The island of Korcula is one of the most popular island destinations in Croatia. One of the reasons is the fact that it is second most inhabited Croatia island which makes it a vibrant community of local population but also many foreigners who in increasing numbers, choose to make the island of Korcula their home. During the summer season, the number of people on the island increases several times, and the island of Korcula welcomes it's visitors with open arms, eager to show and share all of its cultural, gastronomical and historical heritage, that has accumulated on this island over thousands of years of uninterrupted development. The island was inhabited in prehistoric times, and there are many archaeological sites that show this. The development of the western civilization began with the arrival of Greeks in the area of Lumbarda, which were followed by Romans and finally Croats who embraced this island as their home and developed it to what it is today, a pearl in the crown of Croatia's Adriatic islands. Korcula is 6th larges Croatian island, with three most important towns on the island - the town of Korcula, the largest and the main traffic, cultural and economical hub on the island today, the town of Blato in the interior of the island which through the history was the larges and the most important town on the island, and the town of Vela Luka located on the western tip of the island of Korcula, the main port of the island on which the rest of the island depended for the exports of agricultural produce, which were the most important source of income for local population, together with fishing and shipbuilding.
Throughout it's history, the island of Korcula has always been important hub for commerce, culture and architecture, opened towards the sea and new ideas that came with it. The town of Korcula is the birth place of the famous world traveler Marco Polo, who expanded the minds and the imagination of medieval Europe with his stories that he brought from the far east, and some even argue that he was the first one to plan the seed of Renaissance in the Europe. He started the search for far away lands and inspired many famous explorers like Cristophor Columbus to discover new worlds. In the town of Korcula the birth house of Marco Polo with a small museum is opened for visitors.
Today, the tourism is the most important source of the income for local population, but traditional agriculture is still preserved, and combined with the tourism and rich gastronomical tradition have made the island of Korcula the most popular destination in Croatia for tourists that are in search for old Mediterranean ways of life. We can say that Korcula is truly a Mediterranean as it once was. Increasing numbers of visitors from all over the globe flock to Korcula every summer to experience this unique combination of modern tourism industry and traditional way of life. After the second world war, the tourism slowly developed, and today Korcula boasts with large offer of hotels, marinas, camps and privately owned holiday houses. The stream of beautiful old towns and newly built holiday resorts along the coast but also in the interior together create unique tourist destination.
The most popular destinations on the island of Korcula are the town of Korcula, beautiful, stone walled medieval town built on a small peninsula and the village ancient of Lumbarda with beautiful sandy beaches which is especially renowned among families with small children. Other popular destinations are small holiday villages on the southern side of the island of Korcula, primarily Prizba, Brna and Zavalatica; Racisce and Prigradica on the northern coast of the island of Korcula. The best beaches on the island are located in the area of Lumbarda, and the shore of the island is mainly rocky. Other popular beaches include ones in the area of Zrnovska Banja, Vela Luka and Kneze. The most beautiful pebble beach is located on the southern site of the island, in a bay called Pupnatska Luka. The interior of the island is covered with olive and wine plantations, mainly in the area of Smokvica and Cara, which are very famous wine groving areas that produce mainly white wine. On the island of Korcula, especially in the interior and in the area of Lumbarda, there are many family owned restaurants and agroutourism that offer localy grown food, wine and traditional dishes.
The island of Korcula has very good ferry and catamaran connections with other Dalmatian islands and the mainland (Split, Drvenik, Orebic and Dubrovnik), and the nearest airport is in Dubrovnik, but the Split international airport is also close and can be reached easily and quickly through Vela Luka ferry and catamaran port. The tourist season starts in the month of May and lasts until October, with most crowded months being July and August, when almost all accommodation units, both in private accommodation and hotels are booked, bet generally speaking, it is always possible to find available apartment or room, even in the peak of the high season. However, for a peace of mind it is advised that you book your accommodation in advance, through one of many available on-line travel agencies that offer private accommodation or hotel rooms. Even though there is a decent number of hotels on the island, the vast majority of tourist accommodation is available in self-catered private apartments and holiday homes that offer excellent price-quality ratio.
More information about this beautiful island can be found on following web sites:
