Geographical position – an introduction to a geographical location of the island of Korcula with some general info about the island. Located somewhere in the middle between the cities of Split and Dubrovnik, therefore its the western tip (near Vela Luka) is closer to Split, and its eastern tip (near Korcula Old Town) is much closer to Dubrovnik…
The island itself is separated from Peljesac Peninsula by 1.2 km wide Peljesac Channel (15 minutes boat or ferry ride) and it covers an area of about 270 square kilometers.. – read more
Weather and climate in Korcula -Korcula Island shares its climate as well as the weather with the rest of the Croatian coast. The temperatures tend to get warmer if you go further south along the coast so as Korcula is in the southern part of the country it has a very mild Mediterranean climate, similar to Greece and southern Italy.
Its characteristics are long and hot summers, usually dry with minimum rainfall and mild winters- more about weather and see the current weather forecast
winds that blow around Korcula and the Adriatic Sea – includes Bura (Bora), Siloko, Jugo, Tremontana, Maestral, gregal, Lebic, Pulenat and more.
In this article, you can find info about all winds that blow around the Island – click here
Plant and Animals on Korcula island – Being a part of the Mediterranean region, Korcula’s vegetation is Mediterranean too. More than 60% of Korcula surface is covered by dense conifer woods (some varieties of pine and cypress) or other Mediterranean plants: holm oak, carob, bay, and olives, as well as scrubs of varieties of heather and herbs: rosemary, sage, lavender, marjoram, oregano… Korcula was densely populated by various plants a few thousands of years ago when Greeks arrived here too…As far as animals are concerned, a variety of sea life around the island is particularly rich, due to Island’s largely unpolluted waters, including fish, various crabs, octopuses, squids, sea urchins, etc.. read more
List of Places on Korcula Island: This is a complete list of places, villages, and towns on the Island.
Read my small collection of extracts from some press articles about Korcula. I categorized them too – just couldn’t resist 😉 There are also some “not-so-great” comments (see on the bottom of the page)
Best so far:
Korcula among 20 paradise islands: ” The greenest, most independent and most interesting of Croatia’s 1,000 or so islands, Korcula was a favourite Greek holiday spot over 2,000 years ago. Very much a law unto itself – as you might expect from a community that resisted the sieges of centuries – Korcula town is a mini-fortress enclosed with honey-coloured stone walls that contain hidden treasures, from icons to Tiepolo, as well as architectural delights in every narrow, cobbled street. ” The Observer, Sept 2003
Runner-up:
Croatian all-stars: “…. and the winner is FOR SHEER beauty and tranquillity, Mljet is a close runner, but its lack of accommodation lets it down. Hvar, beautiful and buzzing, also makes the top three. But it’s Korcula that takes the honours. It’s got the lot: a lovely town and some stunning quiet bays, on an island easily accessible from either Split or Dubrovnik. Best of all, it’s midway between both the runners-up. Stay on Korcula and visit all three.” Another good comment for Korcula was: ” Locals claim that Marco Polo came from their island. It’s clearly rubbish. If the explorer had been born in Korcula, he would never have left.” The Sunday Times May 2004
Adriatic Petra:
Dubrovnik is often rightly called ” Pearl of Adriatic”. However, the beauty and uniqueness of Korcula were appropriately spotted by Travel and Leisure writer Peter Jon Lindberg who wrote: ” In contrast to Dubrovnik’s, the architecture is quite rough-hewn—all of Korcula looks to be carved from a single piece of stone, like an Adriatic Petra…”
He also captured my heart with this sentence: ” Just beyond the medieval walls, Vespas were honking their way through the crowds by the marina. Beck’s “Sexx Laws” thumped from a harborfront disco. At the Internet café, Croatian teenagers were playing Grand Theft Auto. But down the musty, catacomb-like corridors of the Old Town, the night slipped back 100, 500, 750 years, and Korcula looked much as it must have in Marco Polo’s day. The wine, of course, helped.” Read his whole description of Korcula here Travel and Leisure 2005
Broken Hearted:
‘Because I arrived in Croatia a week before the ferries began their full summer schedule, my itinerary forced me to omit the island of Korcula. This broke my heart during the 40 minutes I spent docked there aboard the ferry. A miniature Dubrovnik, its main town is a medieval grid of streets and buildings made of square-cut limestone. It looked romantic as all get-out. If I’m ever in this part of the world again, I’ll make a special point of going there.’ San Francisco Chronicle July 2004
If you like wine:
Korcula Wine Posip: A Zesty White To Sip by the Sea – A showcase of ethnic cuisines, is a natural habitat for Croatia’s modern wines. Venturesome fans of rarely found whites will relish the flowery 2003 Marko Polo, from Korcula, an Adriatic island that is supposedly the explorer’s birthplace. In Dubrovnik, this zippy, citrusy wine, made from Dalmatia’s Posip grape, works well with oysters and langoustines. New York Times, Nov 2004
Helpful pronunciation:
We also visited Korcula (pronounced Kor-CHEW-la), a tranquil, little-known island about 100 miles east of Dubrovnik and Split, a picturesque Dalmatian city of 190,000 residents between the sea and a striking range of mountains. Both are French Riviera-like Croatian summer resorts with preserved thick fortress walls, marinas, outdoor markets, ancient churches, small hotels and flower-lined streets. Marco Polo, the earliest and probably best-known travel writer and explorer, is said to have been born in Korcula. Enquirer.com
Downsides of Korcula:
The Rough Guide to Croatia: ” Drinking in Korcula is quite animated during the day. At night, however, Korcula becomes Snorcula – there is an almost total lack of decent bar in Old Town, and the string of flashy places just behind the bus station are curiously joyless bunch …………” :-))))) I love it and couldn’t agree more !!! ( Note – check about Korcula’s nightlife)
If you find or have a good comment about Korcula, please email it to me – I would love to hear about it! Thanks!
More press and media comments are in the Blog archive for the Reviews & Media category