Six small coves you won't find on the postcards — most reachable only by boat, kayak, or a determined walk down something the locals would call a path.
Korčula has about a hundred and eighty kilometres of coastline and most of it is bays. Some are signposted. Most aren't. Some are reached by tarmac road, some by gravel, some by a path that looks at first like a goat track and turns out, after fifteen minutes, to deliver you to the most beautiful place you've ever swum.
Here are six of my favourites, ordered roughly by how hard they are to reach. None of them will be empty in August, but most of them will be quiet most of the time.
Tri Žala
Walking distance from Račišće on the north coast — three little pebble bays in a row, each separated by a low spine of rock. The first one has a small bar in summer and a handful of umbrellas. The second and third are quieter; walk an extra ten minutes and you can have a stretch of water to yourself even in high season. Shade comes in the afternoon. Bring a snorkel — the fish here are unbothered.
Pupnatska Luka
The picture-postcard bay on the south coast, an hour from Vela Luka. Park at the top of the hill and walk down the switchback road on foot if the parking at the bottom looks full (it usually is, after eleven). The konoba at the back of the bay, Konoba Pupnatska Luka, does a slow grilled fish lunch and will hold a table if you call ahead. Stay for sunset if you can — the bay faces south-west and the colour on the cliffs at the end of the day is something you'll remember.
Žitna
South coast near Žrnovo, in a tiny inlet with white pebbles and almost no facilities. The road in is narrow and feels wrong; keep going. There's nothing at the bottom — no shade you don't bring, no toilet, no bar. Which is the point. The water is the clearest of any beach you can reach by car on the island.
Vaja
Just past Tri Žala, reached by a fifteen-minute walk down a steep, rocky track that would be illegal in most other countries. The track is the reason it stays empty. Wear proper shoes, not flip-flops. The reward is a deep little cove with vertical cliffs on three sides and water that goes straight from your feet to ten metres dark blue.
Stiniva (Korčula's, not the famous one on Vis)
A narrow inlet between two cliffs north of Brna. Best by kayak — paddle in, swim around in a hidden pool of perfectly still water, paddle out. You can also reach it by a difficult walking trail, but the kayak is the right way. Pack a snorkel.
The unnamed bay west of Gradina
I'm not going to give you a pin. Take a small boat from Vela Luka, head west along the coast for about twenty minutes past the entrance to the bay, and look carefully for a narrow gap between the rocks. You'll know it when you see it. There's a tiny crescent of pebble inside, a wall of cliff behind, and no chance of company. Bring lunch.
Renting a boat for the day
If you don't want to take a skipper, several places in Vela Luka rent small motor boats that don't require a licence — typically up to a certain horsepower. Expect around eighty to a hundred and fifty euros for the day depending on size, fuel separate. You can be in a bay no road reaches by ten in the morning. It's the single best way to spend a day on this island.
