Vela Luka, on the western side of Korčula, hits differently than the rest of the island. It’s greener, quietly wilder, and predominantly built on olive groves rather than vineyards. The place once held the title of the single most olive-rich spot in the country — in the 1970s, Korčula accounted for 20% of all olive trees in the former Yugoslavia, and Vela Luka alone accounted for 10% of that total. Today, Vela Luka still accounts for 10 to 12% of Croatia’s total olive oil production — and in an exceptionally good year, as much as 15%.
The olive groves and the mill you’ll visit on this buggy safari experience both belong to the Žuvela family. Founder Fanito Žuvela built Torkul into Croatia’s first olive oil to carry a protected designation of origin, blending the island’s two indigenous varieties — Lastovka and Drobnica — in a ratio the family still keeps secret.
Around 2,000 productive trees go into every harvest, hand-picked and pressed within four hours — a cold, centrifugal process with no added water and no filtering, the way it’s been done in Vela Luka for generations. Today Fanito’s daughter, Marija Žuvela, runs the mill, having taken over day-to-day production. “The secret of our oils is love, respect, and passion for the olive, for olive oil, for family tradition,” she says. It’s this mill, Marija and Frane, the youngest member of the Žuvela family, who will be your guides and hosts on Buggy & Torkul Safari.
You’ll drive powerful Can-Am buggies along dusty backroads through the Žuvela family’s olive groves, climb to panoramic viewpoints over the western coast, and stop at Vela Spila — a cave inhabited on and off for more than 20,000 years, one of the most important prehistoric sites in Europe. Every route ends the same way: at the Torkul mill, tasting the extra virgin olive oil that carries Croatia’s first protected mark of authenticity.
Every program drives through the same olive-grove backroads. What changes is how deep into the story — and the tasting — you go.`
1 hour · €75 per person
A fast introduction for guests short on time. Two panoramic viewpoints, a stop at the Torkul mill, a visit to Vela Spila cave, and an introduction to three types of Torkul olive oil with a short explanation of Vela Luka’s olive-growing tradition. Perfect for: cruise and yacht-ship stopovers, guests staying nearby, a first taste of the safari before deciding to go deeper. Includes: buggy ride · 2 panoramic viewpoints · Torkul mill visit · Vela Spila visit · introduction to 3 Torkul olive oils · olive-growing tradition briefing
2 hours · €125 per person
More driving, more story. Three panoramic viewpoints and a visit to the Žuvela family’s own olive groves, followed by a guided tasting of Torkul oils and an education session on olive varieties and how the oil is actually made. Perfect for: guests who want the full production story, not just the tasting. Includes: buggy ride · 3 panoramic viewpoints · Žuvela family olive grove visit · olive oil tasting · guided tasting session · olive variety & production education
3 hours · €175 per person
The blend of adventure and gastronomy done properly. Three viewpoints, Vela Spila, the Žuvela olive groves, and a professional guided tasting of three premium olive oils — finished with a gourmet snack and wine.
Perfect for: couples and small groups who want a half-day out without rushing any part of it. Includes: buggy ride · 3 panoramic viewpoints · Vela Spila visit · Žuvela family olive grove visit · professional guided tasting of 3 premium oils · gourmet snack with wine
4 hours · €225 per person
The most complete version of the safari. A minimum of 2 hours 30 minutes of actual buggy driving across four spectacular viewpoints, Vela Spila, the Žuvela olive groves, and a hands-on workshop where you blend your own olive oil — followed by a premium gourmet plate, wine, and homemade cake, with free time built in to explore and photograph the area. Perfect for: guests who want the definitive Korčula olive oil experience, not the highlights reel. Includes: buggy ride (2h30 min driving) · 4 panoramic viewpoints · Vela Spila visit · Žuvela family olive grove visit · olive oil tasting · production education (3 oil types) · blend-your-own-oil workshop · premium gourmet plate with wine · homemade cake · free exploration time
5 hours · €275 per person
An exclusive, tailor-made day built around what you want most — hidden locations most visitors never find, the island’s best gastronomy, and the full arc of the Buggy & Torkul story at an unhurried pace. Because it’s built around your group, the exact stops are confirmed directly with you when you book.
Perfect for: guests who want Korčula’s best kept in one private, unhurried day. Includes: everything in the Signature Experience, customized · hidden/secret locations · premium gastronomy throughout · itinerary confirmed with your group before departure
Five formats, from a quick one-hour taste to a five-hour VIP day, mean the safari fits a free afternoon or a full day out. All of them combine adventure, history, and gastronomy in a way very few Korčula tours do.
