Orebić & Korčula

A seaside town on the Pelješac Peninsula, a short ferry ride from Korčula Old Town, Marco Polo's reputed birthplace, with hillsides producing Dingač red wine.

Orebić and Korčula lie in southern Dalmatia, Croatia: Orebić on the south coast of the Pelješac Peninsula and the island of Korčula across a channel just 1–2 km wide. Ferries cross in a little over ten minutes, so either side makes a good base. Korčula Old Town is the highlight: a Venetian-style walled town on a small peninsula, with herringbone-patterned streets, St Mark's Cathedral and the reputed house of Marco Polo; in summer you can also watch the traditional Moreška sword dance. Lumbarda, on the island's east end, produces Grk white wine and has sandy beaches; Pupnatska Luka on the south coast is a famous cove; and from Vela Luka in the west you can take a boat to the island of Proizd. On the Orebić side, a town of sea captains, you can climb Mount St Elijah, swim at Trstenica beach and watch windsurfers at Viganj. Heading east along the peninsula brings you to the Dingač red wine region, the walls of Ston and the oysters of Mali Ston. June–September is beach season, with accommodation tight in July and August; May and October are quieter and good for hiking and wine tasting. Getting there: buses from Dubrovnik cross the Pelješac Bridge to Orebić in about 2–2.5 hours, and in summer fast boats run directly from Split and Dubrovnik to Korčula. Allow 3–4 days; having a car or renting an e-scooter makes getting around easier.

Top sights

• Korčula Old Town – A medieval old town on a small peninsula, built in Venetian style with a herringbone street layout, said to be the birthplace of Marco Polo…
• St. Mark's Cathedral – A Gothic-Renaissance cathedral on the highest point of the old town. Its bell tower offers views over the red-roofed town and the Pelješac…
• Walls of Ston & Mali Ston – One of Europe's longest defensive walls, linking Ston and Mali Ston. The salt pans beneath the walls and the oysters from Mali Ston Bay are…
• Marco Polo House – A stone house with a tower, said to be the birthplace of Marco Polo. You can climb the tower for sea views, making it one of the old town's…
• Land Gate & Veliki Revelin Tower – The old town's only land entrance. A wide stone staircase leads up to the tower gate, which houses a small exhibition, and the top offers v…
• Moreška Sword Dance – Korčula's unique traditional sword-dance drama, in which red and black armies fight over a maiden. In summer it is staged at an open-air th…
• Korčula Town Museum – A city museum housed in the 16th-century Gabrijelis Palace, showcasing stonemasonry, shipbuilding, and local history.
• Badija Island – A pine-covered island east of Korčula's old town, home to a 15th-century Franciscan monastery and tame deer. A good destination for a half-…
• Lumbarda & Pržina Beach – A wine village at the island's eastern tip that produces the white wine Grk. Nearby Pržina is one of the few sandy beaches on the island.
• Pupnatska Luka Beach – The most beautiful pebble bay on Korčula's southern coast, with emerald water framed by pine forest. It is often rated one of Croatia's bes…
• Vrnik Island – A small island famous for its quarries. Korčula stone was used in buildings such as those in Dubrovnik. It has a quiet village and clear wa…
• Vela Luka & Vela Spila – A harbor town at the island's western end. Vela Spila, a cave on the hillside, was a prehistoric dwelling place 20,000 years ago, and it ov…
• Proizd Island – A small island off Vela Luka with white limestone slabs and water so clear it looks like a swimming pool. Often called the most beautiful w…
• Franciscan Monastery of Our Lady of Angels, Orebić – A 15th-century monastery on a sea cliff overlooking the Korčula Channel, surrounded by the graves of Orebić's sea captains.
• Mount Sveti Ilija – The highest peak of the Pelješac Peninsula at 961 meters. From the summit, you can see the island groups of Korčula, Mljet, and Hvar.
• Trstenica Beach – Orebić's most popular sand-and-pebble beach, with shallow, clear water facing Korčula. Well suited to family swimming.
• Maritime Museum Orebić – A maritime museum that tells the history of Orebić, a town of sea captains, with ship models, marine paintings, and documents from the Dubr…
• Dingač Vineyards – Croatia's first protected wine appellation, where steep vineyards run down to the sea and produce the rich red wine Plavac Mali.
• Viganj – A windsurfing and kitesurfing destination in Croatia. Steady afternoon winds over the channel attract enthusiasts from around the world, an…
• Walls of Ston & Mali Ston – A medieval defensive wall about 5.5 km long on the Pelješac Peninsula, dubbed the 'Great Wall of Europe.' Oysters are farmed in the bay of…

Where to eat

• LD Restaurant – The only Michelin one-star restaurant on Korčula, serving a Dalmatian tasting menu with French techniques on a seaside…
• Konoba Belin – A veteran farmhouse konoba in the village of Žrnovo, ranked among the best konobas by Fodor’s, known for its handmade Ž…
• Konoba Aterina – A popular restaurant on a small square above the harbor, known for local ingredients and vegetable dishes, with a terra…
• Konoba Andiamo – The top-ranked small konoba on Orebić’s seafront promenade, known for octopus and lamb slow-cooked under a bell-shaped…

Itineraries

• Dalmatian Island Hopping: Split to Dubrovnik – No driving required. Take catamarans to connect Hvar, Korčula, and Mljet, heading south all the way to Dubrovnik.