Blato and the south of the island travel guide

The inland town of Blato is in a fertile valley on the main road running the length of the island from Vela Luka (7 km) to Korčula Town (38 km). There is nothing on offer for tourists, but it is the economic and administrative centre of the island and the second largest town after Vela Luka. The centre is traversed by a 1-km-long avenue of lime trees, and the oldest part of town is made up of 17th- and 18th-century stone houses, many unfortunately abandoned or empty. Like many other places on the Croatian islands, Blato suffers from depopulation: while the present population stands around 3700, there are now about 15,000 people claiming to originate from Blato living in Sydney, Australia. South of town, a steep winding road (served by a sporadic bus service) leads to the south side of island, where you’ll find a number of small but pleasant pebble beaches and several villages, the most popular being Prižba and Prišcapac, offering rooms to let by the sea.

If you do have to stay here for some time, it’s worth taking a peek at the raised piazza, known as Plokata, a street back from the main road and overlooked by the 17th-century All Saints’ Church. Inside, there is a chapel dedicated to Sv Vincenza (St Vincent, the town’s protector), later constructed to house the bones of the saint, which were returned here by the consent of Pope Pius VI (1775-1799). Opposite the church is an open-sided loggia from 1700.

Each year on 28 April, St Vincent’s Day, the Kumpanjija sword dance (similar to the Moreška in Korčula) is performed here .