architecture.
The town has resisted the invasion of the cars and has kept its basic urban rhythm. It has remained a town for people and has created an atmosphere of togetherness, exemplifying the tremendous Hellenic truth about man as the measure of all things. (see more info about the history of the Old Town)
The old town itself is just about a few hundred meters long and under one hundred meters wide, making it easy to walk around and explore its streets, old houses, palaces, churches, museums, and town walls.
Getting to Korcula
Here we present the best options for getting to Korcula island. There is no airport on the island, so you will need to fly to Split or Dubrovnik and then make your way to Korcula accordingly.
Getting to Korcula by car ferry from Split
There is a daily car ferry service with Jadrolinija that sails from Split to Vela Luka on the island's western side. Journey time is three and a half hours, and the service runs year-round. (Twice a day every day during summer; twice a day apart from Saturday and Sunday during the off-season.)
Getting to Korcula by catamaran from Split
As you can see, there are plenty of options in reaching the island of Korcula from Split!
Split to Vela Luka: for something a bit more speedy, there's also a daily (year-round) catamaran service from Split to Vela Luka with Jadrolinija. Journey time is an hour and 45 minutes. The catamaran docks at Hvar Town on Hvar island and then continues to Lastovo after Korcula.
Split to Prigradica/Korcula: Run by Kapetan Luka, this one also stops at Hvar Town en route. It's 2 hours 15 minutes to Prigradica and just over 3 hours to Korcula Town.
Split to Korcula: During the peak summer months (June to September, but especially during July and August), additional catamaran services from Split to Korcula stop at Hvar Town along the way. Jadrolinija also runs these.
Split to Korcula: Jadrolinija also has a catamaran that sails from Split via Bol (Brac) and Hvar Town to Korcula (traveling on to Dubrovnik). This catamaran takes 3 hours 15 minutes to reach Korcula and sails daily from early June to mid-September. This catamaran sails in the mid-afternoon from Split to Korcula.
Split to Korcula: Kapetan Luka has a summer catamaran service that runs from Split to Dubrovnik, stopping at Milna (Brac), Hvar Town, Korcula Town, Mljet, and Dubrovnik – this is very useful if you're trying to reach Korcula from any of these places! It's 2 hours 20 minutes from Split to Korcula. This catamaran operates from the end of April to October; it runs daily from May to mid-October. This sails in the morning from Split to Korcula.
Split to Korcula: Another Kapetan Luka catamaran – sailing from Split to Bol (Brac), Makarska, Korcula Town, Sobra (Mljet), and Dubrovnik. This one also takes 2 hours 20 minutes to reach Korcula from Split and runs daily from early June to mid-September. This sails in the morning from Split to Korcula.
You can get to Korcula's old town by bus or ferry from Dubrovnik, Split, Mljet, Hvar, Brac or Makarska. You can also take a direct daily bus from Zadar or even from Zagreb or Plitvice Lakes.
If you are driving, you can get here by Jadrolinija ferry from Orebic on Peljesac. Once you arrive, you can park here either on an hourly basis on the eastern harbor of the old town or further up above the city near the shopping center where you can leave your car for a day or two, a week or even months. It will take about 10 minutes to reach the old town, a car-free zone.
Sightseeing on Korcula – Korcula Town
Neatly located on a small peninsula, Korcula's Old Town – with its stone house and pretty orange roofs – gives off a familiar feel.
What the Old Town lacks in size certainly makes up for in quality as it is very well preserved; the layout and structure of the Old Town and its walls stem from the second half of the 13th century. You will notice that the Old Town is laid out extraordinarily, resembling something of a fishbone. The town was built in this way to protect against sea winds.
The entrance to the Old Town is through the Land Gate (Kopnena vrata) at the southern end. The gate's front is covered by a triumphal arch built in honor of commander Leonardo Foscolo, who was instrumental in the defense of Dalmatia during the 17th century. Above this gate is the Revelin tower, which you can partially climb up for some scenic views.
There is another entrance to the Old Town to its west – the Sea Gate (Primorska vrata).
