Neither near nor far. At 40 nautical miles from Split and the surrounding coast, Korčula lies within easy reach of seamen and of anyone chartering a boat from the local marinas. Those setting out from Dubrovnik have almost the same distance to cover.
And yet, those heading off on a week-long summer cruise generally spend no more than a day or two by the island. Korčula deserves far more. Its coastline is woven from unquestionable beauty: compelling, varied and wonderfully accommodating to those who approach it by sea. The eastern shore, with a true miniature archipelago scattered before Town of Korčula and Lumbarda, offers the most rewarding cruising. Just as lovely is the Bay of Vela Luka, with Proizd and Ošjak, while the Pelješac Channel is shaped by powerful maestral, tramontana and jugo winds. Then comes the south-western coast, from Tri Luke to Brna, where those in search of solitude will find exactly what they came for. Korčula also has a vivid, living interior, and it is well worth venturing inland.
Town of Korčula
Korčula is one of the loveliest towns on the Croatian coast, a place where one never tires of lingering. Its historic quarter, enclosed by walls and towers on a peninsula, has an atmosphere entirely its own. Wandering through lanes laid out like the bones of a fish is an experience in itself. Brimming with little taverns, cafés, shops and museums, they hum with life. The cathedral and the museum opposite are essential visits; given the chance, climb the bell tower for a sweeping view over the Old Town and the archipelago beyond. Beside the cathedral stands the newly refurbished Marco Polo Centre, dedicated to the great traveller whose family came from Korčula and owned the house in which the centre is located.
One More Berth
Seamen find the town’s magic equally hard to resist, and in high season its quays are crowded, making a berth difficult to find. The safest option is ACI Marina. Transit berths are always in short supply, so booking and paying in advance is wise – especially on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when charter crews arrive in force. The outer side of the breakwater, exposed to the levant and the bura, is usually reserved for larger yachts and the occasional gulet.
The remaining quays are occupied by mini-cruise ships, sometimes 10 or more moored abreast, and large yachts moored stern-to. If the marina is full, the best option is to continue to Luka Bay, also known as Porto Uš, drop anchor and take a stern line ashore. The bay is safe and close to town, yet secluded. A small municipal harbour lies on its northern shore, and there may be room along its outer wall. As elsewhere around the island, the port authority charges for anchoring, even in coves without mooring buoys.
Dalmatian Feast
Wherever you have found a safe berth, the next question is how to arrange your day. We are on holiday, after all, when time is measured from one meal to the next. In recent years Korčula has undergone something of a culinary renaissance. The town is full of restaurants. Many, naturally, are conventional places aimed at tourists, but a growing number stand distinctly above the rest.
The change began with the opening of the luxurious boutique hotel Lešić Dimitri Palace and its restaurant, where chef Marko Gajski has set new standards in fine dining. Standards that have earned the restaurant its first Michelin star. The effect has been wholly beneficial, encouraging others to raise their game and seek a voice of their own. In a remarkably short time, Adio Mare, one of the town’s oldest restaurants and one that has weathered some less distinguished years, has found a new lease of life. Nigra has appeared on the scene, while Filippi has earned a Michelin recommendation. Each of these restaurants, and they are not alone, offers the kind of meal that leaves you genuinely happy.
We were particularly taken with Nigra, founded only 7 years ago, where young chef Karlo Moretti interprets local ingredients in his own distinctive way, following a path that may well lead towards still greater culinary heights. Add an excellent wine selection – Nigra is also a wine bar – exemplary service and a secluded setting overlooking the town, and there is little more one could ask for.
Do not miss a visit to Smiljana Matijaca and her Cukarin pastry shop, tucked into a lane some 50 metres from Plokata, the town’s main square. This is the place to sample traditional Korčula sweets: klašuni, cukarini, bombice, amaretti and harubice. A visit to Cukarin is also an opportunity to catch up on local news, for Mrs Matijaca knows it all and shares it generously.
Dance and Culture
Fortified by the delicious energy of klašuni or cukarini, you can venture back into the life of the town. From April to October, the Moreška sword dance is performed in memory of the island’s defence against the Algerian commander Uluç Ali. Do not miss a performance at the open-air cinema beside the town walls. Once danced throughout the Mediterranean, Moreška survives today only on Korčula. Afterwards, especially if you are young, or merely feel that way, continue the evening in one of the town’s cocktail bars or clubs.
