The Korcula to Kocje Hike

After the amazing hiking we did on Hvar with kids, we knew we wanted to try more hiking in Croatia. We got the opportunity to do an amazing Korcula hike during our two days in Korcula with kids. In fact, the Korcula to Kocje hike was some of the best hiking on our entire family trip to Croatia!

Korcula Hiking Trail to Kocje

Not far from Korcula Town, the Kocje Protected Area is a small natural area within a narrow valley with some pretty amazing rock formations. Kocje is overgrown with moss and ivy vines, turning the place vibrant green, even in the shade, making the whole place feel magical.

This post contains compensated links.

Hiking from Korcula to the Kocje Protected Area

Leg 1 – Hike from Korcula to Fortica

We left our rental apartment just south of the Korcula Old Town to begin our day of Korcula hiking at 7:45am. We had the kids in their carriers at first so we could get some good hiking distance under our belts quickly. We started hiking west up a set of stairs on Bernarda Bernardi.

These stairs wind their way through some local houses until you leave the Korcula, cross a road and enter a park.

The stairs continue upwards up a reasonably steep hill, but soon enough you reach the top where you find “Fortica“, a small fort built by the British in the early 1800’s.

You can’t go inside Fortica, but it’s fun to take a quick walk around. Sadly, after all that effort climbing the stairs to see Fortica, the surrounding trees block the view of the historical Korcula Old Town below. 

Leg 2 – Hiking from Fortica to Zrnovo

After a minute or two walking around Fortica, we continued our day of Korcula hiking down the hill on the opposite side of the fortress until we arrived at the main highway.

We had to hike on the edge of the highway for about a kilometer when we were able to turn off and start hiking on a country road. Watch for the sign to Kocje to know where to turn.

Soon you’ll arrive at a junction with the Korcula hiking trail forking into three – take the middle one.

The kids loved running along this quiet road on Korcula, where we didn’t see another soul.

Leg 3 – Zrnovo

This well-treed Korcula hiking trail leads you to Zrnovo, one of the oldest settlements on Korcula Island. Zrnovo is a really beautiful, historic town and it’s worth slowing down to soak it in. There are a lot of beautiful old buildings, churches, ruins of old houses, flower gardens, etc.

If you are there late enough in the day, there is a café in Zrnovo to stop and enjoy some refreshments. We put the kids back in their toddler carriers so they could enjoy a snack while we hiked slowly south though Zrnovo (while also not having to worry about them on the roads).

Soon we turned west at what appeared to be a WWI memorial. This road leads you out of Zrnovo and back onto an old country road. It is here that you get your first taste of the interesting rock formations you’ll see throughout the countryside on this enjoyable Korcula hike to Kocje.

Leg 4 – Hiking from Zrnovo to Kocje Protected Area

After leaving Zrnovo, the scenery along this section of the Korcula hiking trail to Kocje is amazing, with vineyards, old ruins, rock walls, church towers in the distance, etc.

After about a half-mile (800 m) of hiking, watch for a small green Kocje sign in the grass, pointing to a hiking trail which veers off to the right.

There is a tall hill with many interesting rock formations on it to your right. This new Korcula hiking trail takes you around to the west side of it, ending at the Kocje Protected Area.

The last section of this Korcula hiking trail to Kocje is pretty challenging and it will slow you down. The hiking trail becomes a single person trail through tightly packed shrubs, trees and bushes.

This section of the hike to Kocje was especially tough for us hiking with kids – our two year old didn’t like bushwhacking and wanted to be carried, which made getting through even harder. Thankfully, our four year old ran through the stuff as if it wasn’t even there.

Leg 5 – Kocje Protected Area

Your reward for getting through this tight section of Korcula hiking trail is the Kocje Protected Area. You enter the Kocje Protected Area through a small valley with large, interesting rocks on both sides.

Kocje is a very special place and our kids absolutely loved running around and exploring. In fact, our time at Kocje turned out to be our favorite thing to do on Korcula with kids.

The Kocje hiking trail descends into the valley below and it just becomes this magical emerald forest. You really need to hike to the Kocje Protected Area to see it with your own eyes – words and pictures can’t really do it justice.

Moss and ivy cover every inch of Kocje and it just glows green, even in the shade. It’s a bit slippery in the Kocje Protected Area, with some large rock steps to maneuver, so watch your kids closely.

Leg 6 – Hiking from Kocje to Zrnovo

We didn’t find it easy to find our way out of the Kocje Protected Area, but the hiking trail continues to the north, so keep looking, it’s there.

You emerge from the Kocje Protected Area and end up on a Korcula hiking trail which runs east-west. To head back to Zrnovo a different way, go west.

This section of the Korcula hiking trail is along a country road which gives you some amazing views of the Adriatic Sea and the Peninsula Peljesac below.

Leg 7 – Hiking Zrnovo to Korcula Old Town

When we finished hiking back to Zrnovo, we took the time to walk up the main street again and then we walked back to Korcula via a different hiking route.

We left Zrnovo on the same path we came in on, but almost immediately, we turned left. This Korcula hiking trail takes you north, going steeply downhill. The bottom sections of this hiking trail are overgrown bush as well, which isn’t overly enjoyable, but it’s a short stretch.

The hiking trail comes out at a paved road. Turn west until the road comes to a T-intersection, where you turn right (east) on Zrnovska Banja.

Unfortunately, this is a paved road the whole way back to Korcula, which can be a little busy at times, but the payoff is that this beautiful Korcula walk hugs the Adriatic Sea nearly the whole way back.

You follow the road around several bends and into many little coves, with charming little boats and incredibly blue water. Our feet were getting a little sore by this point and walking on pavement didn’t help, but we sucked it up and enjoyed the incredible coastal scenery which makes this part of Croatia special.

Hiking Korcula to Kocje Trail Map

At the time we enjoyed this amazing hike, we couldn’t find any hiking maps online. To be honest, we took a few wrong turns and maybe didn’t take the best possible route.

Fast forward to today, and there is a hiking map for the Korcula hiking trail to the Kocje Protected Area. It’s not the exact route we took, but that’s probably a good thing!

Korcula to Kocje Hike Stats

All together, this amazing Korcula hike to Kocje took us 4.5 hours and covered just over 7.5 miles (12 km). The hike from Korcula to Kocje starts at sea level and reaches as high as 745 ft (227 m) above. Wear good hiking shoes as the hiking trail can get rocky, uneven or wet at times.

We carried our kids on all the roads, but they were able to hike almost half the distance themselves. This was a great Korcula hiking trail for kids and it kept them interested the whole way, which in turn kept us happy too!

Found this post helpful? Pin It For Later!