KORCULA - Croatia and Slovenia - page 414

in love with Princess Cocacine, fighting a naval battle—and being captured—off the coast
of Kor č ula, and telling his tales in prison. While pretty low-tech (it feels a bit like a walk-
through Pirates of the Caribbean, except that the figures don't move), it more than com-
pensates for the otherwise near-total lack of information about this town's favorite son. Al-
though it's a bit pricey, the museum is worthwhile if you're curious to learn more about
Marco Polo, or simply as an excuse to get in out of the blazing sun or pouring rain. Ostens-
ibly to foster intercultural understanding, the exhibit is free for Chinese citizens; I'm not
surewhetherthisisatouchinggesture,orsimplyevidence thatfewChinese touristsmakeit
to Kor č ula.
Activities in Korčula
Swimming
The water around Kor č ula is clean and suitable for swimming. You'll find pebbly beaches
strewn with holiday-goers all along Put Svetog Nikole, the street that runs west from the
Old Town. (The big, circular plaza where the embankment meets the Old Town is a pebbly
kids'beach.)While thisshoreline doesn'thavemuchflatlandforsunningyourself,youcan
generally find a relatively comfy rock to recline on. Another good swimming spot is at the
very end of the Old Town peninsula. Or trek to the beaches near Lumbarda (described later,
under “More Sights on Kor č ula Island”).
Excursions
Various companies offer day-long excursions to nearby destinations, including trips around
theisland(eitherbycarorbyboat)andside-tripstoDubrovnikorthenationalparkonMljet
Island. Korkyra Info runs their own tours, which are affordably designed with the needs of
travelers in mind. Their Mljet day trip, for €47, includes round-trip boat transfers, park ad-
mission,andaguide;youcanalsodoatransportation-onlyoption(€20one-way,€27round-
trip; tour typically runs 3/week in high season, generally Mon/Wed/Fri, departs at 8:30, re-
turns at 18:00). Closer to home, you can take a one-hour boat trip to some of the nearer,
smaller islands, with the option to go ashore at a secluded beach to do some swimming and
be picked up later (€12, also offered—without swimming option—as a sunset cruise). Their
four-hour driving tour (€42) around the island includes a wine-tasting, and you have the op-
tion of hopping off to enjoy the beach at Lumbarda and returning on a later shuttle bus. For
more on their tours, see www.korkyra.info or visit their office.
Several more active tour companies have popped up recently, offering canoe trips,
snorkeling, kayaking, and other “adventures”—look for flyers around town.