Korcula is an island just of the coast Croatia, about a three-hour boat ride from the city of Split. It is the sixth-largest island in Croatia. It is the perfect island if you are looking for complete relaxation combined with the possibility of exciting activities like buggy tours, kayaking, and stand up paddleboarding. Korcula might be a small island, but it has so much to offer. It is perfect for family vacations, a romantic getaway, or a trip with your friends. This is also a perfect place to take a break from a high paced eurotrip or an interrail. Keep reading to find out what to do in Korcula.

What to do in Korcula

Kayak

The clear turquoise water, white pebble beaches, and calm sea make Korcula the perfect place for a kayak trip. It does not matter if you are experienced or a complete newbie, there is something for you. There are plenty of places you can rent a kayak from. We rented ours from Oreb Sailing, and we had a great experience with them. You can rent kayaks from them for 20 euros for 2 hours or 34 euros for 8 hours. There are also plenty of other time slots you can rent. The price includes kayak, lifejacket, and paddles. They also give you a map of the area and tells you about a few routes you can take.

If you do not feel comfortable riding around on your own they also offer kayak tours where you go with an experienced guide. The tour is about 3 hours and costs 30 euros.

We rented kayaks and went out by ourselves. I have practically no experience and it still went perfectly well. We stayed close to shore most of the time and I always felt safe. One of the things that are so great about kayaking in Korcula is that there are multiple islands very close together so you can actually explore different islands.

When we kayaked around we first explored a bit of the coast of Korcula, went into some creeks and swam for a bit. Then we headed across to Otok Badija, which is a very small island right next to Korcula. There is a monastery from the 14th-century on the island and there are plenty of secluded beaches for you to explore.

Stand up paddleboard

For the same reasons are kayaking, paddleboarding definitely needs a place on the list of what to do in Korcula. I tried it for the first time here, and it was a great experience.

We rented our stand up paddleboard from the same place as we rented kayaks from, Oreb Sailing. Again the also have stand up paddleboard trip that you can do if you do not feel comfortable going out on your own. The tour is about 2.5 hours long and costs 30 euros. You can rent them for 1 (12 euros), 2 (24 euros), or 4 hours (36 euros). You can also rent for other costume times, just ask them.

As neither of us had ever been on a stand up paddleboard before we mostly stayed close to the beach and always close enough that we could see the beach.

Stand up paddleboarding was such fun, but it was also a lot harder than I expected it to be. Get ready for a workout and a test of your balance. I definitely spent most of my time sitting on my board or balancing on my knees. The water is so clear that you can see the bottom at most times, and that does make the experience so much better. The surrounding nature, turquoise water, and hot sun might just make you fall in love with stand up paddleboarding.

Relax on the beach, private beach

Probably the main reason people are drawn to picturesque islands like Korcula is the beaches. No matter if you love to tan for hours, go swimming, or play in the waves Korcula is perfect. There are beaches everywhere. There is everything from large beaches filled with sunbeds and smaller beaches, to nudist beaches and even completely secluded and private beaches. Our favorite beach on the whole trip was when we went to the island Badija and just walked around until we found a beach we wanted to stay at. We did not have the walk far from the main pier before we found some great places. The beaches were small, pebble beaches. The pebbles were perfectly round white rocks, and the water was probably the clearest water I have ever seen.

There are also plenty of great beaches on the main island and in the city of Korcula. Our favorite beach on Korcula was the Plaza Banje, which is a small beach a bit away from the main center of the town. The beach is popular, but not very crowded and it provides you with a great view.

Buggy tour

The buggy tour was definitely my favorite adventure on Korcula, and it was also not something I expected to do. We went on the Korcula Buggy Safari, and I highly recommend it. It costs about 50 euros and lasts for about 4 hours. Included in the price is transfer to and from Korcula city, tour guides, wine, and olive oil tasting, as well as some other homemade sweets and alcohols. You can decide if you want to go on the tour that starts in the morning or the afternoon, and you can also go on a night ride if you want to.