Vino Vitae
If you have followed our advice and stayed for several days, hire a car for a day and explore the island’s interior. Žrnovo is only 3 kilometres away, while Pupnat and the celebrated wine-growing villages of Čara and Smokvica are also well worth the drive. This part of the island will surprise you with its beauty: stone houses, vineyard-filled fields, accomplished winemakers and, most importantly, thriving local communities.
Korčula, the most populous island in the Adriatic, has preserved life in all its settlements, largely thanks to wine. Around thirty winemakers now bottle and label their own wines, and many deserve a visit. The island is best known as the birthplace of Pošip, for Grk grown in Lumbarda’s sandy soil and, increasingly, for Plavac Mali.
Visit Mate in Pupnat
On the way back, stop for dinner at Konoba Mate in Pupnat where booking well ahead is essential. It is worth visiting for the atmosphere, the warmth of the welcome and, above all, the superb traditional food, often prepared with a spark of imagination. Mate and Mirjana Farac founded the konoba at the beginning of the millennium to make the most of everything grown and raised on their farm. Word quickly spread, the menu expanded to include the catch of local fishermen, and their children are gradually taking over the business. Particularly their daughter Biljana, while their son Matija has devoted himself to the M.a.t.e. beach bar in Pupnatska Luka. Their work has earned them a Michelin Green Star for sustainable and ethical practices, as well as a Bib Gourmand for excellent value.
Stupe and Badija
Once you have had your fill of the town, at least 3 more places await by sea. The lagoon enclosed by Vele Stupe, Male Stupe, Majsan and several reefs is among the loveliest in the Adriatic. Small boats and shallow-draught sailing yachts can enter, while deeper-draught vessels may anchor west of Majsan. The owners of the restaurant and beach bar on Stupe have laid a dozen mooring buoys, making it possible to stay overnight. Provided you do not mind the loud music drifting across from the islet.
The best-known swimming anchorage lies off the southern shore of Badija, an island famed for its Franciscan monastery. Take the opportunity to walk around it and step inside the Church of Our Lady of Mercy and the Chapel of the Holy Cross. They still breathe the peace of the late 14th century, when the Friars Minor began building here. Badija, the islet of Planjak and the Baretica reef enclose a sandy lagoon 4-5 metres deep, filled with crystal-clear turquoise water. It is a popular swimming spot, crowded by day with yachts and small boats whose crews generally return to Korčula as evening approaches.
Vrnik
Not quite a nautical mile south of the lagoon lies Vrnik. After Badija, it is the largest of the škoji, the little islands strewn before Korčula’s eastern shore. Numerous passages run between them, though shallows and reefs demand care. Vrnik is worth visiting for the atmosphere of its silent quarries, the remembered rhythm of stonemasons’ hammers and a shore of perfect white pebbles, fragments of discarded stone rounded by the sea.
Another compelling reason to visit is lunch, or simply a drink, at Pero Lozica’s Vrnik Arts Club. In the former village school, which closed in the 1950s, he has created a small restaurant and lounge bar and furnished several guest rooms. One classroom remains complete with its original period furniture; the other hosts exhibitions.
He brought together accomplished chef Darko Vlašić and local cook Neda Karapandža, who have created an inspired menu and a style of cooking that gives traditional dishes and ingredients a personal, contemporary inflection. They prepare fish, knead their own dough, make risottos and bake bread; meat lovers can also order aged steaks or simply boiled dishes in the Dalmatian tradition.
Four mooring buoys are available below Vrnik, or, more precisely, off neighbouring Kamenjak. If you would rather not sail out to the islets and then return to the marina, you can always rely on one of the many boatmen carrying passengers from the quay opposite the marina. The restaurants on Stupe and Vrnik also arrange transport for their guests.
Lumbarda
Another large and picturesque settlement lies on Korčula’s eastern shore. Lumbarda is known for eminent Croatian sculptors, generations of master stonemasons and the celebrated, heady white wine Grk. It is surrounded by fields and vineyards. You can berth here and remain for a day or two, enjoying the village’s tranquillity. Its marina is small but newly refurbished and can accommodate vessels up to 30 metres. If no berth is available, anchor in Lumbarajsko Račišće Bay. Those partial to generous servings of fish and meat can take the tender to Konoba Gavuni, known for reliably good food at moderate prices.
