VELA LUKA, a town and port on the western side of the island of Korcula, 45 km to the west of the town of Korcula. The major part of the town spreads over the slopes of Spilinski Rat (150 m) and the mildly descending plateau between the Rat and the Humic elevation (183 m). The surrounding hills protect it from the northerly and southerly winds; the landward breeze often blows in the summer. Main occupations are farming, wine production, olive growing and processing, fruit growing, fishing, fish and food processing, shipbuilding and tourism. The coastal strip including the small islands (Proizd, Kamenjak, Osjak and Gubesa) represents a rich fishing ground.

Vela Luka is commonly called the oldest and the youngest town on the island of Korcula. The oldest because of Vela Spilja, but the place was not important until the end of the 18th century. Today, Vela Luka is an important tourist centre, known for its beautiful scenery - the islets (Osjak), inlets (Triporti), olive groves - beyond the Croatian borders.

Excursion boats start from the promenade towards attractive places in the bay of Vela Luka, primarily to Osjak, the island of love, the protected forest park, and the island of Prozid, designated to accommodate excursionists. The Kale cove contains deposits of medicinal marine mud and the spring of radon mineral water, used for hundreds of years to cure various disorders, primarily rheumatic diseases. A modern health resort, including Kalos, a hospital for medicinal rehabilitation with modern diagnostic centre and physical therapy, was built there in the 1960s.

Apart from intact nature, Vela Luka offers its visitors all other advantages of modern tourism, from quality accommodation, over the variety of restaurants offering seafood and quality wines, to sports and recreational facilities (tennis, yachting, surfing, etc.) and entertainment. Many find the Croatian folk songs sung by fishermen of Vela Luka in the evening hours the most impressive attraction. The St. Joseph's Day (19th of March) is a traditional feast, accompanied by religious and cultural events and programs.

There is a prehistoric archaeological site Vela Spilja (Neolithic). The one-nave church of St. John in the region of Gradina was first mentioned in the 15th century; it has a bell tower on the main front ("na preslicu"), and a Gothic vault. The parish church and the belfry were built in neo-historicist style.