HOW TO REACH KORČULA ISLAND?
Korčula island or popularly called ‘Marco Polo island’, is a magical blend of nature and beautiful sights. The main sight of the island is the same named town, Korčula town which also got a nickname as ‘Little Dubrovnik’ because of its fortress and stone walls surrounding the old part of the town.
The island is located in central Dalmatia and is actually the second most popular island in the whole Adriatic Sea. With its stunning scenery, friendly locals, breathtaking views, archipelago of 16 islets, beautiful beaches and so much more, Korčula has a lot to offer for those willing to explore. It is named by the Greek colony from Corfu that situated on the island in the 6th century B.C. and named the island Korkyra Melania, translated to Black Korykra. The true reason behind the name lays in the dens, dark pine forests covering the whole island. As the forests exist to this day, you’ll be able to take a walk in the shade of very rare dark-green cypresses and holm oaks. The name of the island and main town is pronounced Kor-chu-la.
Korčula island is not connected by bridge to the mainland so the only way of reaching it is by boat. The whole island is about 297 kilometers long and is the favorite island-hopping stop to enjoy the architecture, picturesque alleyways, delicious food and their famous local wine, the people of Korčula are very proud of!
The main town and sight to visit is the old town in Korčula city. Just by arriving from the sea you’ll get to see why the name ‘Little Dubrovnik’, the fortified old town, where most of the important historical buildings were constructed between 13th and 15th century. If you look closely, you’ll also see Venetian influence in building the sights. They ruled the island from 10th up to 14th century and made a huge economic and history impact. We always advise our guests to explore a little more about this part of island’s history in the museum where you can find a document labeled ‘’Statue of the town and the island of Korčula’’ that dates all the way back to 1214.
If you’ve read anything about Korčula island prior to this blog post then you know the old town has a fishbone structure of the streets. What this means is that the streets to the east are mostly curved and streets to the right are mostly straight. Have you ever heard why? The locals are very smart so when they were constructing the old town, they tried to shield the town from harsh winter winds from the east and north. So, they curved the streets in order to divert the direction of the wind so the wind don’t go directly to the center of the town and left the streets to the west straight in order to let the breeze through during the summer. Genius, right? Make an observation next time we take you to the island.
Make sure to visit Marco Polo’s house museum from where you’ll see stunning views of the archipelago. St. Mark’s Church located in the center of the old town is worth visiting as you’ll see building influences from Gothic, Romanesque to Baroque. The church took about three centuries to finish and is a typical example of beautiful Dalmatian architecture seen on churches around the Adriatic coastline.
When deciding to go for a full day trip or an island-hopping adventure while stopping on this island, you’ll never run out of secluded bays and beaches. There are so many mesmerizing sights, breathtaking nature places to see and visit. If you’re hooked already – hop on board.
