Korčula island
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Korčula island travel guide

Quiet coves, olive groves and sandy beaches... It's our essential travel guide to Korčula island

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As you travel to Korčula from the mainland nearby, the crowded little houses on the edge of the island seem to be pushing each other out of the way to see if you are friend or foe. Holding them in, stern medieval walls centrepieced by the slim belltower of St Mark’s Cathedral stand guard over the narrow Pelješac Channel, protecting the riches contained on the sixth largest island in the Croatian Adriatic. So lush with dark pine forests, vineyards and olive groves the ancient Greek settlers called it Korkyra Melaina (‘Black Corfu’), Korčula has managed to avoid the tourist trap tendencies of its original Greek namesake to the south.

No longer fought over by Turk or Venetian, by French or Austrian, by Partisan or German, Korčula is one of Dalmatia’s most relaxing getaways. The main town of the same name, set on the north-eastern tip of the island opposite the Pelješac peninsula, has one of the best-preserved medieval centres in the Adriatic. Historic Korčula is therefore the most popular south-Dalmatian destination after the more crowded Dubrovnik, with which it is often compared.

RECOMMENDED: More great travel destinations in Croatia.

Heading to Korčula island?

Korčula events

Korčula events

Throughout Summer various music, theatre, film, gastronomy and sporting events take place. Here's our pick.

Food and drink on Korčula island

Around Korčula island

Korčula town area guide

Korčula town area guide

Abound with rustic charm, the medieval settlement of Korčula town has a year-round appeal. The palm-lined streets and ancient surrounding walls regularly...

Lumbarda area guide

Lumbarda area guide

Arranged around a series of small bays, the village of Lumbarda, 6km from Korčula town, is thought to be the oldest settlement on the island. A stone...

Žrnovo area guide

Žrnovo area guide

Spread across the hills above Korčula town, Žrnovo is a sprawling settlement made up of several distinct villages, Prvo Selo, Brdo, Postrana and Kampus, each...

Račišče area guide

Račišče area guide

Twelve kilometres west of Korčula town, Račišče is a picturesque port spread around a broad bay. Overlooking the shore is the Church of St Mary the Helper, and...

Pupnat area guide

Pupnat area guide

The village of Pupnat is a typical wine and vegetable-growing community set at the side of a small but fertile plain. To the south of Pupnat at the bottom of a...

Čara area guide

Čara area guide

Like near-neighbour Pupnat, the village of Čara hovers above a broad agricultural plain whose vineyards produce some of the island’s best Pošip grapes. The...

Smokvica area guide

Smokvica area guide

Smokvica is one of the most picturesque of Korčula’s inland settlements, its red-tiled houses spilling down a hillside overlooking fields that produce some...

Blato area guide

Blato area guide

Once the biggest settlement on the island (a status now enjoyed by Vela Luka), Blato was once an important agricultural centre, exporting its wine and olives...

Vela Luka area guide

Vela Luka area guide

Occupying an irregular-shaped bay at the western end of the island, Vela Luka is the island’s main port for car ferries to Split and Lastovo. Founded by the...

Trpanj area guide

Trpanj area guide

Not so long ago, Trpanj was home to only fishermen and mariners. Laid back and full of charm, Trpanj still has that small village feel, but now attracts...

Where to stay on Korčula island

Hotel Korčula

Hotel Korčula

  • price 3 of 4

This landmark opened in 1912. Behind its pristine, palm-lined exterior lie 22 careworn rooms that were last renovated in the early Eighties and haven’t...

Hotel Korkyra

Hotel Korkyra

  • price 3 of 4

Vela Luka’s old harbourside hotel has been more or less totally rebuilt to provide a home for this new, beautifully-designed four star, with cool, contemporary...

Lešić-Dimitri Palace Korčula

Lešić-Dimitri Palace Korčula

  • price 4 of 4

Quality five-star representing the pinnacle of luxury in Korčula, located in a beautifully renovated 18th-century bishop’s palace and five medieval cottages,...

Wineries on Korčula Island

Bire Winery

Bire Winery

Winemaker Frano Milina-Bire enjoys a growing reputation for producing some of the best Grk  on Korčula, and his visitor-friendly winery, occupying a hillside...

Toreta Winery

Toreta Winery

A family business at least four generations, Toreta winery is just below the main street that leads through Smokvica. There's a display of wine-pressing...

Popić Winery

Popić Winery

A family winery offering Lumbarda Grk to taste and for sale, as well as a intriguing barrique Plavac.

Krajančić Winery

Krajančić Winery

Luka Krajančić is one of Korčula's most enterprising contemporary wine makers, producing individually crafted Pošip wines that can hold their own with...