Korčula. Things to do, map and hidden gems

Vela spila is a large karst cave on the slope above Vela Luka, with a spacious hall and two openings in the vault through which daylight enters, so it is bright inside even without lighting. Archaeologically it is one of the most important sites on the Adriatic: excavations have shown an unbroken sequence of layers from the Upper Palaeolithic, roughly twenty thousand years ago, through the Mesolithic and Neolithic to the Bronze Age. In the layers were found stone and bone tools, remains of hearths and animal bones and early pottery, including figural fragments counted among the oldest of their kind in Europe. An asphalt road leads to the cave and a last stretch of path from Vela Luka, a climb of some twenty minutes. Entry is charged, and the finds are displayed in the cultural centre in the town.

The old town of Korcula stands on an oval peninsula reaching into the Peljesac channel and is one of the best-preserved medieval towns on the Adriatic. Its plan is known for its fishbone shape: one main street runs along the spine of the peninsula, and from it narrow streets branch off on both sides toward the sea. The arrangement is not ornament but solution: the streets on the eastern side are gently curved to break the bora, and those on the western side straight to let in the summer maestral, so the town cools itself. Korcula had its own statute as early as 1214, one of the oldest legal documents in this part of Europe, regulating building, trade and the duties of citizens. The core is small and walked in an hour, but for a true picture come early in the morning or after the excursion boats have sailed.

The monastery of Our Lady of the Angels stands on a steep slope above Orebic, on the Peljesac side of the channel opposite Korcula, about a hundred and fifty metres above the sea. The Franciscans raised it in the 15th century beside a church with Gothic features, and the site was not chosen by chance: from here the whole channel is watched, so for centuries the monastery was both a landmark and a votive place for seafarers. Captains from Orebic, who sailed the world in the 19th century, left votive paintings of their ships here, and ships passing through the channel would sound their horns toward the monastery. Beside the church are a cloister, a small collection and the cemetery of captains' families. A road and a footpath from Orebic lead to the monastery, a half-hour climb; the view of the Korcula old town from above is the best there is.

The fortification of St Blaise is part of the defensive system that protected Korcula from the west, where the channel opens most toward the open sea and from where danger regularly came. It bears the name of St Blaise, venerated throughout the southern Adriatic as a protector against calamity, and the structure belongs to the series of towers and bastions raised during Venetian rule, when the defence had to adapt to cannon. The town went through its most serious trial in 1571, when the Ottoman fleet under the command of Uluz Ali sailed before the walls; most of the population had taken shelter, and the remaining defenders led by the priest Antun Rozanovic held the walls and the town did not fall. Today the fortification is reached by the seaside promenade, and from its terrace one looks toward Peljesac and the sunset.

The Korcula Town Museum is housed in the Renaissance Gabrielis palace on the square before the cathedral and shows what the island lived on for centuries: stone, ships and wine. The stonemasonry collection shows tools and samples from the Vrnik quarries, from which stone was cut for the churches of Korcula and for buildings elsewhere on the Adriatic, and the shipbuilding room explains how Korcula built with wooden techniques that held until the 20th century. On the ground floor is a copy of the Lumbarda Psephisma, a Greek inscription of the 3rd century BC. The display is accompanied by household inventory, weapons and documents of the town administration, and the palace itself, with its courtyard staircase, counts as an exhibit. The museum is small, the visit takes some forty minutes, and opening hours are extended in season.

The Zakerjan tower stands at the north-western corner of the Korcula walls, where the peninsula is most exposed to the open channel, and it was raised in the 15th century as part of the seaward defensive ring. Its shape is characteristic: the lower part is massive and closed, the upper opens into a crenellated crown from which the passage of ships between Korcula and Peljesac was watched. In the summer months an open-air bar works at the top of the tower, and since the staircase is not meant for carrying loads, drinks are hauled up by a block and tackle; visitors sit by the walls with a view to the west, which is one of the better places in town for sunset. Access is by steps and is not suitable for those with limited mobility. Out of season the tower is closed, but it is seen from outside from the seaside promenade.

