Racisce is small settlement and port on the northern side of the island of Korcula, overlooking the tip of the peninsula of Peljesac and the island of Hvar. It is probably the area with best pebble beaches on the island of Korcula. The settlement of Racisce stretches from the western part of the bay of Kneza, where there are several nice pebble beaches, all the way to secluded bays of Samograd and Vaja where two beautiful pebble beaches are located. At the bottom of Racisce bay there are several nice small pebble beaches with showers and the possibility of renting lounge chairs. In the centre of Racisce there are also several concrete piers and slabs that are suitable for swimming and sunbathing. There are several nice restaurants and cafe bars in the vicinity, so these beaches in town centre are rather busy in the high summer season. The pebbles are small and suitable for children, but the water is deep just few meters from the shore, so it is not very suitable for small children. The main beach in village centre is approximately 75 metres long and not very wide, and it is surrounded with tamarisk trees, so it is possible to find some natural shade there, specially in morning and early afternoon. The pebble beach in the centre of Racisce is oriented towards north, and it soaks in the sun from late morning until late afternoon. The beach is well shielded from southern and most western winds, and somewhat open to northern winds. Most of people that visit Racisce spend their time on these beaches in village centre, but in the vicinity there are two beautiful beaches that attract visitors from all over the island of Korcula, Samograd and Vaja.
Vaja is small and shallow bay, located less then a kilometre west of the town of Racisce. At the bottom of the bay, one of the most beautiful pebble beaches on the island of Korcula is located, surrounded by lush vegetation and far from the rush and the noise of tourist centres of the island of Korcula. Accessible only by steep dirt road, this beach offers peace and tranquillity even in the busiest summer days. It is oriented towards north west and frequent summer winds, and offers magnificent views of peninsula Peljesac, island Hvar and islet Scedro. On the beach there are no showers, no cafes, and basically nothing except crystal clear sea, large white pebbles, some natural shade and an old traditional stone house. The beach is gently shelved making it ideal for swimming. The sea around the bay is perfectly transparent and clean - the area is very interesting for snorkelling, since to the west the nearest largest settlement is Prigradica which is more than 16 kilometres away. We would not recommend this beach to families with children since the access by land is rather hard, and the pebbles on the beach are large - there are surely better beaches in the vicinity for families with children. The large stretch of coast from Vaja to the west is one of the longest parts of island Korcula untouched by the construction and tourism development. Up until a few years ago it was not unusual to be alone on the entire beach even in the summer days, but slowly the visitors are discovering this beach more and more. Difficult access still protects this beach from bigger inrush of visitors, so this is still one of the most peaceful beaches on the island of Korcula. Sometimes there are naturists on the beach, even though the beach is not officially designated as FKK beach. Before one lane the dirt road from Racisce was constructed, the beach was very popular among naturists, but after their number is slowly on decline.
Samograd is small, well protected bay located on the northern shore of the island of Korcula, located approximately 1.5 kilometres west from the village of Racisce and 500 metres west from the bay Vaja. On the bottom of the bay, one of the most beautiful pebble beaches is nested, beach Samograd. The bay is easily accessible by one lane road from Racisce, or by narrow path that goes from the bay of Vaja. The bay Samograd is surrounded by beautiful nature, without any houses nearby and without any sigh of civilisation. It is one of the most secluded beaches on the island of Korcula - sometimes it is even possible to be alone there and have the entire bay of Samograd for yourself, so you will not find absolutely no tourist offer there - just perfectly clear sea, warm sun and unspoiled mature. The bay is abundant with lush Mediterranean vegetation, and there is lots of natural shade there. The sea in the bay is shallow, which makes the beach suitable for children. The beach is made of larger pebbles, but they are round and very gentle. The coast around the bay is uninhabited for many kilometres, the sea is perfectly clean and ideal for snorkelling and enjoying rich underwater life. Beach Samograd and entire area west from the village of Racisce is a true paradise for nature and adventure loving tourists. The beach is oriented towards north, and it soaks in the sun from mid morning to late afternoon. It is well protected from prevailing summer winds, and open to strong northern "bura" wind that does not blow frequently in summer months. From Samograd bay there is a beautiful view of the entrance to Peljesac channel. The bay of Samograd is home to cave Samograd, one of the most important prehistorical archaeological sites on the island of Korcula, very rich in biospeleological finds.
