Vis – the Island that Captures Your Heart and Soul

08.02.2021
Croatian islands

Vis has everything if you ask me. Great hosts, isolation, pristine nature, and the fact that really blows my mind. It has the unlikely ability to have your meals in a dining room overlooking the large peaceful bay that’s designed as the old tavern. An unbelievable experience, I’m telling you.

As someone who visited over a thousand destinations in Croatia, I can tell you that the island of Vis, and the town of Vis as well, stand out when it comes to the effective stress relief holiday. I mean, just sailing into the main harbor leaves you in awe because you know that you are about to moor on the farthest populated outer island of Croatian Adriatic. Turn around and there’s nothing between you and Italy beside the endless blue sea. In that moment, you get that feeling that you finally docked in your safe harbor. You are now safe and protected from the unforgiving winds and waves of the open sea.

The next thing you do is leasing a scooter for a day to drive back and forth across the island and explore every single hidden tavern both on the coast and further inland. I’m talking about those small, isolated huts that nobody knows but the ones that can really surprise your palates. It’s like stumbling upon a gem in the middle of nowhere.

The last time I was on Vis, this great old guy persuaded me to go kayaking around the island. “There isn’t a better way to explore the island and discover those secret places you can’t find in brochures,” he explained.

So I did it. And yes, it freakin’ hurt for a week. I mean, it’s not something I’m used to, so all that rowing really took its toll on my body.

Awe. Yes, that’s the right word. And the one that repeats itself every time I’m thinking about Vis.

You see, just like Lastovo, Vis was one of the islands of the special military value due to its strategic position. Up until recently, it was off-limits for foreigners. Today, the remnants of all those military installations add to the entire experience because it looks really formidable when you start approaching all those fortresses and aforementioned submarine tunnels.

The old guy was right. There isn’t a better way to experience the island.

Although, I definitely wouldn’t recommend kayaking to the island of Biševo just off the coast of Vis. True, for some people, 1.7 nautical miles isn’t some dramatic distance, but for the inexperienced, it can be a risky journey because the currents can be so strong that you can drift far away if you don’t know what are you doing. So, for your own sake, if you want to admire the iridescent light effect inside the Blue Cave between 11 a.m. and noon, I suggest taking a guided tour. Just jump on board one of the many small vessels that take tourist to Biševo and more specifically, to the exploration trip to the cave. You meet new people and have a blast when the cook lights the barbecue and the smell of grilled fish overwhelms the ship.

Now, if you are not into sailing, you can catch a ferry from Split. In some way, it’s sailing, but definitely cheaper than charter.

True, there aren’t much hotel accommodations, but on Vis, staying in a hotel would be a big mistake. Believe me, go private. You’d be stunned to see what people did out of their 500-year-old stone houses.

Leave us a message if you want to learn more about the accommodation on the island of Vis and everything else you might be interested in. We can organize everything for you if you’d like.

Your CTC Team
I.K.