Vela Luka is a town and port located in a deep bay on the westernmost side of the island of Korcula. Chief occupations are farming, wine production, olive growing and processing, fruit growing, fishing, fish and food processing, shipbuilding and tourism. The place is protected from the northerly and southerly winds by the surrounding hills and the very pleasant and refreshing landward breeze often blows in the summer. The coastal strip including the small islands represents a rich fishing ground. There are regular ferry connections with Split and Lastovo.

As developed urban centre, Vela Luka is known for tourism, rich culture and entertainment. The settlement developed during the XVIII and XIX century, but there is a prehistoric archaeological site Vela Spilja, an important Neolitic locality, in the vicinity of the place. The parish church and the belfry were built in neo-historicist style. In the centre of Vela Luka there is a modern gallery with many exhibits of famous sculptors and painters from second half of the 20th century. Among them there is one Henry Moore's sculpture, the only one in Croatia.

Besides mild climate, crystal blue sea and clean fresh air, this place is known for its friendly hosts and dalmatian songs, sung by fishermen of Vela Luka in the evening hours, which many find the most impressive attraction. The traditional feast is the St. Joseph's Day on 19th of March, when many religious and cultural programs take place. Also Vela Luka offers to its visitors all advantages of the modern tourism, from quality accommodation, over the variety of restaurants offering seafood and quality wines, to sports and recreational facilities (tennis, yachting, surfing, etc.) and entertainment. Private restaurants and apartments make Vela Luka very special and attractive

There are excursion in the summer towards very attractive places in the bay of Vela Luka, primarily to Osjak, the protected forest park, and the island of Prozid. The Kale cove contains deposits of medicinal marine mud and the spring of radon mineral water, used for hundreds of years to cure various disorders. Also a modern health resort was built there in the 1960s.