On the tour you drive a buggy, each buggy fits two people and you need to have a license to drive it. Driving it is a bit scary at first, but also so much fun. They show you how to drive it and make sure you are comfortable. On the tour, you drive about 6 km on paved road and about 25 km off-road. The tour takes you through a lot of amazing scenery. You drive through forests, visit viewpoints, drive-through vineyards, and visit beaches. If you want to read a more detailed itinerary for the tour you can check out their webpage.

After the tour you go to their private home where you get a wine and olive oil tasting. The guide is so kind and friendly and really open their home to you. They also serve you with homemade desserts, and other types of alcohol. When you are done eating (you will be very full) they drive you back to Korcula city.

The tour is amazing. You get to see so much of the island in a very unique way. You will also learn a lot of interesting history, they guide is great and really knows what they are talking about.

Winetasting

Korcula is known for producing great wine and a trip here is not complete without tasting some of it. You can either go on an organized tour, or you can explore the wineries by yourself. There are plenty of wine tours you can choose from and which one you want all depends on your budget. If you want to go by yourself without a tour you can hire a taxi to take you to some of the most popular wine areas on Korcula.

The most popular wine areas on Korcula are Lumbarda, Cara, and Smokvica. Each of the areas has its own type of unique wine and grapes and if you do have the time you should definitely try to visit a few different ones.

If you do not have the time to visit any you can always still try the wine at some of the local restaurants or wine shops. Just make sure to ask for local wines. During the summer there are a few different wine festivals where you have the opportunity to try multiple different wines from all over the island.

Try windsurfing or sailing

If you are looking for an activity that will get your adrenaline pumping you should try out windsurfing or sailing. If you are experienced you can rent what you need, and if you are new to it you can take a class. You can take classes for both at Oreb Sailing. The classes and prices depend on how experienced you are. They also offer private lessons if you want to learn one on one. There you can also rent the equipment to take out on your own, but they will ask you to show them that you know how to use it. If you do not they will not rent it to you. This is for your own safety.

Both of these activities are great watersports, and they are perfect if you are completely new to watersports or if you know what you are doing. They will definitely get your adrenaline pumping, while enjoying the clear water and gorgeous scenery.

Boat tour

If you are looking for a way to explore Korcula and the surrounding islands with no hassle and while staying relaxed for the whole trip you can go on a boat trip.

There are a lot of different tours you can choose from. You can do anything from fishing trips, snorkeling trips, exploring different islands, sunset tours, or nighttime tours.

Which boattour you want to take depends a lot on your budget and personal preferences. My personal recommendation is that if you do want to go on a boat tour you should go do something special like a nighttime tour or a snorkeling tour, or something other like that that you can not do on your own with a taxi boat. Make sure to spend your money on something that is worth it.

Visit other islands on your own

If you do not have the budget for a boat trip, or you just want to explore on your own with more freedom you can always explore the other islands on your own. You can do this by taking a taxi boat from Korcula to the other islands. When you are walking on the pier in Korcula you will see tons of signs for taxi boats. They usually say the times they go to certain islands and how much it costs. Many of them will take you there and you agree on a time when they will pick you up again.

You can explore the small islands that are close by, or you can take day trips to some of the larger islands like Hvar, Vis, or Mljet. Each of the islands are unique and have a lot to offer. You can always take a boat in the morning and catch a taxi boat back in the evening. Hvar is the most popular of the islands so there you can do a lot of tourist activites. Vis and Mljet are a lot less crowded, and there you can enjoy a lot more of the beaten path destinations. Vis and Mljet have a lot of breathtaking nature and secluded beaches.

Submarine

One very unique activity that you can experience on Korcula, that I have not seen anywhere else, is that you can explore the ocean from underneath. This is possible with the semiSubmarine. It is a boat that is mostly underwater. There is a small part that is over the water, and the part underwater has large windows so that you can see what is happening on the bottom of the sea.

