Orebić

Orebić is the largest settlement on western Pelješac and the only one that keeps a full rhythm all year. The gardens of 19th century sea captains’ villas run down to the waterfront, and above it all stands Sveti Ilija, almost a thousand metres high. The mountain shelters the town and gives it a milder microclimate than this latitude would suggest.

There is a school here, a doctor, a pharmacy, a bank and shops that stay open in January. The ferry to Korčula runs all day and the crossing takes fifteen minutes, which puts the town of Korčula closer than most places on the peninsula itself. If you are looking for a house to live in rather than only to summer in, Orebić is the first place we will show you.

Summer is lively without being overrun. Trstenica, the long pebble beach east of the centre, absorbs most of the visitors while the old part of town stays calm. The season runs June to September, and after that Orebić returns to itself: the cafés stay open, the school bell rings, the same people meet on the waterfront each morning. That is the difference buyers only feel in November.

The choice here is the widest on the peninsula. Captains’ villas usually sell floor by floor, behind them sit family houses from the seventies and eighties that need refreshing, and on the slopes towards the mountain there are new builds with a view. Front row properties come up rarely and are usually sold before anyone gets round to publishing a listing.