Vis island – ATTRACTIONS

Following up my Vis beaches BLOG, island Vis is not just pretty beaches, you can do so much more on the island. Here is my list of attractions and activities.

BIŠEVO & Blue Cave DAY TRIP

Biševo is the most distant inhabited island in Croatia and it gained it’s popularity because it is home to famous Blue Cave. We love it because of it’s beautiful Mezuporat bay, too.
Trip to Biševo is best taken from Komiža. There are several tourist agencies and excursion boats that offer organized trip to Biševo & Blue Cave, which you can find just walking down the Komiža promenade. Keep in mind that many prices do not include Blue Cave entrance fee.

If you want to organize the trip to Biševo yourself there are two good options. First one is that you take take PRUGA “the line“. It is state boat line no. 612 which goes from Komiža harbour every day at 8 AM. Duration of the trip is little bit more than 1 hour and the price of the two-way ticket is 50 HRK (cca 8 EUR).

Pruga will take you to Mezuporat where you buy a ticket to the Blue cave and wait for a small boat to take you into it. Entrance fees for July and August are 100 kn for adult and 50 kn for children (70/35Kn preseason). Due to corona virus, the 2020. high season prices remained 70 kn for adult and 35 kn for children.

Also, note that the tickets are numbered and limited per day. Inside the Cave you have 15 minute max., so use it well. When I was a child we swam there, however nowadays there is no swimming inside the Cave, which is understandable, but very unfortunate.

Other option to get to Biševo yourself is speedboat taxi. Taxis go at anytime and trip takes approx. 15-20 minute. I’ve heard that the prices go from 100 kn per person, depending on number of people in the boat.

Keep in mind that the best time to visit the cave is between 10 am and 2 pm. There is no shop on Biševo, so plan ahead and bring lot of water and some food with you. Also, there is a restaurant in Mezuporat, which we recommend, where you can refresh.

Less known cave on Biševo is Monk seal cave. If you are on a private tour, ask them to take you there.

GREEN CAVE

Part of many island tours is stop to the Green Cave, however, if you are in good shape we recommend kayaking there. If you are a pro navigating the sea and the boats, you can rent a kayak from Diamond Beach bar on Tepluš beach. If you are beginner, I recommend booking a tour. There is an amazing kayaking tour that takes you to Green cave & Stiniva beach.

VISIT REMOTE ISLANDS

Near island Vis there are many beautiful open-sea islands such as Svetac, Brusnik and Jabuka which are called the “Volcanic Triangle”. Brusnik and Jabuka are the only two islands in Croatia that consist completely of volcanic rock. How crazy is that? On island Svetac lives Zanki family. Can you imagine the stories they can share? This trip is something we have been wanting to do for a long time, but still didn’t happen. I am making it a priority for next trip to Vis.

THE QUEEN’S CAVE

This is a beautiful natural cave on the north coast of the island. You can get there walking approx. 1 hour from village Oključna, or do it on a boat tour. I am sad to say, we were never there.

TITO’s LEGACY

If you know where to look, his legacy is everywhere. When leaving the island, Yugoslavian Army took everything they could from all their hideouts, but they left a maze of underground tunnels, caves, storage facilities and submarine hideouts all over the Island. Here are some popular spots:

1. Ex. Yugoslavian army shelter for submarines – Parja

You get there driving approx. 10 min from city of Vis. Part of the road is dirt road, but it is easy access. You can walk inside the “Jastog submarine tunnel”, but labyrinth that connect tunnel to bunkers on the other side of Parja are sealed. That being said, on the other side of that bay you can also find couple of hidden military lookout bunkers.

The tunnel is also a beautiful place to swim and dive. However, do not jump from the top of the tunnel, I have been told there has been many accidents.

2. Former rocket base – Stupišće

It was a huge army base for land-sea missiles with a bunker complex on the sea side. Experience of driving with a car to a complex they once had stored enormous huge missile is incredible! You can go there yourself with a car or a bike, trough the dirt road or with a guide. We did both and I advise you take a guided tour. The tour took us to the places we couldn’t find on our own. Plus, the information you get from tour guides are mind blowing! That isn’t something you can Google.
If you decide to go on your own, bring a flashlight.

I don’t think tours take you to bay Stupišće, but there we found one more military building which is completely in ruins.

3. Red Rocks – climbing spot

Above city of Komiža you can find the Red Rocks. Other than having couple of ex. JNA tunnels, the are home of more than a dozen climbing trails, from beginner to experienced free climbers. You can book a guided climbing in some of the agencies on the island.

4. Vela glava

In Podšpilje there is a former JNA command center called ARK Vela Glava. Most of it is sealed and overgrown with weeds. To bad Croatian government doesn’t know how to put this legacy into better use.

5. Tito’s Cave

In Podšpilje, follow the road to Borovik and mount Hum. On the way up you will pass Mladenova Tower ruins. Right before unmarked path to Tito’s cave there is widening on the road, where you can leave your car and start the walk up. There is no entrance fee, but there are many spider webs hanging from tree to tree. Don’t worry they are harmless. It is approx. 10-15 minute up till you reach the caves. Honestly, it is just the hole in the mountain, with a rock panel which say’s “this was Tito’s residency”. If you don’t have enough time for sightseeing, you can easily skip this one.

6. Artillery battery BARJOŠKA

It is artillery spot on the north coast of the island. We saw it from the boat, but we were never there.

HUM MOUNTAIN

This could be also part of Tito’s legacy, because on 587 metres there is a military lookout base. However, it is still operational nowadays, Croatian military uses it. Little below it you have incredible spot that overlooks city of Komiža.
You park your car on the road and walk 5-10 minute up to a little church “Sveti Duh“, from where you have breathtaking views of Komiža and island Biševo. My advice is to come in sunset.

THE SUNSET SPOT – Na Rovnu

This is our favorite sunset spot, locals call it “na rovnu” -> Google Maps.

KRIŽ – the Cross

From Kut (part of Vis town) there is an old Napoleon road that takes you up to Podselje (you will go to Podselje if you decide to eat in Konoba Golub, which we highly recommend). Keep in mind that this road fits one car, car and a half, so it is only for experienced drivers. There is a bigger road that goes up to the Podselje, and other inland villages, which starts in Vis city port.
On the top of both roads, which is a crossing of five old macadam roads, locals built a big withe cross.

CITY VIS

This should be completely separate blog but, for now, I will just list couple of interesting spots and you can explore from there.

1. Franciscan Church and Monastery

2. Open air cinema
3. Archaeological Museum
4. Czech Villa (Češka Villa)

5. Fort Batarija
6. Perast Tower
7. City bath – Roman thermal
8. Fort George

CITY KOMIŽA

1. St. Nikola’s church – Muster

2. Komuna – Venetian castle and fisherman’s museum

3. Gusarica – St. Mary church on the beach
4. Neptun factory
5. Open air cinema
6. Gajeta boat tours

WINE TRAILS

Vis wines are vugava and plavac mali. You can taste these wines in the numerous family taverns and wine-cellars all around the island. You can book wine tour with agency and explore several spots without worrying about driving later. Let me know how it ends.

DIVING

There is a Diving Center Issa in Komiža. They offer beginner and professional dives. I never dove and I really really want to, so this is first on my “Island Vis BUCKET LIST”.

WALKING & CYCLING TRAILS

I did only one walking trail and never did cycling one. This is not something what we usually do on a vacation. However, I know there are people which love to do both, so I found links to help you navigate the island.

PARAGLIDING

You can fly for hours over Vis and Komiža, over the sea and along the rocky cliffs. If you are adrenaline junkie, this is perfect activity for you.

Hope this list helps you organize perfect vacation on the island. Tag us in your stories if it does.

Vis island – BEACHES

It is no secret we are in love with island Vis, mostly because we are lucky to have a place to stay there anytime of the year, but also because it is beautiful. This blog is soooo long overdue, so I won’t bother you with introduction. Let’s begin naming the beaches, sorted by our preferences, of course.

1. SMOKOVA

About 100 meter long beach with white sand, clear sea and our favorite! Even though you can access it from land, it is much easier to access it with a boat. If you can’t give yourself that boat ride luxury, bring appropriate shoes, do not go down there in flip flops.
Also, keep in mind that shore is not the cleanest, because northern wind brings a lot of garbage people like to throw in the sea.
If you are up for snorkeling you can find part of a World War II bomber wing at Smokova sea bottom. 

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2. TEPLUŠ

Beach Teplus is one of the beaches in Rukavac and very popular among locals. You can access it very easily from Rukavac There is a 200-300 m dirt road, which ends with a parking right above the beach.

It is a soft white pebbles beach, with some natural shade, so it is children friendly. There is a restaurant at the beach where you can find refreshments, ice creams and food & wine. The food is very expensive but not really good so my advice is bring your own food & snacks. They also rent stand up paddle boards, kayaks and pedaling cars, so you can spend your entire day on this beach.
Pro tip: come in the morning. The beach is sunny since early morning, making it an ideal place to have a coffee and dive your head in the blue sea before the afternoon rush of people.

With slightly older children, take a peek at the natural lobster house located on the cliffs on the right side of the beach. The lobster catcher is no longer used so you can jump into it and dive trough it to the open sea.

3. MALA TRAVNA

It is a small fishermen village accessed by car through 15-20 minute drive on a dirt road, from Marine Zemlje. From the parking to the beach you have 2 minute walk. You can categorize this beach both as pebble and cliff beach, because Mala Travna has both.