One visit that should not be missed is to winemaker Frano Milina Bire, who made his name with Grk and later with Plavac Mali. He successfully matures his wines in oak barrels and is one of the very few producers to do so with Grk. The place itself deserves to be experienced: a beautiful contemporary winery, arranged with restraint and a deep feeling for tradition. Many make a pilgrimage here to enjoy Grk and Plavac Mali with prosciutto, goat’s cheese and, on occasion, Korčula-style makaruni pasta or meat and vegetables cooked under the peka bell. And to share in the warmth and good energy radiated by Frano and his family. Nearby is Zure, the restaurant run by the Batistić family, where the fish has been caught by the owner and is served with his award-winning premium wines.
Pržina Bay, already on the island’s southern shore, also belongs to Lumbarda. It is Korčula’s best-known bathing spot, with a yellowish-red sandy beach stretching across the head of a bay open to the south-west. Seamen anchor here alongside swimmers and spend the day in the water. When no southerly or south-westerly wind is blowing, a few boats may also pass a peaceful night here, usually in the shelter of Cape Ražnjić.
The Northern Coast
Vrbovica and Kneža
Most boats pass Korčula along its northern coast, the route taken by everyone heading towards Vis, Hvar or Split. Yet few seamen, intent on reaching their destination as quickly as possible, pause in any of its coves or harbours. Most lie along the Pelješac Channel, 7 miles long and generally less than a mile wide, where the sea can become rough. Sailing through it leaves a vivid impression. On one side rises Pelješac, with the old captains’ villages of Kučišće and Viganj, the tiny Church of St. John high on a crag above the sea and, beneath it, Croatia’s first Zinfandel vineyards. If the maestral has filled in, as it usually has by midday, you will find windsurfers and kitesurfers racing all around you, for this is one of their favourite places.
On the Korčula side, you first pass the vast construction site of the new ferry port at Polačište, followed by Luka Banja and Vrbovica Bay. Unfortunately, extensive building around both bays has greatly diminished their appeal, although anchoring remains possible. Kneža is a far lovelier choice, in the small sandy lagoon behind the islets of Mala and Vela Kneža. By day it fills with small boats and yachts; when they leave at dusk, it becomes romantic once more, and you may have the anchorage almost to yourself.
Račišće
A 1.5 miles farther west lies Račišće, one of the island’s loveliest villages. Old sea captains’ houses encircle the bay. Small cruise ships now usually occupy the stone pier and breakwater quay, but if you find a berth, or choose to anchor, you will enjoy a respite from the usual nautical and tourist crowds. The villagers are seafarers to this day, and tourism is not their principal occupation.
Prigradica
Continuing west, you pass a succession of small and attractive coves, but one place should not be missed. For decades Prigradica served as a wine-loading port, and passenger ships sailed from here as well. Those days are gone. Apart from the scheduled catamaran, an occasional yacht and a fishing boat, vessels rarely enter the harbour of this picturesque village. A pier more than 100 metres long, topped by a high breakwater wall, protects the 300-metre quay along the bay’s south-eastern shore. Boats may lie alongside the section of breakwater not used by the ferry service, and there may also be room along the quay between local boats. There are no larger settlements before Vraca Passage, 8 miles away, but the coast is fretted with coves, several of which – Tankaraca, Žukova and Prihodnja among them – offer pleasant places to pause.
The Southern Coast
Pupnatska Luka
Sailing west from Pržina along the southern coast, you enter waters entirely unlike those between Town of Korčula and Lumbarda. The nearshore islets disappear, the coast rises higher and steeper, and every mile or two another cove opens before you. Most hold a lovely shingle beach and perhaps a house or two. Before Pupnatska Luka, 8 miles away, the larger coves are Rasohatica, Pavja Luka, Orlanduša and Bačvica. Anchoring is possible in all of them, but none is suitable for a longer stay. For that, wait until Pupnatska Luka.
At the head of this bay, which reaches some 500 metres inland, lies the most beautiful beach on the island. Once almost deserted, the cove has been inundated by daytime bathers in recent years. Inevitably, the usual summer enterprises have followed: parking charges, sun loungers beneath straw parasols and all that goes with them. Yet, a cove this beautiful is hard to spoil. At least until large-scale construction begins. Anchor a little farther out and you will scarcely notice the bustle ashore. Alongside the M.a.t.e. beach bar already mentioned is Konoba Mijo, where those staying overnight can enjoy an early dinner.
