June 23, 2018 – The islets in front of Korcula Town are now more accessible than ever with a new scheduled water taxi service. TCN took a trip to find out more.
Island-hopping in Dalmatia is always popular, but trying to get from one island to another without investing in an expensive speedboat transfer is not always as easy it seems. The islands of Brac, Hvar, Vis and Solta, for example, are all relatively close, but hopping around them without a transit ride via Split is problematic.
Things have improved immensely on Korcula in this regard, with a new introduction for the 2018 season, the Korcula Water Taxi.
A modern-light craft, able to transport up to 12 passengers at a time, recently started operations on a scheduled basis, connecting Korcula Town, the islands of Badija and Vrnik, and Lumbarda, with a simple hop on, hop off option, allowing you to explore the islands in a day, knowing there is a regular schedule so that you can plan your onward journey.
The schedule will soon go to an hourly departure starting from 09:00, but here is the current set up. While this is the scheduled line, there is also the option of transfers to Stupe, Orebic and other bays on request. A one way transfer to the Moro cocktail bar on Stupe, for example, costs 250 for the boat, so if there is a group of you, very affordable indeed.
Owner Norbert kindly agreed to give me a little tour to show what the possibilities were, before heading back to the regular schedule. My first glimpse of the legendary luxury Moro Beach Club, complete with swing in the Adriatic. Idyllic.
The Moro Beach Club on Stupe is the first luxury addition to the islets in front of Korcula, but by no means the last. Accessibility is a key feature, and the arrival of the Korcula Water Taxi will bring additional tourism options for visitors, while encouraging entrepreneurs to develop quality projects on the small islands in front of the town.
There were plenty of other islands to put on the list to visit, including (when I have the money), Sestrice, complete with private residence for rent, butler included. So many fabulous places on the Adriatic one hears little about.
We were beaten to this little bay on Badija, the gateway to a Roman villa rustica. Another gorgeous spot.
The waterfront monastery on Badija gave rather a majestic welcome.
And there were several tourists in position, ready for another lazy day in Dalmatia.
Badija also has a rich sporting heritage, and it was used as a training camp for several sports, including the famous Kostalic skiing siblings. I decided not to stop off on Badija this time, as my initial interests were elsewhere, but that is the beauty of the Korcula Water Taxi service. With a fixed and regular schedule, the islands are finally accessible to your timetable and not the other way round.
Surely the cutest boat house in all Dalmatia…
The taxi is a very modern boat, which premiered at the boat show in Biograd this year, and Norbert was one of the first buyers. For those who struggle getting in and out of boats, no such problems here – the easiest experience I have some across, with the friendly skippers on standby if you need assistance.
And so to Badija, the small island made famous for its stone, and a chance to check out the latest renovation project on these islnads, the Vrnik Art House, a total renovation of the old school. Complete with classroom and how it looked in years gone by.
Next to the classroom, an art gallery, which will be home to revolving exhibitions through the summer.
And while the food in the school canteen may have been nothing to write home about in years gone by, modern chefs doing the morning preparation for the school’s new restaurant. Upstairs, final preparations are underway for two luxury rooms to rent.
And if you ever wondered how mattresses get delivered on islands, it is something like this.
The small island used to have some 60 stone workers in the quarries, and Vrnik stone is highly prized. The stone was transferred from the quarries down to the beach by rail and then loaded onto boats – the last remnants of the prcocess are still visible.
And all along the way, old stone ruins on the water, which used to house the stone prior to onward transportation. They would make for wonderful holiday cottages, or perhaps a small museum to the stone heritage of Vrnik.
And if you are looking for a swim away from the crowds, there are several options on Vrnik.
Only a couple of people live on the island these days, but there used to be quite a community (as the existence of a school would suggest), and there are plenty of quaint buildings to explore.
Chill, have a bite to eat or move on – the choice is yours with the Korcula Water Taxi service. After some light refreshment, onward we moved…
… to Lumbarda and the chance of wine tasting the famous Grk. But that is another story.
Learn more about the options of Korcula Water Taxi here.
