Beaches & Vineyards
Lumbarda & the sandy east coast
Korčula · Southern Dalmatia
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Beaches & Vineyards
- COUNTRY
- Croatia
- REGION
- Korčula · Southern Dalmatia
- DURATION
- 2–3 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Lumbarda sits on Korčula’s eastern tip on the island’s only significant sandy soils — the ground that grows Grk, the rare white grape planted almost nowhere else. The village spreads among vineyards and fig trees toward a shoreline of small sandy beaches, led by Bilin Žal and the Pržina cove near the old Greek-era vineyard sites. Shallow, sandy-entry water makes this the island’s family-swimming corner, and wine cellars and konobas sit within walking distance of the beach. Pupnatska Luka, the island’s most photographed cove on the south shore, is a short drive over the ridge.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
Lumbarda’s sandy soils have grown vines since antiquity — the Lumbarda Psephisma, a 4th-century BC Greek inscription found here, is the oldest written document of the Croatian lands and records Greek settlers dividing vineyard land. Grk, the native white of these sands, survived phylloxera and remains one of Croatia’s rarest varieties; the beaches have been the island’s family coast since tourism began.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The sandy beaches of Bilin Žal and Pržina — rare sand on a mostly rocky island.
The Grk vineyards on the sandy soils around the village.
The site of the Lumbarda Psephisma, the 4th-century BC Greek inscription.
The konobas and cellars of the village.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Lumbarda is Korčula’s other half — the sandy, vineyard-lined coast that the old town peninsula is not, and the home of Grk. For a visitor it is the easiest beach-plus-wine afternoon on the island.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
THROUGH THE LENS
From the road
MAP & LOCATION
Lumbarda & the sandy east coast
Lumbarda & the sandy east coast, Korčula, Southern Dalmatia, Croatia
42.9200, 17.1850
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Korčula
THINGS TO DO
Things to do nearby
Walk the Old Town and the Cathedral
02Taste Pošip and Grk at the Cellars
03Hike Hum above Vela Luka
04Cycle the East End: Lumbarda and the Wine Roads
05Sea Kayaking the Archipelago to Badija
06Boat Trip to Proizd and the Vela Luka Islets
07Swim Pupnatska Luka and the Southern Coves
08Camping on Korčula: Port9 and the Island Camps
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Konobas in Korčula old town — harbourfront and lane-level Dalmatian kitchens.
Wine-cellars across the island — Lumbarda for Grk, Smokvica and Čara for Pošip.
Konoba Mate at Pupnat — the interior’s famous garden table.
Waterfront konobas at Pupnatska Luka and Brna — lunch with your feet near the water.
Vela Luka’s riva restaurants — fish, mosaics and the west end’s easy pace.
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Hotels and apartments in Korčula town — for the old town at your doorstep.
Lumbarda — sandy beaches, wine villages and a short hop to the town.
Vela Luka — the west end’s bay town, base for Proizd and Vela Spila.
Aminess Port9 camping resort — seafront pitches in the pine near the old town.
Small family camps at Kneže, Žrnovska Banja and Potirna — quiet, shaded, tent-friendly.
ITINERARIES
Day-by-day routes
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
PART OF
Keep exploring
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