What to see in Korcula in Dalmatia, how to get to the island of Croatia, description of the territory, coastal trend, what are the most beautiful beaches and bays.
Tourist information
Korcula, in Italian Korcula, is an island in Croatia located in central-southern Dalmatia.
It stretches east-west, not far from the mainland, while the narrow Peljesac Sabbioncello canal divides it from the peninsula of the same name.
The island is bathed in the north by the channel of Korcula, which separates it from the island of Lesina (Hvar), in the south by the channel of Lagosta which overlooks the island of the same name, in the east by the Adriatic Sea.
The island of Korcula is part, together with the islands of Lesina, Lissa and Lagosta, of the Curzolane archipelago, from which it takes its name.
The island is covered by the typical Mediterranean scrub, with vineyards, olive groves and meadows that make the landscape very varied.
Its coasts develop into a series of inlets, low and sheltered on the northern slope, at times steep and exposed to winds on the southern slope.
The largest and most protected bay is located in the western part of the island, where the port city of Vela Luka is located, surrounded by hills covered with olive groves.
The first inhabitants of the island were the Illyrians, an ancient population who inhabited the western part of the Balkan peninsula.
Various finds testify to their existence on the island before the Greeks arrived, whom I will call the island Korkyra Melaina (Black Corfu).
Later, Korcula, from a Greek colony, became part of the Roman province of Dalmatia, until the migrations of Slavic peoples in the seventh century.
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In the ninth century the island was populated by the Croats, then, starting from the eleventh century, it underwent the domination of the Republic of Venice, a period that left splendid architectural and cultural testimonies, the result of the encounter between east and west.
From 1102 to 1402 the Venetian domination was opposed by Hungary, which boasted rights over these lands, in fact Korcula was for a period under its dominion, before becoming part of the Republic of Dubrovnik until 1420, the year in which it returned under the Venetians.
In 1797, following the fall of Venice, Korcula suffered Austrian, French and English domination.
After the end of the First World War it became part of Yugoslavia and from 1991 of the Republic of Croatia.
The main city of the island is the homonymous Korcula.
Other places on the island are Lumbarda, Zrnovo, Racisce, Pupnat, Cara, Smokvica, Blato, Vela Luka and the small island of Virnik.
What see
– Korcula it is located in front of the Peljesac peninsula, in the north-eastern part of the island.
Its historic center, characterized by the Venetian Renaissance style, is surrounded by the remains of ancient walls.
Its topography is herringbone, with alleys and streets arranged in a fan shape, with the aim of protecting from the sun and wind.
This ingenious disposition was very useful in the past to quickly reach, in case of need, the defensive positions on the towers of the walls.
At the highest point of the town there is the Cathedral Square, which is overlooked by some beautiful white stone buildings and the magnificent Cathedral of San Marco, built in Renaissance Gothic style.
– Virnik is a small island easily accessible from the port of Korcula, by taxi-boats.
Famous for its stone quarries dating back to Roman times, it offers beautiful places where the sea is clear and blue.
– Lumbarda it is located about 6 km from the town of Korcula.
A very popular tourist resort, it stretches around a bay in the south-eastern part of the island, surrounded by vineyards and beautiful coves.
The city beaches are small and sandy.
The first to inhabit this area were the Greeks, followed by the Romans.
In the sixteenth century some nobles of the city of Korcula, in search of tranquility, had their summer houses, villas and stately homes built in Renaissance and Gothic style.
The best known local product is the wine made from the Grk grape.
– Zrnovo it is one of the oldest settlements on the island of Korcula.
There are numerous small churches and old houses.
In the hilly area of Brdo, continuing to reach Kocje, an area of high landscape value, ideal for walking among high rocks.
– Racisce is a village founded in the seventeenth century by refugees from Herzegovina and the Makarska riviera, fled by the Turks, surrounded by beautiful beaches and coves.
– Pupnat it is a small town that is located along the main road, in the hilly part of the island.
– Dear is an ancient village of wine growers, located 25 km from Korcula on the main road that crosses the island.
It rises on the southern side of a hill, at the base of which lies a fertile plain cultivated with vineyards, from which the famous local wine Posip is obtained.
– Smokvica is a locality located about 30 km from Korcula.
It stands on the southern side of a hill on the edge of extensive vineyards from which the aforementioned Posip wine is obtained.
The history of Smokvica dates back to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when the slave populations of the mainland arrived here to defend themselves from the attacks of the Turks.
– Blato is a town located in the interior of the island, which can be reached by following the main Korcula-Vela Luka road.
Economic center of the island, it develops like an amphitheater on some hills around a small valley.
The city is known for a famous sword dance, the Kumpanija.
– Vela Luka it is located on the west coast of the island, in a protected bay, where the port is located, surrounded by hills covered with vineyards and olive groves.
Along the beautiful jagged coast there are bays and numerous islets.
Very interesting destinations are the islands of Osjak and Proizd.
Vela Luka is the ideal place for those who love water sports.
In the area surrounding Kale bay, there are marine mud sediments and a source of thermal water.
Here is the Kalos healing center.
How to get
To get to the island of Korcula, you can take the ferry from Split or Orebic (Peljesac Peninsula).
An express service ferry line connects Korcula with the cities of the Dalmatian coast Dubrovnik (Ragusa), Split (Split), with the capital of the same name on the island of Hvar (Hvar) and with Rijeka (River).
A daily ferry service connects the port of Vela Luka to Split / Split and Lastovo / Lagosta.
There are bus lines that connect all the various locations on the island.
