Located roughly two hours from the island of Korčula is Ston, a small town and municipality located in the south of the Pelječac peninsula. While the town itself has under 600 inhabitants today, back during the Ragusan Republic, Ston was an important military fort - and its protective walls have made the area well-known today.
One of the reasons many people visit the area is because of the Ston Walls. Connecting the town of Ston and smaller ‘Mali Ston’, these 5.5 kilometer defensive walls were originally once 7 kilometers long. Known as the ‘European Wall of China’, construction first began on this popular attraction back in 1358. The Ston Walls were completed in the 15th century, along with 40 towers (only 20 survived), and five fortresses. The wall can be walked in its entirety today.
Ston is also famous for its saltworks which were operated by the Ragusan Republic and the Ottoman Empire - and they have been used, consistently, for 4,000 years. Among the oldest in the Mediterranean, the production at these saltworks hasn’t changed much in all these years - and Ston’s facility produces salt for both domestic and industrial use.
Additionally, Ston is known for their mariculture - and particularly, for oyster farming. The tradition of oyster farming in Dalmatia dates back to Roman times, and records from the 17th-century have shown details of the first collection and sale of oysters. Today, the Bay of Mali Ston boasts two oyster species - the European Flat Oyster and the mussel. On St.Joseph’s Day (March 19th), when oysters are fullest and tastiest, restaurants in Ston and Mali Ston prepare feasts for visitors to the area.
Ston boasts many wonderful seafood restaurants, most notably Kapetanova Kuća and Bota Šare in Mali Ston.
If you're traveling to Ston from Korčula (with and without a car)
If you're traveling without a car from Korčula, you can take the foot passenger ferry from Korčula to Orebić. Leaving from the heart of Korčula town, this ferry takes just fifteen minutes and costs 15 kuna in the peak season. The ferry also runs up to 16 times a day in the summer months. You can find more information here.
If you are traveling by car, you will need to take the ferry from Dominče, around 2 kilometers from Korčula's town center, to Orebić. This ferry takes just 20 minutes and runs up to 18 times a day in the peak season. Ticket prices will vary depending on how you are traveling, but you can find more information here.
From Orebić, guest without a car will need to take the bus to Ston, which takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. You can find more information here. If you're traveling by car from Orebić to Ston, the drive takes just over one hour and follows the D414 road straight to Ston.
