One of the most popular tours on Korčula island is the buggy safari tour — an off-road adventure along dusty back roads, weaving through ancient vineyards and olive groves, paired with stops at the island’s best beaches and ending with a wine tasting. There are now several agencies on Korčula offering some version of a buggy safari tour. But how did it all start, and who was actually the first to bring buggies not just to Korčula, but to Croatia?
We went to the source: Zoran Franotović, founder of Korčula Adventures, the man who brought the very first buggies to the island.
2005: A Cruise Ship Idea Comes Home to Korčula
Long before buggies were parked on Korčula’s dusty back roads, Zoran was working on cruise ships, spending years at sea in the Caribbean. It was there that he noticed something: on island after island, shore excursions built around off-road buggies were consistently among the most popular tours with cruise guests. Tourists wanted adventure, not just another bus tour. When Zoran decided to leave the cruise industry and return home to Korčula, he brought that observation with him. In 2005, Korčula Adventures was founded — and with it, the first buggy safari tour in Croatia on the island of Korčula.
2005: The First Buggies Arrive on Korčula — and in Croatia
In 2005, Zoran imported 20 Chinese-made Xiling 150cc buggies to Korčula. At the time, there was no such thing as a “buggy tour” anywhere in Croatia. Korčula Adventures wasn’t just the first on the island — it was the first in the country. Shortly after, Zoran secured a contract with a major international cruise line, and the business took off. For nearly a decade, Korčula Adventures was the only company on the island offering buggy safaris. The concept proved so successful that it didn’t stay a local curiosity for long. By 2015, travel agencies from Dubrovnik were coming to Korčula specifically to study how the buggy tour operated, to bring a similar product to their own region. Korčula wasn’t following a trend — it had created one.
A Decade as Korčula’s Only Buggy Safari Tour (2005–2017)
It wasn’t until 2017 that a second local agency on Korčula introduced its own buggy tour, independently sourcing the same type of vehicle Zoran had pioneered nearly a decade. Until that point, for almost ten years, Korčula Adventures had the island’s buggy tour market entirely to itself, and remains the only operator that can trace its buggies, and the business built around them, directly back to that original 2005 fleet.
The Chinese Buggies’ Weak Spot — and a Costly Upgrade
The original Xiling buggies got the business off the ground, but they had a real downside: frequent mechanical breakdowns. Running a professional tour on aging, unreliable vehicles wasn’t sustainable for the standard Zoran wanted to deliver, especially with cruise line contracts on the line.
So Korčula Adventures took out a loan and invested in a fleet of Can-Am buggies— a far more durable, professional-grade vehicle built for exactly this kind of terrain and tourism use.
The timing turned out to be brutal. The loan landed right as the global tourism outlook was about to be upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the prospect of paying off a major fleet investment with cruise traffic and bookings about to collapse became increasingly untenable.
2019: The Handover — Korčula Adventures Sells to Korkyra INFO
Facing that reality, Zoran made a decision: in 2019, he approached Vlado Ilišković, owner of Korkyra INFO, the island’s largest local travel agency, and offered to sell the buggy business outright. In Zoran’s own words, he and his team chose Korkyra INFO because they were “the only ones who could take this business to the next level and provide professional service to serious clients.” It’s a decision he says he has never regretted — and he’s said he’s glad to see the tour he pioneered continue to grow under Korkyra INFO’s management.
That sale is the direct line connecting the buggy that first touched Korčula’s roads in 2005 to the Can-Am fleet running daily tours under Korkyra INFO today.
