Samograd is really close to another one of those perfect spots we mentioned in our listing of Top Ten Beaches on Korčula – Vaja.
It’s also near Račišće, it’s also a place you probably won’t just stumble upon, you’ll have to know that’s where you’re going to get there, but it’s actually much easier to get to Samograd than it is to get to Vaja. And you know what that means on an island like Korčula: that there will be more people on a beach which is easier to reach. Well, in theory, yes. In practice, I’ve never been to Samograd and wished that there are less people around. While not necessarily wider than Vaja beach, Samograd beach has a kind of “depth”, where it’s possible to go a bit further inland and still be on (or near) the beach.
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Samograd beach is within walking distance from Račišće (it’s about a 3 kilometers walk in each direction, practically without any significant uphill or downhill sections), and you’ll be walking on the road without much traffic – mostly just people going to the same place where you’re going. Make sure you bring plenty of water with you if you decide to walk to Samograd in the summer, as there is no restaurants, bars or anything else to get water from once you get to the beach. If you don’t really feel like walking, you can drive much closer to the beach itself, some 500 meters away, park your car there (there isn’t any organized parking spots or anything, but you’ll easily see where to leave your car in order to go to Samograd)
The sea is perfectly clear on the beach, the pebbles are practically soft from all that rumbling in the afternoon maestral, so it’s a dreamy spot to go for a relaxing swim and working on your tan. The sea has that perfect blend of all the colors you need to fully relax while snorkeling.
There isn’t much shade on the beach, although it is possible to find some spots to put your towel on in a shade at the sides of the beach, or even if you go a bit inland, where the trees are. The beach is facing towards North-West, so if you know anything about Korčula you probably know that it means that there will be some wind in the afternoon, but the cove at the bottom of which the beach is situated is quite deep, so it won’t be too bad, and besides, that only means that there will probably be a lower number of sailboats moored in the cove in the afternoon. Vaja beach is facing to the maestral even more than Samograd is.
But, if you’re one of those people who has problems with the wind, just go in the morning and if maestral becomes too much for you in the afternoon, you will have enjoyed the beach already.
Quite near the beach, and very close to the place to which you can come in your car, there’s another gem that might be worth exploring: the Samograd cave. The entrance to the cave is on the eastern slopes of Samograd hill at 165 meters above sea level. It is composed of two larger underground halls interconnected with a cave channel in a west-easterly direction. Layout length is 70 m, while the total length of canals is 120 m. The cave entrance is at its highest part, so be very careful if you decide to enter it, as the cave is 45 m deep, so approach it cautiously. If you’re not into cave exploring, taking a walk on the woody hills around the Samograd beach can also be a wonderful way to offset some of that beach laziness and that wonderful meals and wine you’ll have while on Korčula.
