Sailing around Korcula Island

Photo: Sailing boat crossing Peljesac Channel in the vicinity of Sestrice islet and lighthouse on a fairly windy day

Sailing around Korcula Island is very exciting. The island is surrounded by two very windy channels – Peljesac and Korcula Channel where you can find fantastic winds for sailing activities all year round.

Winds that blow in the area

During the summer, Maestral (Mistral) is the most frequent wind, it blows from the West almost every afternoon. Starting about 12 noon the wind calms down at the dusk. The morning wind is usually Levanat (Levante), the mild Eastern wind, great for beginners.

In the colder periods, Tramontane usually takes place of Maestral as well as Bura (north wind) in dry periods and Sirocco (Jugo) (south wind) in wet parts of the year.

Depending on the season, some of these winds can be pretty strong, cold, and unpleasant and are not really suitable for beginners while more experienced sailors can enjoy its full power.

Photo: moderate Bura (North wind) right in front of Korcula old town (near local Marina) in late September

Photo: Saling boat in Korcula channel

Sailing school and courses

If you are just getting into sailing and watersports activities and would like to take a beginner’s sailing course, there are several places on the Island that offer regular courses during the summers.

Popular Routes: Split to Korcula, Korcula to Split, Dubrovnik to Korcula, Korcula to Dubrovnik

There is one in Korcula Town, another in Prizba, and one in Viganj, a small village on the southern slope of Peljesac.

All of the courses can be pre-booked which is a good idea as they are very popular and get fully booked well in advance.

Photo: Sailing dinghies, kayaks, and windsurfing boards for hire on the local beach

Hiring a sailing boat or dinghy

From May to October, you can rent sailing dinghies from the local hiring places on several points on the Island including Korcula Town, Lumbarda, Vela Luka, and Prizba as well as Viganj, just across the channel.

There are also some larger sailing boats available to rent in the area, some of them really good day cruisers, ideal to take for a day or half-day trip around the local channel.

The prices start at about 50 Euro for two hours of sailing, 75 euro for four hours of sailing. Larger vessels are more expensive, starting from 90 Euro per two hours, 120 Euro per 4 hours etc..

If you wish to pre-book your dinghy or larger sailing boat in advance, please get in touch, I will be happy to help you to arrange one.

Video of sailing in the area:

Short video clip of two sailing boats passing by Korcula Town.

See also a page about hiring a motorboat or kayak on the island.

Photo: Sailing in the sunset