Korkyra INFO’s Buggy Safari Tours Today
Korkyra INFO now runs the buggy experience Zoran started, using a fleet of Can-Am buggies (two-seater and four-seater configurations), across four formats:
Daily Buggy Safari Tour
A four-hour off-road journey through Korčula’s ancient olive groves, terraced vineyards, and back roads that cars and buses rarely reach. The route includes two beach stops — Vela Pržina in Lumbarda, one of the island’s only sandy beaches, and Pejton, a more secluded rocky cove — followed by a local produce tasting at Adria Winery (wine, liqueurs, jams, honey, and olive oil). Departs daily at 10:00 from Korčula Town, with free pickup/drop-off within 5 km. Suitable for all ages; children up to 12 get a 50% discount; a valid driving licence is required only for
the driver.
Buggy Thrill Tour
A faster-paced, two-hour version for guests who want the adrenaline without the full half-day commitment. It packs in off-road sections through olive groves and vineyards, coastal viewpoints, and a swim stop at Vela Pržina beach — plus a free professionally shot video of the ride for every guest.
Private Buggy Safari Tour
A fully private off-road adventure for your group only — no shared departures, no other guests. Choose a 2, 3, or 4-hour program, all using Can-Am buggies in two-seater and four-seater configurations:
- 2 hours — two panoramic viewpoints over the Korčula archipelago and
Pelješac Channel, plus a swim at Vela Pržina sandy beach. From €100 per
person. - 3 hours — everything in the 2-hour program, extended through the
island’s wine roads, finishing with a wine tasting at a local producer.
From €150 per person. - 4 hours — the full safari: both viewpoints, Vela Pržina beach, a
second stop at the more secluded Pejton Beach, and wine tasting. From
€200 per person.
Free pickup/drop-off within 5 km of Korčula Town; children up to 12 get a
50% discount; a valid driving licence is required only for the driver.
Buggy & Torkul Safari Experience
A different side of the island, a different story. Based in Vela Luka, this experience pairs off-road buggy adventure with Torkul by Fanito, an award-winning local olive oil producer run by the Žuvela family, combining adventure, nature, history, and premium olive oil in one outing through Western Korčula. Every tour passes through the most scenic parts of Vela Luka and the Žuvela family’s olive groves, and finishes with a tasting of Torkul’s award-winning oils.
Small groups. Up to 12 people. Five experiences to choose from
🕐 1 hour — Quick Escape from €75
🕑 2 hours — Discovery Experience from €125
🕒 3 hours — Premium Tour from €175
🕓 4 hours — Signature Experience from €225
🕔 5 hours — Secret VIP Tour from €275
Every tour takes you through the most beautiful parts of Vela Luka, the Žuvela family olive groves, and concludes with a tasting of Torkul olive oils.
Why This History Matters
None of this is a footnote — it’s the actual chain of ownership and innovation behind the experience now sold across the island as a “buggy safari”: Anyone claiming to be “the original” buggy tour on Korčula is welcome to put their founding date next to 2005–2008 and let the timeline speak for itself.
Booking a buggy safari on Korčula? Make sure you know the story behind the tour you’re choosing — and the fleet you’ll actually be riding in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who brought the first buggy tour to Korčula?
Korčula Adventures, founded by Zoran Franotović in 2005, brought the first buggies to the island in 2005 — and was the first buggy tour operator in Croatia.
When did buggy safaris start on Korčula?
The first buggies arrived on Korčula in 2005, inspired by off-road shore excursions Zoran had seen while working on cruise ships in the Caribbean.
Who runs the buggy safari tour today?
Korkyra INFO, the island’s largest local travel agency, acquired the buggy business directly from Korčula Adventures and now operates it with a fleet of Can-Am buggies.
What types of buggy tours does Korkyra INFO offer?
Four formats: the four-hour Daily Buggy Safari Tour, the two-hour Buggy Thrill Tour, the private Buggy Safari Tour (2, 3, or 4-hour programs), and the Buggy & Torkul Safari Experience in Vela Luka, run in partnership with Torkul/Fanito olive oil.
How much does the Private Buggy Safari Tour cost?
Pricing starts from €100 per person for the 2-hour program, €150 for the 3-hour program (includes wine tasting), and €200 for the full 4-hour program.
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