Island guide

Vis

Closed to foreigners until 1989. Still has that quality.

Getting there

Vis has fewer connections than Hvar or Brač — check the timetable before you plan. Missing the last ferry means another night on the island. Not the worst outcome, but worth knowing.

Two towns

Vis town is on the east side of the island: older, quieter, more restaurants. Komiža is the fishing village on the west coast — smaller, more character, and closer to the boat tours that run to the Blue Cave on Biševo. The two are about an hour apart by bus. Most visitors base themselves in one and take a day trip to the other.

Beaches

Stiniva is a narrow gap in the cliffs that opens into a sheltered pebble bay. One of the most photographed spots in Croatia. In peak summer it gets crowded — arrive early or take a boat from Vis town (about 30 minutes each way). The 40-minute hike down from the road above is steep but gives you a view of the bay before you reach it.

Srebrna is only reachable by boat, on the north coast. Genuinely quiet. Grandovac is a 15-minute walk from Vis town — easy access, reliable swimming, no hike required.

What Vis is actually like

The Yugoslav navy used Vis as a military base for decades. Foreigners were not permitted until 1989. The result is an island with almost no development built specifically for tourists — no economy rebuilt around visitors. The fishing villages stayed as fishing villages.

That's still present. The fish restaurants are better, the prices are lower, and the people are less accustomed to the kind of indifferent visitor that passes through the bigger islands each summer.

Practical notes