Zavalatica
The next sizeable settlement is Zavalatica. Sadly, unlike most places on the island, its houses were built with little restraint or feeling for beauty, irreversibly disrupting the harmony of the old village. Zavalatica is the harbour of Čara, a wine-growing village 3 kilometres inland. The well-sheltered bay is further protected from the west by an old pier and breakwater some 40 metres long, where a berth may be found. This is the perfect opportunity to visit Luka Krajančić’s winery, only a few hundred metres away; those eager to stretch their legs can continue to Čara and the Nerica winery, owned by Jakša Krajančić.
Brna
Brna is the largest harbour on the island’s entire southern coast, though it receives relatively few visiting yachts. It consists of 2 bays. Istruga, sheltered from every wind, has no substantial landing place; Brna offers considerably more options for berthing and anchoring. Boats can berth at the landing stage or on the pierhead, while anchoring is possible in the centre of the bay. There is little in the village by way of attractions, apart from the charming Konoba Mali Jakov. A good road connects Brna with Smokvica, 3.5 kilometres inland. Brna serves as the harbour of this second wine-growing village, where visitors generally call at one of several wineries, the best known being Toreta.
West of Brna, a chain of islets makes the coast more intriguing and offers places to anchor for a swim, particularly in the summer maestral. Crklica, Sridnjak and Vrhovnjak are especially appealing. Several settlements lie on the opposite shore, sadly disfigured beyond repair by monstrous overdevelopment. Prižba is the starkest example: once a small village in a magnificent setting, it has lost everything that made it so.
Two Pržnjaks and Three Bays
Sail on through the Bay Karbuni to the little lagoon between Veli and Mali Pržnjak, one of those places that make life, and sailing, worthwhile. Spend the day swimming here; in settled weather, you can also remain at anchor overnight.
The last, and perhaps most charming, stretch on this side of the island is Tri Luke – Three Bays. All 3 are suitable for an overnight stay, offering excellent shelter from westerly winds and the bura, while the islands of Trstenik, Mali and Veli Pržnjak and Lukovac protect them from a strong jugo. This was once an almost empty coast, with houses only in the easternmost bay; holiday homes and villas have since spread into the other two. In the westernmost reaches, beside the rocks of Cape Ključ, you can still enjoy silence and swimming, usually in the company of only a few boats.
Proizd and Vela Luka
At last we reach the deep Bay of Vela Luka, with its anchorages, marinas and quayside berths. But in the usual summer maestral, call first at Proizd. The loveliest choice is to anchor in one of the small coves on the island’s northern shore, then stretch out on beaches of large white pebbles or on the broad stone slabs for which Proizd is known. Perhaps the finest is Batalo, the easternmost cove, where locals arrive by boat for an excursion, a swim and a leisurely day in the sun. After a day spent there, Vela Luka is an excellent place for the night.
Its waterfront lies a full 4 miles inside the bay. The shoreline is deeply indented, and 2 names are especially meaningful to anyone entering by boat. The first is Gradina Bay, protected by the islets of Sv. Ivan and Gubeša, a home to a concessioned mooring field. The second is Ošjak, the wooded island celebrated in song, about halfway into the bay. It has no landing place for anything but excursion boats and local craft, so those wishing to stay must anchor in its lee.
Since Marina Korkyra was built, Vela Luka has become more attractive to visiting yachts. Though modest in size, with only 130 berths, it is neat, has a pleasant restaurant and usually offers a better chance of finding space than the town quay, most of which is occupied by excursion boats and passenger launches, or the dozen or so buoys in the Kale inlet.
Vela Luka may have no Renaissance heart, but it is a delightful place to stay. During the sailing season it is lively and cheerful. There are plenty of cafés, and the long waterfront makes for a lovely stroll. Finding a truly good meal can be more difficult, although the marina restaurant and Konoba Bata are certainly worth recommending. The local museum, with its collection of important sculpture, also deserves a visit.
Few Croatians are unaware that God blessed the people of Vela Luka with an extraordinary ear and voice. Song and music can be heard on every corner, while Branko Žuvela’s Sjećanje na Velu Luku –Memories of Vela Luka is one of the most beloved songs ever dedicated to a place.
A stay in Vela Luka should include a visit to Blato, 4 kilometres away. Set on the edge of the fertile Blato Plain, it is often, and unjustly, described as the largest village in the interior of the Adriatic islands. Yet despite its agricultural heritage, Blato is anything but a village. It is a true small town, given its urban character by narrow lanes, a tree-lined avenue, a park, a church with a tall bell tower and a spacious square with a loggia.
WORDS: Braslav Karlić
PHOTOGRAPHY: Mladen Šćerbe, Marin Srzić