Almost bang in the center of the Old Town, St Mark's Cathedral (Katedrala svetog Marka) was built in the 15th & 16th centuries. It has a statue of St Mark above its entrance with figures of Adam and Eve on either side. Inside the Cathedral is a ciborium over the main altar by Marko Andrijic, a gifted local stonemason. Below this lies a restored Tintoretto, with another piece – The Annunciation – in the southern nave of the Cathedral.
To the south of the Cathedral is the Abbey Treasury (Opatska Riznica), located in a building that was once the Bishop's Palace, built in the 17th century. There's a decent collection of artifacts, including church manuscripts from the 12th to 15th centuries, religious paintings, coins, pottery, and more.
The Town Museum (Gradski muzej) is located opposite the Cathedral, housed in the palace of the Gabrielis, a family local to Korcula. It is home to assorted collections from which you can learn more about the town's history.
Marco Polo's House (Kuca Marka Pola) – Korcula claims to be the birthplace of merchant and traveler Marco Polo; if he was not born in Korcula (Venice has always been the central place to call Marco Polo its son, although officially it's still somewhat of a mystery), then he certainly was prominent in the local area and surrounding seas. A family named Depolo certainly existed on the island; this actual house does not stem from the times of Marco Polo (but was built in the 17th century). However, it may still be worth a nosy around – at least to go up the watchtower for some great views.
One of Korcula's most famous "symbols" is the famous Moreska sword dance." Moorish" is the dance used to depict the battle between the Moors and the Christians. However, today is shown as a battle between a White King or Emperor and his followers (who are all dressed in red) and a Black King or Emperor, who has kidnapped the bride of the White King. The two leaders' armies do "battle," accompanied by music until the Black King surrenders. Performed weekly during summer, it is well worth a watch.
For wine lovers:
The Croatian island of Korčula is filled with stunning natural beauty and postcard-perfect landscapes. From a crumbling ancient old town to sparkling ocean and sleepy bays and beaches, visitors are in for a treat. While Korčula is a known holiday destination, it isn't anywhere near as crowded as other Croatian islands like the buzzy party spot of Hvar. That means you can enjoy the serene magnificence of the island without the hordes of travelers.
Aside from its beauty, Korčula is best known for its mouth-watering local wines. While it's possible to discover wine on every Croatian island, Korčula offers the very best in the country and is home to delicious varietals that you can't find anywhere else in the world.
If you enjoy sampling fine local wines surrounded by jaw-dropping scenery under the warm sun, then a visit to Korčula is a must-do. Get ready to discover what makes wine from Korčula so special, along with some of the best wineries on the island.
Korčula is best known for its tongue-tantalizing white wines. However red wine lovers mustn't fret, you'll find delicious red varietals on the island too.
The most popular varietal of the island's famous Lumbarda wine region is GRK. This indigenous white grape variety grows exclusively in the sprawling vineyards of the Lumbarda wine region, and it cannot be found anywhere else across the globe.
GRK's origins trace back to the third and fourth centuries BC when the Greeks took their vines over to Korcula. GRK is known for its slightly bitter aftertaste and the fact that it only has female flowering parts.
Posip is another white grape varietal native to Korčula. However, Posip mainly grows in the island's green valleys of Cara and Smokvica.
Similar to GRK, Posip is a dry wine with crisp acidity. The varietal was discovered in the mid to late 19th century, and it was one of the first white wines to be protected under Croatian law.
While these are two of the island's most renowned grape varietals, visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to sipping fine wines under the beaming Croatian sun.
The usual time for grape harvest on Korčula is mid to late August into September, depending on when the grapes are ripe, juicy, and ready to pluck. Weather also plays a significant part in harvest time because the grapes require plenty of sun without too much rain. However, this isn't usually a problem, as Croatia benefits from glorious warm and sunny weather during the summer months.
Keeping with tradition, all grapes are handpicked on the island. This is usually done by the winery family, local friends, and sometimes visitors to the island.
The best way to taste and learn more about the history and processing of the wines from Korčula is to embark on a wine tasting tour (ask us for more details). Every winery on the island is unique, and a tasting trip introduces you to some of the best venues to sample high-quality varietals.