;On the beautiful island of Korkula in Croatia one really gets to wondering: but can the sea water really have such green hues? The answer is: YES. The island of Korkula has the greenest and cleanest sea water I have ever seen, especially at its most renowned beach: Pupnatska Luka on the south/west coast of the island.
If you have come to this article, you are gathering information about what to do on Korkula Island, where to stay, and which beaches are worth the trip ticket, so let’s see if I can help you…
Why choose Korkula Island?
Let’s start right away with getting the doubts out of the way. Korkula Island is worth a whole trip.
When I make a travel itinerary or plan a trip (you might be interested in: how to organize a trip yourself) I always inquire a lot; in this case, inquiring about the various islands in Croatia is quite a mess. How many are there, 100? 200? …some people talk about over 1000, you can well understand how choosing one is difficult.
In devising my road trip itinerary between Slovenia and Croatia the prerogative was to choose two medium-sized islands connected by ferry, where I would spend 3/4 nights on each. Korkula was the perfect choice. Only a few kilometers from Dubrovnik, it also allowed me to avoid passing over Bosnian territory again as I returned to Croatian soil via ferry from Vela Luka to Split.
By the way, if you are interested in learning more about how to move by ferry between Croatian islands, I recommend reading this article of mine: by ferry between the islands of Croatia.
Coming to the point: the island of Korkula, which measures about 40 km in length and 5 in width, also has a beautiful village “Korkula town” that I recommend you visit every evening when it gets very romantic (although very expensive).
Where is the island of Kurkola located?
It is located in southern Croatia, in southern Dalmatia, off the peninsula Peljesac. If yours will be a road trip itinerary and you will also visit Dubrovnik, you will probably have to travel many kilometers before you reach it. It is certainly not as accessible as other islands closer to the Italian peninsula.
How to get around its interior?
The best way is by car. In these places, moving around by car or motorcycle is always the most suitable choice. Beware, however, of the parking aspect. In fact, especially in the main town it will be quite complex to find free places. The advice is not to try to park at all costs in the vicinity, but to consider walking a few steps in order to avoid unnecessary stress.
Where to sleep on the island of Korkula in Croatia
Unless you feel like going out in the evening, I recommend staying near the island’s major settlements, viz Korcula, Lumbarda e Vela Luka.
When choosing a hotel, I suggest you consider one that also has indoor parking, so that you can leave your car in the hotel parking lot and walk downtown without going crazy looking for parking. It’s better to pay slightly more for the hotel than to invest the same money in fines and/or stress from the endless search for a parking space.
For this reason I recommend the hotel where I stayed. A hotel just a few hundred meters from the center of Korcula. It has two beautiful, large swimming pools and a large terrace overlooking the sea and Curzola. I would say perfect.
You can find it here -> Hotel Marko Polo (CLICK to see the hotel)
If you prefer peace and quiet, however, you could opt for Lumbarda (HERE you will find the hotels) or for Vela Luka (HERE for hotels).
How to reach the island of Korčula?
There are no other ways but the ferry. The island of Curzola, that’s its name in Italian, is located only 15 minutes by ferry from the Peljesac peninsula and about 3 hours from Split. The two Jadrolinija routes are very convenient and connect the two main towns on the island, Curzola and Vela Luka.
These were the routes I used, coming from Dubrovnik.
From Dubrovnik/Peninsula Peljesac to the island of Korkula and vice versa
If you are visiting Dubrovnik or otherwise accessing the island of Korkula from the Peljesac Peninsula, you will need to reach Orebic. From the pier of this small village on the south coast of the peninsula, you can get to Korkula via a small ferry.
Only 15 minutes each way. You see 43 minutes in the picture, but that is simply because Google (for now) does not calculate the ferry. The route is OREBIĆ -> DOMINČE.
If, on the other hand, you will be in Dalmatia and would still like to avoid Bosnian territory, you can take the ferry PLOČE -> TRPANJ (Peljesac), continue a few kilometers into the peninsula and then take the ferry mentioned earlier.
Costs: 13 kuna (€1.70) for an adult and 63 kuna (€8.50) for a car under 2 meters high and 5 meters long.
Tickets: you can get them online (recommended), or even on site. I made them on site at the time. Although it was August, I found no problems except for the queue before boarding the ferry. There is a ferry every hour or so.
From the island of Korkula to Split and back
I really enjoyed being able to return from Korkula directly to Split. Those of you who have read some of my articles in the past will know that I like to travel ontheroad routes without driving the same route again. It gives me the idea of freedom of choice and, most importantly, allows me to always see new sights.
In the case of the return from Korkula to the Croatian mainland, I had the option of taking the ferry to Split.(VELA LUKA -> SPLIT). I took it to return, but for those of you arriving in Split from Italy, taking the ferry Split -> Korkula might be the perfect choice.
Costs: 50 kuna (€6.70) for an adult and 375 kuna (€50) for a car under 2 meters high and 5 meters long. For further measurements, I recommend viewing the costs of each route on the Jadrolinija website.
Tickets: in this case I did it online. Given the longer route and only two daily departures (ferry), I preferred to be guaranteed to get on the ship.
What to do on the island of Korkula?
You’ll be on an island, so trivially: beaches by day and stroll through the town center in the evening. Beach life and just the right amount of social life.
Main cities on the island
The main towns on the island of Korkula are Korčula, Lumbarda and Vela Luka. The latter geographically at the opposite extreme of the former. Most lived-in town is clearly Curzola, and I recommend you consider it for the evening.
It is indeed a very pretty little town. It stands on a hill that juts out into the sea. The main center is protected by walls, in fact Curzola represents the typical medieval town of Dalmatia. When you walk inside, you will notice how the town has been structured in a herringbone pattern so as to let the cool mistral winds enter freely and limit the impact of the bora during the winter phase.
You will appreciate it in the evening, when the lights give it a very romantic atmosphere. Very wide choice on restaurants, but…watch out for the prices.
Beaches
Sand beaches, pebble beaches, on Korkula Island you can find both types. The water is fantastic everywhere. Being spoiled for choice is sometimes not good. So, I like to be blunt and recommend the ones that, in my opinion, you should not miss.
Vela Przina
In the Lumbarda area. This is one of the most visited beaches on the island, so I recommend that you do not arrive too late to avoid the usual crowds. The beach is sandy and is perfect for families as the seabed slopes very slowly and children can enjoy themselves without absolutely no problem. There is also the possibility to rent umbrellas and arrange it to your liking.
Pupnatska Luka
I think it is the most beautiful pebble beach (although it is more pebbles) I have ever seen. I swear that when you get to the beach you can’t understand how it can be so green and clean. You will want to go back there every day.
Getting to the beach is not so easy, but if you set your navigator you will get there without much trouble. You will have to go down a path, however, so I do not recommend it if you have motor problems. There are umbrellas and sunbeds that you can rent, also I suggest you rent a kayak for half an hour and push yourself to see the bay from the sea.
There is not much more to add, you just have to look at the following photographs and then dash off to book a ticket to Korkula.
