KORCULA ISLAND, CROATIA
Korcula town, so photogenic
7.16- 7.17
Korcula is everything a I’d imagined an island off of the Dalmatian coast to be: relaxing and beautiful. I was happy that I’d skipped a second night in Dubrovnik for this.
Fun facts: Korcula is actually the 6th biggest island on the Adriatic, with a population of 17,000 inhabitants.
“Yes, it’s very big!” said the guide of the Wine and Island Tour that I had taken. Considering the entire population of Croatia is under 5 million, I guess 17,000 seems like a lot of people.
I had taken a 2.5 hour catamaran ride from Dubrovnik and I stayed for 2 peaceful nights in this charming haven. It looks something like this photo (above), only ten times better in real life. Imagine my relief at feeling the cool sea breeze after a week of relentless, sweltering heat.
I stayed at the Onelove hostel in a 6-bed dorm room with a view of the East harbor. The owner, a South African guy who was constantly wearing surf shorts and some sort of tank top, fit the hostel-owner bill perfectly. The place was decorated like some sort of modern harem; colorful tapestries were tacked all over those chunky stone walls. At night he ran a cheap and rowdy bar for the guests.
I noticed that the island was significantly less touristy than Dubrovnik, and I liked that. It definitely had a laid-back feel and was affordable, which was a nice surprise. Feeling motivated upon my arrival, I signed up for the aforementioned wine tour offered by the tourist office. I felt a bit guilty about the amount of time I was likely to spend on the beach, so I figured this was a good way to do something a bit more culturally oriented. So, later that day I embarked on a tour with 3 couples and one tour guide. The driver took us in an air-conditioned van (a luxury), to a hilltop catholic church on top of more steps (feeling the burn!), and through two of Korcula’s reputable vineyards.
With a view like that, what do they have to wine about? ha.
Wine production is pretty small-scale on the island. We first went to a family-run winery near the town of Lumbarda on the South side, and our guide explained that the wine from this particular area is grown in sand the color of red clay. A grizzled old man ushered us into his terrace to sample, which afforded a nice view of the vineyard and the ocean beyond. A couple of kittens were prancing around, which adding nicely to the authentic aesthetic. We tasted a variety of wines, and were told to pay particular attention to dry white called Grk, which translates to Greek in Croation—a toast to the island’s ancient Greek settlers. After some meager samples, he instructed only the MEN of the group to try a traditional mint-flavored Croatian grappa. Talk about old-fashioned! The middle-aged Australian guy in our group piped up and asked “don’t the ladies drink grappa too?” our tour guide laughed, avoiding the question “oh sure, some do.” I was very annoyed, although I don’t even like grappa and probably would have declined the sample. “It’s like the moonshine that people from the southern part of your country make.” the Australian man commented. I imagine I would have spoken up if I felt that I was really missing out on something, but after the moonshine comment…
In Smokvica
We then visited another family owned vineyard 30 minutes away in Smokvica village, where the grapes are grown in a valley that remains sun-drenched throughout the day. The tasting area itself was interesting, traditional wine producing tools were displayed as if we had entered into a mini-wine production museum. This particular vineyard is well-known for producing a more widely distributed wine called Rukatac. “It’s very expensive at a restaurant!” assured our guide while calling out attention to the bottle for sale on the tasting table. I’m certainly no wine connoisseur, but I enjoyed it. A Swedish girl and I were extremely hungry and we helped ourselves shamelessly to unattended sheep cheese samples. I definitely can’t get enough of the impressive cheese I’ve encountered on this trip—it has been varied and delicious.
The second day on the isle was your typical relaxing beach day, especially since there wasn’t much else to do in this kind of heat, and it was a difficult adjustment after such an active three weeks of sight-seeing in the other Balkan countries. I spent the afternoon with two Mid-westerners, Nelly and Paulina. They were the kind of sisters who finish eachother’s sentences in a non-obnoxious way—like some sibling comedy duo. Originally, we wanted to take a 20 minute bus to Lumbarda to find Korcula’s only sandy beach, but the Sunday bus schedule made it impossible. We settled for a pebble beach right near our hostel and were pleased to find that the crystal blue water was bath temperature.
I wandered around the small city later that night and enjoyed the promenade surrounding the town.
During sunset I ate at a no-frills national restaurant recommended by my hostel owner. It’s called Plainjack and you’ll find it when walking from the old town to the West harbor. I enjoyed a delightful summer salad for 25 kuna ($5.00) and a glass of wine for 10 K ($2.00). Next time, I would probably try one of the meat or fish dishes, they looked amazing and were pretty cheap 50 Kuna, or so.
As I mentioned, the old town is very cute, like a mini Dubrovnik without all of the tourists, i.e. lots of winding streets, and a couple of impressive stone churches. Korcula still had its fair share of overpriced clothing stores selling striped dresses and hats, insinuating that you must cover yourself in stripes while enjoying the seaside. What’s up with that, anyway? The tourist angle seemed to be name-dropping Marco Polo, as I noticed lots of clothing stands and gelato shops named after the man. Apparently he may have been born in Korcula, although no one seems to be too sure.
one of many children selling seashells
Entering the old town
Sunset!
Just a tip: if you have a computer and want free wifi with the purchase of a beverage, go to Dno Dna. It’s on your right on the way to the bus station. The people at the tourist information office won’t tell you about it, which I find incredibly annoying. They want you to pay for the wireless that they provide 10 kuna ($2) for 15 minutes! No thank you.
Solo in the Balkans 