Smokvica
About this place
Smokvica is a Korčula village whose defining landmark is the Parish Church of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as Our Lady of Kandalora. The present three-aisled Neo-Romanesque church was built between 1902 and 1920, with its 36-metre bell tower completed in 1936. Its façade features a rose window and a stone relief of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, while the loggia dates in its present form from 1700. The church was consecrated on 10 October 1920, an anniversary marked locally in August 2020. The parish celebrates its patron, Our Lady of Kandalora, on Candlemas, 2 February. That day brings the Ples od boja sword dance to the square before the church, performed by the Kumpanjija Smokvica association. Kumpanija is a protected Croatian cultural tradition also performed in Pupnat, Čara, Blato and Vela Luka. Roads link Smokvica with the southern Korčula coves of Brna and Zavalatica.
Stays nearby
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Things to see
Beaches
In Brna, Žal is the family choice because its calm, shallow water, pine shade and children’s playground sit together at the head of the bay. The engineered Aminess Lume hotel beach has two bathing areas, a bar and kayak and paddleboard rental. Istruga lies about ten minutes on foot from central Brna; the long, shallow bay is known for liman mud and has two tennis courts at its far end. Pinčena is reached by a narrow path beside Istruga and offers a natural pebble shore beneath pines, with noticeably colder patches around underwater springs.
Things to do
Begin a Smokvica walk at the façade of the Church of the Purification, marked by its rose window and stone relief of the Presentation in the Temple. Continue inside the three-aisled church, built from 1902 to 1920, then look up to the 36-metre bell tower completed in 1936. Pause at the adjacent loggia, which has retained its present form since 1700 and once served as a place for settling village disputes. Around 2 February, the church square becomes the setting for the Ples od boja performed by Kumpanjija Smokvica.
Practical information
Practical information
The Smokvica Tourist Board is based at Brna 525, placing local visitor information in the municipality’s coastal settlement. Smokvica and Brna are approximately five kilometres apart; a car or bicycle is most convenient for combining wineries, the parish church and beaches, while marked trails provide a walking connection through the vineyard landscape. In Brna, a shop and restaurants stand close to Žal Beach, and kayaks or paddleboards can be rented at the hotel beach. Pošip tastings and use of the tennis courts beside Istruga are best arranged in advance.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Brna from Smokvica?
Brna lies approximately five kilometres south of Smokvica on Korčula’s coast.
Is Žal suitable for young children?
Žal has calm shallow water, pine shade and a children’s playground immediately beside the beach.
How long is the walk to Istruga?
The walk from central Brna to Istruga Bay takes approximately ten minutes.
When does Smokvica celebrate Our Lady of Kandalora?
Smokvica celebrates its patron on 2 February, the feast of Candlemas.
Where is Smokvica’s Ples od boja performed?
Nearby
Blato, Korčula
Village · Korčula
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Photo credits
- Smokvica — Photograph by Greg O'Beirne · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
- Blato, Korčula — Quahadi Añtó 19:10, 5 June 2012 (UTC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Pupnat, Čara, Korčula — Marijan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Račišće — Quahadi Añtó 10:17, 15 December 2010 (UTC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
