KORCULA - Croatia and Slovenia - page 425

inquire locally about where to meet your boat. (The early-morning Jadrolinija catamaran
spends the night in Kor č ula—after 20:05, check to see where it's docked, then rest easy,
confidentyouknowwheretocatchtheboat.)Otherboats,includingthecarferriestoOrebi ć
and Drvenik (described later, under “Route Tips for Drivers”), leave from the Domin č e
dock, about a five-minute drive east of Kor č ula town. And a few boats leave from the
town of Vela Luka (at the opposite tip of the island, a 1-hour bus or taxi ride from Kor č ula
town—described later).
Speedy Jadrolinija Catamaran to Hvar and Split: Jadrolinija runs a high-speed pas-
senger catamaran early each morning (departing Kor č ula at 6:00), reaching Hvar at 8:00
and Split at 9:30. (Off-season, the schedule is the same, except that on Sun the boat departs
Kor č ula at 13:00.) This is the best, fastest way to reach points north, and tickets frequently
sellout;buyyoursattheJadrolinijaoffice(describedon here ) ,wheretheygoonsaleat8:00
the morning before departure. Don't dilly-dally: Ticket sellers told me that waiting until af-
ternoon to buy your ticket in peak season is a mistake.
Speedy Nona Ana Catamaran to Mljet and Dubrovnik: There's one fast catamaran
option to Dubrovnik, and it runs only four days each week in July and August. It leaves
Kor č ula at 16:00 and heads to Pola č e (on Mljet island, 1 hour), then Sobra (also on Mljet,
1.25 hours), and finally Dubrovnik (2.75 hours). Unfortunately, the boat doesn't serve
Kor č ula at other times (Sept-June; confirm schedules at www.gv-line.hr ). And there's a
catch: Because the boat originates in Dubrovnik rather than Kor č ula, it can sell out very
quickly—even before tickets are available in Kor č ula. Here's how it works: The only place
to buy tickets is at the Korkyra Info travel agency (see “Helpful Hints,” earlier). They don't
know the number of tickets they have available to sell until mid-morning on the day of de-
parture. If you need to take this boat, drop by Korkyra Info as early as possible (ideally the
daybefore)andasktobeaddedtotheirwaiting list.Thenshowuparound9:00or10:00the
morning of departure to see if tickets are available.
Big, Slow Jadrolinija Car Ferries: Running twice weekly in summer (June-Sept only),
these huge, handy vessels go north from Kor č ula town to Stari Grad on Hvar Island
(20-minute bus ride from Hvar town; 3.75 hours; the catamaran described earlier is faster
and takes you right to Hvar town) and Split (6 hours—catamaran described earlier is faster
and cheaper); or south, to Sobra on Mljet Island (1.25-hour bus ride from the national park,
2.25 hours) and Dubrovnik (4.5 hours). These ferries do not run off-season (Oct-May).
From Vela Luka to Hvar Town and Split: Additional boats connect to points north,
but they depart from the port at Vela Luka, an hour away from Kor č ula town, at the other
end of the island. A Jadrolinija fast catamaran goes daily from Vela Luka to both Hvar
town and Split; unfortunately, on most days it leaves extremely early, with no bus connec-
tionfromKor č ulatogetyouthereintime—ifyou'redesperate,youcouldpayabout400kn
for an early-morning taxi, or sleep overnight in Vela Luka (Mon-Sat departs at 5:30, Sun at