Things to do in Korčula
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Korčula
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months. Warm sea, everything open, Moreska running, rates and crowds below peak. September adds harvest and Baroque Festival.
Peak. Hottest and busiest, most expensive, full festival calendar and every boat running. Booking ahead is non negotiable.
Shoulder. May is green with hiking and cycling at their best. October brings harvest, quiet towns and a still swimmable sea early on.
Worst for a beach holiday. Many hotels and tours close, catamarans thin out and the bura can be fierce.
What's on
- Half New Year 30 June to 1 July
Masked carnival celebrating the midpoint of the year, with street parties in costume.
- Marco Polo Festival mid-July
Wine and song festival in the old town streets over about three days.
- Feast of St. Theodore 29 July
Feast of Sveti Todor, town patron, with the full traditional Moreska performance.
- Pošip Days late July
Open cellars days in the Posip villages of Cara and Smokvica with producers pouring.
- Korkyra Baroque Festival Usually late August to mid September
Early music festival in the cathedral, palace courtyards and island churches.
- Grape Harvest September
Working harvest season in Smokvica, Cara and Lumbarda. Ask locally to visit a winery.
- Olive Harvest late Oct to Nov
Olive harvest season, participation by local invitation rather than a ticketed festival.
Best things to do in Korčula
Korčula Old Town
Walk the fishbone lanes at dawn for stone, bells and cats before the day boats arrive.
St. Mark's Cathedral
Small Gothic Renaissance cathedral with a bell tower climb for the best red roof view in town.
Moreška Sword Dance
Korcula's hereditary two sword dance, performed by town families to live music in costume.
Pupnatska Luka
Deep green sheltered cove with clear water, pine shade and snorkelling along the rocks.
Vela Pržina
Rare real sand in Croatia with shallow warm entry that suits kids and nervous swimmers.
Bilin Žal
North facing Lumbarda sand beach with clearer water and a better sunset than Vela Przina.
Badija Island
Franciscan monastery islet with tame deer, pine shade and swimming all round the shore.
Vrnik Island
Tiny former stonemasons village islet, quieter than its neighbours and loved for its konoba.
Where to stay in Korčula
Korčula Old Town and harbourfront
first trip, couples, food, no car
Everything within a ten minute walk, with ferry landings, water taxis and the restaurant row at hand.
Sveti Nikola and Borak
swimmers, repeat visitors, calmer base
Flat coastal walk west of the walls with swimming platforms and the best view back at the old town.
Luka Korčulanska and Port 9 area
families who want a resort, pool and beach club
Larger resort hotels and organised beach east of town, with a coastal path and water taxi into town.
Lumbarda
beach first trips, wine trips, families with a car, longer stays
Wine village with the island only real sandy beaches, family wineries and a slower local rhythm.
Vela Luka
second trip, sailing, divers, less polished base
Working port town in the west with Vela Spila and Proizd on the doorstep and cheaper local life.
Inland villages Žrnovo, Pupnat, Smokvica and Čara
agriturismo stays, wine and olive country, total quiet, with a car
Stone houses, family farms, konobas and Posip vineyards, beautiful and completely car dependent.
Think twice about
- Dominče and the car ferry port area
Functional port and road junction with no village, beach or evening life. Fine to arrive at, miserable to sleep in.
- Main island road D118 ribbon outside towns
Scattered apartments on a busy, partly unlit road with no pavement in stretches. Marketed walking times are drives.
- Isolated south coast coves without a car
Lovely houses near Prižba and Brna with one or two restaurants and no transport. Book only if isolation is the point.
- Inside the old town with mobility limits
Steep stepped alleys and properties rarely have lifts. Choose the flat harbourfront or Borak instead.
Best restaurants in Korčula
LD Restaurant
One-star tasting menu from island ingredients on a sea terrace inside the walls.
Filippi
Fine dining terrace over the channel, known for Zrnovski makaruni and Adriatic fish.
Konoba Mate
Great-value family konoba making its own charcuterie, goat cheese, ravioli and house wine.
Aterina
Most reviewed old town restaurant, seafood forward with homemade pasta and grilled fish.
Pensatore Kitchen & Wine
Deli wine bar turned kitchen for contemporary small plates and local wines by the glass.
Konoba Belin
Family konoba with garden terrace, Zrnovski makaruni and generous village priced cooking.
Nigra Kitchen & Wine
Small deck over the water looking back at the lit old town, the romantic mid range dinner.
Maha Bar
Burger and bar joint in a stone vault with vegan options, fair prices and friendly chaos.
Best bars in Korčula
Bokar Wine Bar
Wine bar in a former tower space pouring island wines by the glass with small plates.
