Spirit of Korkyra

There is something about Badija Island that makes it amazingly charming. Maybe it’s the love and connection from the locals. You can always find someone there swimming or just chilling. Or it is just the simple beauty of its monastery or the simple nature with wild deer roaming around. Maybe all of it together! 🙂 That is why we wanted to make it closer to you and write about some of its amazing history. So here we go.. 🙂

A Small Island With a Long Memory

Badija is barely a square kilometre, sitting in the Pelješac Channel about a mile east of Korčula town. In medieval documents it appears under the name Scoleum Sancti Petri – St. Peter’s Islet. The name Badija itself (from the Italian abbazia, meaning abbey) only shows up in the 18th century, once the Franciscan monastery had already defined the island for 300 years. Locals still often just call it “Otok” – the Island.

Long before any of that, Badija was already inhabited. Flint knives found at the Lokva archaeological site in 1959 point to prehistoric use of the island, and they’re on display today at the Korčula Town Museum.

How the Monastery Came to Be

The island’s written history really begins in 1368, in the will of a man named Vlahe Ivanović, who recorded that he’d built the Church of Our Lady on the island of St. Peter and looked after it as its patron. Franciscan friars from the Bosnian Vicariate built a convent beside that church not long after — first mentioned in a 1392 will — and by 1398 Korčula’s Grand Council had granted the friars the entire island.

The monastery held roughly the same quiet rhythm for 500 years, until the early 20th century brought a burst of expansion: a Franciscan institute in 1906, a private lower gymnasium in 1909, an orphanage with an elementary school in 1922, and a boarding school with dormitories soon after. The main building was finished in 1927, along with a new gymnasium hall.

Confiscation and a Long Way Back

After the Second World War, the monastery was confiscated from the Franciscans by the Yugoslav army. Before leaving, the friars quietly distributed the monastery’s relics among other Franciscan houses, hoping to return one day. When the army eventually withdrew, the Korčula municipality handed the complex to a state physical culture association, which redecorated the interior for sport and recreation in 1957. The hotel company Korčula took over management in 1985.

It took until 1991 — nearly 41 years — for the first Holy Mass to be held there again. In 2003, the complex was formally returned to the Franciscan Province of St. Jerome, its original custodians, and in 2006 it was assigned for 99 years to the Franciscans of the Herzegovina Province, who have been working since to restore it as a center for spiritual renewal.

The Deer, and Why They’re There

Ask any guest what they remember most about Badija, and there’s a good chance it’s the deer. Fallow deer roam freely across the island’s pine forest, unbothered by visitors and part of what makes a walk here feel more like stepping into a nature reserve than a historic site. Combined with the car-free paths and the low murmur of the monastery bells, it’s a slower, quieter kind of island than most people expect to find this close to Korčula town.

How Our Tours Bring You to Badija

Badija is one of the regular stops on our kayak routes out of Lumbarda — always on foot, always with time to actually look around rather than just walk through.

Bits of History Whole-Day Kayak Tour

After Vrnik’s old quarries, we paddle on to Badija, where you’ll walk the monastery grounds and pine paths — and very likely run into a few of the resident deer along the way.

Bits of History Half-Day Kayak Tour

Our shorter route still brings you ashore at Badija for a guided walk past the monastery and through the island’s quiet paths, right after the Vrnik stop.

Sunset Kayak Tour

In the softer evening light, Badija’s monastery, olive trees, and deer take on a different mood entirely, before we push on to a final, more secluded stop as the sun goes down.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is Badija Island known for?

Badija is known for its 15th-century Franciscan monastery, its population of free-roaming fallow deer, and its car-free, pine-shaded walking paths. It sits in the Pelješac Channel a mile east of Korčula town.

How do you get to Badija Island?

Badija is reached by boat from Korčula. We bring guests there by sea kayak as part of our Bits of History and Sunset kayak tours departing from Lumbarda.

Are there really deer on Badija Island?

Yes. Fallow deer roam freely across the island and are one of Badija’s most memorable sights for visitors, especially families with kids.

Can you visit the monastery on Badija?

Yes, the Franciscan monastery and its grounds are open to visitors. It’s included on foot as part of our Bits of History and Sunset kayak tours.

Which Spirit of Korkyra tours visit Badija?

Badija is included on our Bits of History Whole-Day Kayak Tour, Bits of History Half-Day Kayak Tour, and Sunset Kayak Tour, each with a stop at the monastery grounds.