Rich finds inside the cavern of Vela Spilja testify to a Neolithic culture and contacts with the other regions of the Mediterranean Sea. In the 2nd century ACN the Illyrians built the fortresses, with stones from the neighboring island of Vrni, preserved until today. First Greek colonization, in the 6th century BC, the island being named "Corcyra Melaina". On this island is the oldest Croatian monument, a 4th century stele ACN, "Psephis de Lumbarda", evoking the founding of the City of Korcula. The Emperor Augustus who occupied Korcula in 35-34 ACN enslaved the entire population of the island, the Adriatic coast was at that time a territory attached to the Roman province of Illyricum. At the fall of the Roman Empire Korcula is found under the regency of King Ostrogoth Theodoric. From 535, Byzantine regency, under the reign of Emperor Justinian. In 925, enthronement of the 1st Croatian King, Tomislav. In the year 1000, the Doge Pietro II Orseolo of Venice occupies the island, the Venetian regency ending in 1420. Meanwhile, it is in 1254 that was born in Korcula, the Venetian explorer Marco Polo. In 1571, after the ravages of the plague of 1529, the Korculan push the imposing Turkish fleet on the eve of the "Battle of Lepanto". Korcula was ruled by Austria, then France, before Austria-Hungary and from 1813 to 1815 it was also under the tutelage of the British Navy, until the Congress of Vienna. In 1871 Korcula passed under Croatian trusteeship. Uniting with the Kingdom of Serbia, a 1st Yugoslavia emerged. Italy annexed Korcula from 1941 to 1944 and thus the second Yugoslavia was created in 1945, before Croatian independence, in 1991. Today Korcula is the most populated island in Croatia.

The most renowned products are the red ("Plavac") and white ("Grk", "Posip" and "Rukatac") wines, as well as the old-fashioned pressed olive oil. We cook mostly lamb then goat and mutton. Smoked ham "prsut" is considered the end of the end. We also cook fish, especially "plava" and "brodet", often accompanied by "palenta" prepared from cornmeal. The fish are cooked on the grill, in frying or court-bouillon. The inhabitants of the island prepare delicious cheeses with goat or sheep milk. As desserts, you can taste "prikle": fritters fried in oil with raisins and almonds, the "sirnica": a sweet bread of particular shape or the "lumblija" a sweet and spicy bread. The "Moreška", taking place during the summer twice a week, is a traditional dance show reminiscent of the medieval battles between the Moors and the Christians.

The coves and bays allow many water activities ; swimming, scuba diving, kayaking or windsurfing.