Wine and Tapas Bar Lole
Tiny personal wine and tapas bar, the highest rated food listing in the old town.
Massimo Cocktail Bar
Cocktail bar built into Zakerjan Tower, one drink for the sunset view then move on.
Outdoor things to do in Korčula
Bits of History Kayak Tour
Half day paddle round the islets with swim stops, island history and a wine and snacks finish.
Sunset Kayaking Lumbarda
Evening paddle and swim ending with a shore picnic of local wine and sweets at sunset.
Korčula Bike & Wine Tour
Cycle coastal and vineyard lanes to Lumbarda, taste Grk where it grows, then ride back.
Bire Winery
Benchmark Grk producer in Lumbarda, cash only and often busy, so call ahead before visiting.
Lovrić Winery
Small family run Lumbarda winery for a quieter Grk tasting on the village lanes.
Cebalo Winery
Small family run Lumbarda winery pouring Grk close to where the vines grow in sand.
Toreta Winery
Smokvica winery for Posip in a hilltop setting above the central island vineyards.
Black Island Winery
Smokvica winery for Posip, the island first protected white wine, above the vineyards.
Best hotels in Korčula
Lešić Dimitri Palace
Six residence palace inside the walls with spa and private boat, the island flagship stay.
Aminess Younique Korčula Heritage Hotel
Grand 1920s harbourfront hotel at the old town gate with sea view rooms and easy arrival.
Hotel Korsal
Small harbourfront hotel west of the walls, beach across the street and five minutes to the gate.
Aminess Liburna Hotel
Larger harbourfront hotel east of the walls with pool, sea view balconies and a flat walk in.
Fabris Luxury Inn
Small design led inn in a historic stone building in the old town lanes, full of character.
Zuviteo Residence
Stylish small residence inside the walls praised for design and personal service.
Tara's Lodge
Small lodge on the quiet bay with a well reviewed bistro for dinner on site.
Dragan's Den Hostel
Best known hostel just outside the walls, dorms and privates with a social terrace.
Is Korčula expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €75 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €165 a person |
| Splurge | €350 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Moreška Sword Dance: a few days ahead
- Bits of History Kayak Tour: a few days ahead
- Bire Winery: a few days ahead
- Lešić Dimitri Palace: months ahead
- Aminess Younique Korčula Heritage Hotel: months ahead
- Hotel Korsal: months ahead
- Aminess Liburna Hotel: months ahead
- Fabris Luxury Inn: months ahead
- Summer catamarans sell out, especially Friday and Sunday sailings that connect with flights. Buy the specific sailing early.
- Small properties with five to fifteen rooms sell out for July and August by spring. Book accommodation second.
- Book LD Restaurant and Konoba Mate before other restaurants, and Moreska tickets a day or two early in peak weeks.
- Book rental cars for July and August, and one main excursion for your preferred day.
Is Korčula safe?
- Low crime small island and the town feels safe late at night. Emergency number 112.
- Sea urchins on rocky entries. Wear water shoes and shuffle rather than stepping blindly.
- Sun and heat burn fast on trails and boat decks, and the bura wind can make a hot day feel deceptively cool.
- Bura and jugo winds can close small boat trips with little notice. Respect a cancelled boat.
- Scooter and buggy accidents on narrow roads are the common visitor injury. Helmet, licence and no wine if driving.
Korčula travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Marco Polo House as a headline attraction. Its rating is the weakest of any headline sight in town.
- Midday old town in July and August, roughly 11am to 4pm, when day groups fill the lanes. Use it for beach or boat time.
- Waterfront restaurants with huge laminated photo menus and staff pulling you in off the promenade.
- Paying charter prices for the archipelago when the water taxi covers the same islets for transport.
- Vela Przina at peak midday in August, the most crowded sand with jet ski noise. Go at 9am instead.
- A day trip from Dubrovnik or Split as your only visit. You see the town at its worst hour and none of the island.
Getting around Korčula: public transport and more
- No airport or bridge. Reach Korcula by catamaran from Dubrovnik in about two hours or Split in about three hours.
- With a car, drive Peljesac to Orebic and take the 15 minute car ferry to Domince, three kilometres from town.
- Walk Korcula Town. Buses run to Lumbarda in about 15 minutes and across the island to Vela Luka in about one hour.
- Water taxis run the Badija, Vrnik, Stupe and Lumbarda circuit from the harbour all day in season.
- Rent a car or scooter for three plus days to reach Pupnatska Luka, south coast coves and inland wineries freely.
- Euro throughout. Cards widely accepted in town, but carry 50 to 100 euros cash for wineries, konobas and water taxis.
Who Korčula suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Korčula your trip
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