KORCULA - Croatia and Slovenia - page 416

fied old-town vibe of Kor č ula town by offering a lazy vacation personality that encourages
visitors to linger.
There's not much to see in the town itself; most visitors come to hit the beach. While
you can swim around Lumbarda's wide harbor, it's worth venturing farther out of town to
one of its pleasant and pristine beaches. The two best cling to the little peninsula that juts
out east of town: the pebbly Bilin Žal (literally “White Stone”) to the north, and the sandy
Vela Pržina (“Old Sand”) to the south. Both beaches are about a 20- to 30-minute walk (or
a short drive) from town. If you're coming on the bus from Kor č ula town, stay on the bus
through Lumbarda's town-center stop, and carry on one more stop to the end of the line,
which is a bit closer to the beaches. With your back to Lumbarda, walk right for sand, left
for pebbles (ask locals—or other beachgoers—for specific directions).
Lumbarda is also known for its wine —specifically the grk white wine, the grapes for
which grow only in this village's unique climate. It's named for the Greeks who first in-
troduced it. Several wineries drape the hillsides above Lumbarda; my favorite for a visit
and tasting is Bire (BEE-reh; drivers will see the turnoff on the right just before entering
the town of Lumbarda). The setting is beautiful: a series of stone buildings bunny-hopping
down the hill toward town, with an inviting tasting room. For 20 kn, you can taste their grk
and plavac wines (daily 10:00-12:00 & 13:00-20:00, generally closed Oct-May, tel. 020/
712-007, mobile [phone]).
Getting There: From Kor č ula town, you can get to Lumbarda by water taxi (50 kn) or
by bus (hourly Mon-Sat in summer, fewer buses Sun, 15 minutes, 17 kn one-way, 25 kn
round-trip).

North Coast
On the road that hugs the island's northern coast, from Kor č ula town to the village of
Ra č iš ć e, you'll find a series of beautiful tableaux over tranquil coves and tiny offshore is-
lands, with the looming Pelješac Peninsula as a dramatic backdrop.

Korčula Island Spin
If you'd like to see the island (beyond Lumbarda and the coastal zones described above),
head west and drive the length of this long (29 miles) and skinny (5 miles) island.
Driving up and out of Kor č ula (pausing for grand views at the pullout just above the
Tommy supermarket), you'll pass through Žrnovo and eventually twist your way up to
humble Pupnat. This oldest village on the island has a Tito-era Partisan monument and a
cluster of old 12th- and 13th-century slate-roof houses. From here, you can continue along
themainroad,ortwistdownthesteepsideroadtothetranquilandgorgeousbayof Pupnat-
ska Luka, with a very inviting pebbly beach fronted by beach bars. Ponder how the ancient
Greeks—impressed by the thick forests here—called this island “Black Korkyra.”

Korčula Island Spin