This activity is perfect for families traveling with children, but it can also be a lot of fun for anyone. It costs 14 dollars for adults, and 7 for children. The boat goes both during the day and the evening after dark. On the trips after dark the boat has lights which illuminates the ocean floor from you. It is an experience unlike anything.

Party

Korcula is mostly a calm island, but if you are looking for a party you can definitely find one here. There are mostly smaller bars where you can enjoy a beer or glass of wine, but there are also quite a few clubs and discotheques that pup out after dark. During the summer you can also enjoy live music at many of the bars throughout Korcula. During the summer the party vibe is definitely higher as many young people travel here for their summer break. There are also a lot of cruise tourists that enjoy a party when their ship lays to shore in Korcula.

My favorite bar in Korcula was the Massimo Cocktail bar. We stumbled upon it by accident, but it is very popular. The bar is located on the top of one of the characteristic towers on the edge of the city. The drinks are a bit expensive, but they are equally tasty. The view is what you are really paying for. Getting there is also an experience as you need to climb up a ladder to get to the top of the tower. This is great to know if you are planning on wearing a skirt or dress.

Eat

If you are a foodie there are plenty of places you will love in Korcula. There are so many cute restaurants with great food. As Korcula is an island there is so much great seafood to find here. My favorite thing to eat in Korcula was without a doubt, grilled squid.

One of my favorite things about eating in Korcula is almost every restaurant has an amazing view. They all have outside areas where you can enjoy the sunset and the view out over the ocean. My favorite restaurant in Korcula was Radiona, it was located right by our favorite beach and had the most amazing squid I have ever tasted.

Explore the town

You cannot leave Korcula without having spent some time exploring the city. The city is not very big so you can easily just walk around and explore. Just walking around you will stumble upon a lot of hidden secrets. The town is very cute and unique. It looks like a fortress kind of from the outside. The houses are mostly made from beige or white bricks, there are plenty of brick stairs, and brick walls. All the houses also have the characteristic orange roofs and watching the colors of the sunset on the city is just marvelous. In the old town of Korcula, you also find the Cathedral of St. Mark which the whole old town is centered around.

In the city center, you will find plenty of cute shops, cafes, and restaurants. Many of them are places just on the side of the “fortress”. You can sit right on the edge of a high brick wall all the way to the ocean.

How to get to Korcula

To get to Korcula you need to take a ferry from Split or Dubrovnik. Getting to Split or Dubrovnik is easy as both cities are major hubs in Balkan. Both have large international airports as well as train stations.

From Split, there are two different ferry companies that go to Korcula. They go five times during the day in high season and once during the day in the low season. The duration of the trip is between 2 hours and 20 minutes and 3 hours and 40 minutes. It depends on which company you chose.

From Dubrovnik, there are three different ferry companies that can take you to Korcula. During high season the route is run three to four times a day. During the low season, this route is not run at all. The route takes between 1 hour and 40 minutes to 2 hours and 35 minutes.

When to visit Korcula

When you want to visit Korcula does depend a lot on your personal preferences and what you are looking to get out of the trip.

If you travel during the high season (July and August) you will get the warmest weather and it will be very easy to travel around. Everything will be open and it will be very easy to go on excursions and activities. The downside is that it might be a bit crowded and you will need to make your bookings ahead of time.

For many people the mid season (June and September) is the ideal season. The heat is not as burning, everything is open, but it is not as crowded. You do not need to plan and book everything ahead of time, but it is still easy to get around and book acitivites.

The low season is the rest of the year, and during this time traveling is a completely different experience. Many places, especially tourist attractions, will be closed and you will be mostly with locals. The upside is that you will get a more authentic experience of the island. Keep in mind that during this time it is a bit more difficult to get around, ferries do not go as often, there are fewer taxi boats, and so on.

Would you be interested in visiting Korcula? What is your favorite of this list of what to do in Korcula?