Pupnatska luka is a bay on the southern coast of the island, below the village of Pupnat, and many hold it the finest beach on Korcula: white shingle in a horseshoe, pines to the very edge of the water and a sea that, because of depth and bottom, passes from pale turquoise to deep blue within a few metres. The bay faces south and is open, so the sea is fresh, and when the sirocco blows a swell comes in. From the main island road you descend to the beach by a narrow asphalt road with hairpins, about two kilometres; the car park is tiny and fills before noon in summer, so arriving by ten in the morning is not excessive caution. Two bars and lounger hire work on the beach, the facilities are modest. From the town of Korcula it is twelve kilometres, and the bus runs rarely, so count on a car or a scooter.

The Moreska is a knightly sword dance performed in Korcula since at least the 16th century and the only such dance in the Mediterranean that has survived without a break. The plot is simple: the white king Osman and the black king Moro fight over Bula, a girl the black king has abducted, and the conflict is resolved in seven combat figures performed with real swords, to brass band music and an ever faster rhythm. The dance is performed exclusively by people of Korcula, the roles are handed down over years, and swords occasionally break, which is part of the show. The Moreska was once danced only on the feast of St Theodore on 29 July, the town patron; today in summer it is performed several times a week on the open stage by the land gate. Tickets are bought in advance, the performance lasts about an hour.

Zitna is a bay on the southern coast of the island below the village of Cara, with two beaches divided by a cape: a larger shingle one, with a car park and a seasonal bar, and a smaller one reached by a path along the rocks. The sea here is open to the south and therefore clear, and the depth grows moderately, so swimming is pleasant even for those who dislike deep water right away. Behind the beach are vineyards where posip is grown, a white variety originating precisely in Cara and neighbouring Smokvica and today the best-known Korcula wine. Zitna is reached from the main road by an asphalt road, about four kilometres from Cara, and the car park is small. There is little shade, so a parasol is not a bad idea; the best time is late afternoon, when the rocks have cooled.

Vrnik is an islet in the Skoji group, a few minutes by boat from Korcula, and its entire history is in one word: stone. From the Vrnik quarries white limestone was cut for centuries, of which the Korcula cathedral, the town towers and numerous palaces in Dalmatian cities were built; the stonecutters lived on the islet itself, so in the 19th century Vrnik had several hundred inhabitants, a school and a chapel. When demand for stone fell the people left and the houses became summer homes; today a few families live here permanently, and in summer two taverns and a small art workshop open. The abandoned quarries are visible as flat white faces along the shore. A taxi boat runs to Vrnik from Korcula and Lumbarda, and bathing is from concrete platforms into deep water.

Stupe are two islets in the Skoji group east of Korcula, Vela and Mala Stupa, and between them lies a shallow passage with a sandy bottom in which the sea takes on a pale colour rarely seen in this part of the Adriatic. The islets are uninhabited, covered in low pinewood and maquis, and the shore is mostly rocky, with a few coves where boats anchor. In summer a restaurant with a jetty works on Vela Stupa, so the islet is a regular stop for excursion boats from Korcula and Lumbarda touring the Skoji. For those coming in their own boat, the anchorage is sheltered from the bora and exposed to the sirocco. The passage between the islets is shallow and sandy and therefore suits children; the rest of the shore calls for swimming. Stupe is reached in about fifteen minutes of sailing.

Badija is the largest islet of the Skoji group off Korcula, covered in pinewood, and on it stands a Franciscan monastery founded at the end of the 14th century. The monastery church and the Gothic-Renaissance cloister were raised during the 15th century, when the community was numerous and had its own library; after 1950 the complex was taken from the order and turned into a sports centre, and it was returned to the Franciscans in 2003 and is being restored. The islet is also known for the fallow deer that walk freely among the pines, descendants of animals brought in during the 20th century. The shore is rocky, with concrete platforms and ladders, and the sea deep and clear. A taxi boat runs to Badija from Korcula harbour, the crossing taking some ten minutes. Bring water, because the offer on the island is seasonal and modest.