Croatia Island Hopping: Korcula and Mljet National Park

Hi, everyone! Where do you want to go next? What about island hopping in Croatia? This week, I’ll take you to Korcula and Mljet National Park! 🌿✨🌊

Honestly, I don’t have many things to say about my Croatia island hopping trip because… the towns are very small and I was there for just one night in each town.

However, when you read this blog post, I hope to give you a virtual tour experience in Korcula and Mljet National Park 😊

Ah, actually, I spent two nights in Korcula! That was because Mljet National Park was small and only two restaurants were there. Plus, the sea was a bit rough that day.

So, our captain suggested we explore the national park in the afternoon, then sail to Korcula and spend a night there as it’s the nearest town.

I was hoping that we’d stay in Makarska instead, but it turned out to be a beautiful second night in Korcula! Alright, these are the things that you will see in Korcula (Korčula) and Mljet National Park:

Korcula Day 1: Exploring the Birth Town of Marco Polo

Wait, I thought Marco Polo was an Italian? He was born in Venice!

Yes, but there’s a high chance he was born in Korcula since the town was part of the Venetian Republic in the 13th century.

Btw, if you don’t know who this guy is, he’s a famous medieval merchant who became a famous writer and traveller. Marco Polo was one of the first Europeans who travelled the Silk Road trade route.

According to Korcula, Marco Polo was born here and then moved to Venice (he was a Venetian citizen). So, how did a merchant become a famous writer and traveller?

One day, during the battle between the Venetian and Genovese states, Marco Polo was taken as a prisoner. In the prison, he wrote a book about his experience exploring China.

But actually, the one who made him famous was his cellmate, Rusticello!

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Rusticello published a book “The Travels of Marco Polo” that became a sensation, since at that time, many Europeans were curious about the other side of the world (aka the East).

Marco Polo’s detailed explanation of the exotic Chinese culture, such as the use of ceramics and coal in China, thrilled the Europeans.

His travel stories inspired many merchants and explorers to follow his route, including Christopher Columbus.

Also read: “Croatia Island Hopping: Makarska”
Also read: “Krka National Park and Trogir Day Trip from Split, Croatia”

I didn’t have much luck with Korcula because when I was there for the first time, it was on the weekend so all the shops were closed. Yes, including the Marco Polo House + Museum! 😢😢😢

Then, the second time I was there, I arrived in the evening so the museum was already closed. Ouch! 🤧🤧🤧

There’s nothing much to see and do in this town. This town is perfect for those who want a leisure walk and eat fresh seafood with wine by the sea.

If you’re a budget traveller, there’s a pizza restaurant where you can eat a 10-15 euros pizza while admiring the beautiful Adriatic Sea.

There’s only one street filled with restaurants by the sea, the pizza place is the first restaurant 😉

There’s a famous bar, Massimo, located in a tiny part of the historical castle. It’s a tourist trap TBH, even my tour leader said that. The drinks are so-so but priced at around 15 euros and above per glass.

When I googled Massimo Bar, it looked like a cramped ‘rooftop bar’ with average drinks. If money isn’t an issue for you and you’re curious about the bar, go for it!

For me, I’d rather spend my money on food because my base currency is weak (1 euro = 5 ringgit) 🥲

On my first day, I decided to have dinner in a small restaurant in an alley. The place looked cozy on that chilly evening and many locals were there.

It served pasta and seafood, so I ordered shrimp broth pasta which cost me 24 euros (around RM122).

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It was super expensive for me, but I didn’t feel like eating pizzas in Croatia. I wanted to eat fresh seafood. Luckily, the pasta was nice, with thick red, shrimp broth…

Let me be fancy once in a while ✨🦐🍝

I feel happy that I did this Croatia island hopping trip. If I went by myself or joined a ground tour, I would only visit big cities like Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik.

Oh, the charm of small Croatian towns! 💖💖💖

Also read: “Wanderlust, Behind the Scene 2024”
Also read: “Sibenik Day Trip from Split, Croatia”

Croatia Island Hopping: Mljet National Park

Alright, this is my personal opinion… I feel there’s nothing much to see in Mljet National Park either. It was a big park with two big, beautiful lakes surrounded by trees.

It’s good for a leisure walk or cycling, but that’s all. Photography-wise, nothing much to capture 😅

Since I’m short, I skipped the cycling activity because I doubted the operator had a children’s bike that suited my height. So, I walked with my tour leader, Klara, and Sergio, an intern at the tour company.

Ah, actually, my roommate Taylor wanted to join us. But suddenly she didn’t feel good right before we enter the national park. Get well soon, Taylor!

The walking path in Mljet National Park was very straightforward and smooth. There was a boat that would take you to The Church and Benedictine Monastery on St.Mary’s Island.

Klara only showed us the way and then headed back to the cruise. Usually, crews of cruise operators could board the boat for free.

But Sergio didn’t have a ticket for the boat and couldn’t provide the internship letter, so he couldn’t visit St.Mary’s Island. Poor Sergio!

It took around twenty minutes by boat to get there because the island is within the national park. Both the church and island were tiny, you could explore everything in around thirty minutes.

Oh by the way, the boat ticket is included in the Croatia island hopping package.

Oh, I almost missed the return boat back to the national park! I thought the queue was long, so I went to the toilet.

When I came out from the toilet, the guy had just taken off the rope from the stone and the boat was ready to sail away.

I screamed and ran towards him. Everyone on the boat looked at me in disbelief, some were relieved. Because that was the last return schedule – otherwise, I had to stay overnight on that tiny island!!!

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And so… I managed to return to the cruise before 4pm, the meeting time, and sailed to Korcula 😁😁😁 Captain Frane was right, the wave was huge on that day and it started to rain…

Although Mljet National Park is small, if you’re interested in doing a Croatia island hopping trip, it’s worth stopping by. Maybe you could suggest your captain to stop by for just for half a day 😉

Also read: “Croatia Cruise Review: Salve Di Mare”
Also read: “Jiuzhaigou, A Dream Destination for Nature Lovers”
Also read: “I Almost Died in the Breathtaking Huanglong Scenic Area, China”

Korcula Day 2: Having Snacks as Dinner

When Klara announced that we would spend another night in Korcula after visiting Mljet National Park, I was 50/50, as in happy but “o-oow…”

Because dining in Korcula was super pricey!! 😂😂😂

Luckily, I had a balanced and healthy lunch onboard, so it was okay if I didn’t have a proper dinner.

Double luck – the second time I went there was on a weekday. So, more restaurants were opened. In addition, the mini shopping mall, mini markets, bakery, and shops were also opened!

I was so happy when I saw a mini market. At first, I wanted to buy an avocado and chips for dinner. But… I didn’t know how to choose a ripe avocado lol…

So, I only bought spicy lentil chips and vanilla gelato. There, I had corn and milk = let’s consider I had a healthy dinner. And they only cost me 7 euros. Ahahaha😁😁😁

For the drink, I filled up my water bottle with mineral water from the cruise before looking for dinner 😸😸😸

Okay, that’s the end of our Croatia island hopping tour for this week! I hope you enjoy the trip to Korcula and Mljet National Park. Have a wonderful week ahead 🪻🪻🪻

Also read: “Mount Fuji, Japanese Snacks, and Guesthouse Gaku Hakone”
Also read: “Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Okonomimura, and MAC Bar”

💖 15% OFF ALL TOURS! Click below and enter my discount code: 💖

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Click “Add Promo Code / Voucher” and enter CLARA15 when you checkout at onelifeadventures.com