Dalmatian Islands
Korcula
The calmer, cheaper answer to Hvar reaches you by a 15-minute car ferry from Split or Dubrovnik; the real choice is basing inside the walled Old Town or out at Lumbarda's sandy beaches.
Best length
2-3 nights
Airport
None on island; Dubrovnik (DBV) or Split (SPU)
Arrival route
Catamaran from Split/Dubrovnik, or Orebic car ferry (~15 min)
Best base
Old Town for atmosphere; Lumbarda for sand and value
In short
Korcula at a glance
Korcula is the calmer, cheaper answer to Hvar: a compact walled town on its own headland, a 15-minute car-ferry hop from the mainland, with sandy beaches at Lumbarda and Peljesac wine country across the channel. There is no airport, so the planning that matters is the ferry leg from Split or Dubrovnik and whether you base in the Old Town or out at Lumbarda.
The short version
- There is no airport on Korcula: you fly to Dubrovnik or Split and finish by catamaran or by the short Orebic car ferry.
- Stay in the walled Old Town for atmosphere and walkable dinners, or Lumbarda 6km east for the island's only proper sand and lower prices.
- Korcula is noticeably cheaper and quieter than Hvar for the same Dalmatian-island look, especially after dark.
- Two to three nights is plenty unless you want beach days at Lumbarda or wine tasting on Peljesac across the channel.
- Skip a hire car if you stay in town; use the Lumbarda bus, water taxis and the Orebic ferry for the Peljesac wine run.
Korcula is the island people reach for when Hvar sounds too loud and too dear. The walled Old Town sits on a stub of headland with a fishbone street plan built to funnel the wind, and you can walk its full loop in under an hour — the trick is to do it slowly, with a drink on the sea walls and the channel to Peljesac in front of you. It claims Marco Polo as a son, which is disputed and beside the point; the real draw is a compact medieval town that delivers the same Dalmatian look as Hvar for roughly a fifth to a third less on dinner and drinks.
The one planning call that actually matters is getting there, because there is no airport. You fly to Split or Dubrovnik and finish by sea: a Krilo or TP Line catamaran in summer (two to two and a half hours, foot passengers only), or the year-round 15-minute car ferry from Orebic if you are driving. Base yourself inside the Old Town for atmosphere and walkable dinners, or out at Lumbarda, six kilometres east, for the island’s only real sand and lower room rates.
Two nights cover the town, the St Mark’s bell-tower climb and a Moreska sword dance; add a third for a beach day at Lumbarda or a wine tasting on the Peljesac peninsula across the water. The structured planning below — where to stay, the ferry options in detail, costs in pounds and the best months — picks up from here.
Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.
Top things to do in Korcula
St Mark's Cathedral bell tower
St Mark's Cathedral is the Gothic-Renaissance anchor of Korcula's old town, built in pale local stone. The draw for visitors is the bell tower: pay a small fee, squeeze up a tight stone stair, and you get the best view in town over the terracotta roofs and across the channel to the Peljesac peninsula. The cathedral interior is free to enter.
Korcula Old Town
Korcula's old town sits on a tiny walled headland with a herringbone, or fishbone, street plan — straight lanes on the windward side to funnel the sea breeze, angled ones to the lee to block the cold bura. There is nothing to buy: an hour walks the whole loop. The pleasure is doing it slowly, with a drink on the old sea walls at dusk.
Where to stay first
The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.
Korcula Old Town
£££ premiumThe walled headland itself: stone lanes, harbour-front konobas and the easiest car-free evenings. Prices are the highest on the island and rooms are small, but you walk to everything and need no transport at all.
Best for: First-timers, couples, short stays
Lumbarda
££ mid-rangeA vineyard-and-beach village 6km east, with the island's only sandy beaches and Grk white-wine cellars. Cheaper rooms and a calmer pace; you trade the Old Town on your doorstep for a short bus or water-taxi hop.
Best for: Families, beach days, value
Vela Luka
£ valueThe car-ferry town at the western tip, an hour by road from the Old Town. Quiet, working and cheap, with sunset views, but it is the wrong base unless you arrive late by ferry and want one night near the port.
Best for: Late car-ferry arrivals, quiet stays
Racisce
£ valueA small fishing village 12km along the north coast, with pebble coves and almost no crowds. Good if you have a car and want a swim-and-quiet base, poor if you want walkable dinners and nightlife.
Best for: Drivers, quiet swims
Airport to city centre
| Option | Time | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fly Split, then Krilo catamaran to Korcula | catamaran ~2h20 | catamaran about €12-€30 single | Most direct in summer; foot passengers only |
| Fly Dubrovnik, then catamaran to Korcula | catamaran ~2-2.5h | catamaran about €20-€30 single | Seasonal Krilo/TP Line; book ahead in summer |
| Drive/transfer via Orebic car ferry | ~2.5h from Dubrovnik airport incl. crossing | private transfer roughly €150-€220 per car | Best with a hire car or for late arrivals |
| Airport shuttle bus (Dubrovnik, summer) | varies by stop | around €25-€40 per person | Daily late Apr-late Sep only |
When to go
Sweet spot: Late May to mid-June and September are the sweet spot: sea warm enough to swim, the Old Town busy but not jammed, and the Moreska running on Thursdays. July and August are hot and the harbour fills with day boats from Dubrovnik.
Catamaran routes are seasonal: the direct Split and Dubrovnik fast ferries mostly run April to October, and many restaurants and the Moreska dance wind down by November. Off-season Korcula is quiet and cheap but you fall back on the year-round Orebic car ferry to get on and off.
What it costs
There are no flights to Korcula itself. UK return flights to Split or Dubrovnik run about £60-£150 outside school holidays when booked ahead; the catamaran or ferry leg is a separate cost on top.
Daily budget per person
Korcula runs roughly 20-30% cheaper than Hvar for dinner and drinks for the same island look. Eat in a konoba away from the harbour-front terraces and the local Grk and Posip wines undercut anything imported.
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