Mala Travna is a bay next to Stiniva beach, so if you are visiting Stiniva with a boat, organize lunch in Mala Travna at Senko’s konoba. Beside crystal clear water and beautiful nature, we come here because of Senko. He is remarkable individual and Croatian poet, so don’t be surprised if you get the bill on stone rock he picked up from the floor. I’ve already wrote a blog about him here -> SENKO PARADISE.
Also, don’t forget to call Senko for reservations, he is not always open!
+385 99 35 25 803

4. SREBRNA

Another beach which has both soft pebbles and cliff side is Srebrena. Beach with a lot natural shade in pine trees also has cliffs where you can get your tan. Furthermore, in the woods you can find small bar with refreshments.
You reach Srebrna beach from Rukavac, on the same dirt road as Tepluš beach. After you park the car or bike, there is about 300 m (10 min) walk down to the beach. Yes, that means you have to walk up after.

5. MILNA

Milna is a small sandy beach, located near popular vacation village called Ženka. Best part of this beach is that you can literally jump from parking to the sea, but don’t. Because of it’s proximity to villas for rent and parking, it is often full of families with small children. Very popular activity is Stand up Paddle boarding, which boards you can rent on the beach.

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There is a 15-20 minute walking path from Milna which will take you to ZAGLAV sandy beach. I haven’t been there since I was a kid, so only memories I have are from photo albums. People say it is as beautiful as Smokova. I will believe it when I see it, hopefully there next year.

6. STINIVA

West from Mala Travna bay you can find winner of “the best beach in Europe”, Stiniva. You can reach the beach by land, but it is a very steep 20-30 minute trail down, so bring appropriate shoes and avoid going with small children. Other, easier, way is to access it by boat. The downside of this is that you always have too many boats docked around Stiniva. The boat can take you up to “cliff gate” and from there you have to swim to the beach. And, of course, there is always that one idiot who has to come to the beach with a boat, so be aware, the floating border doesn’t apply to idiots.

Stiniva is pebble beach, although I saw many wrong writings online describing it as a sandy beach. You can find small coffee bar directly on the beach, but to help out your budget, bring your own food & drinks if you plan to stay there whole day. Because the beach is surrounded by high cliffs, you will have at least one side of the beach or cliff in the shade.

7. PRITIŠĆINA

This is maybe one of the smallest beaches on the island, where I usually go with local friends. It is also pebbly beach, but it has incredible cliffs on the right side of the beach. One winter we used them for the photoshoot we did for a brand.

From Pritišćina you can easily swim to Mala Pritišćina beach, beach for two. Literally the smallest beach on the island and it is only accessible by boat. 😉

8. STONČICA

Another sandy beach on the island is Stončica. It is safe bay for sailing boats, being located close to city of Vis. There is a parking above the beach, from which you have 5 min walk down. It has small restaurant/bar, volleyball field and lot’s of shade so it tends to be crowed.

Being this far on my list, it is safe to say I am not a fan and I only go there if our guests wish to see it. In that case, I combine Stončica with visit to the nearby lighthouse, which is 20 minute walk from the beach. We used to go there for sunset, so count your time right to have enough light to see the path back, or bring flash lights with you.

9. PARJA (tunnel)

About 3 kilometre east from city of Vis you will find Parja, the last village accessible by cars. It is a village, it is a beach, it is historical…it is Parja. It is probably most known for former JNA (Yugoslav People’s Army) submarine tunnel where you can also put your towel and jump into the sea. However, close by is little peninsula where you can also walk into the sea, like a normal human. Be aware, there is no shade here.

Important: please, don’t jump from the top of the tunnel, I have been informed there were many accidents there due to wrong jumps.

10. KOMIŽA CITY BEACHES

GUSARICA

The most popular beach, at the far end of the city, right below the hotel Biševo. It is a pebble beach at the beginning and almost sandy at the end of the beach.

KAMENICE

Apparently the only beach on the Adriatic coast with volcanic origin pebble stones (I’ve Googled it) and only 15 minute walk from Komiža center. It gained it’s popularly for being a place to party at night and sort of illegal camp.

LUCICA

Pebbly beach two minute walk from the Komiža port. There you can find restaurant right on the beach.

ŽANIĆOVO

Bcause it is surrounded by family houses this pebble beach mostly used by locals. This is the beach you see on our photos from restaurant Barba.

10. VIS CITY BEACHES

GRANDOVAC

Bay at the farthest end of city of Vis. It has enough shade so it is very popular for families with children, plus there is a beach bar right on the pebbly beach. Near the beach you can find another JNA greatness, however nowadays completely rot, Cezh villa.

STONCA

Beach is located just under the road, about 200 m from hotel Issa to Parja. There is almost no wind there and you can find lot’s of shade underneath the pine trees.

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PRIROVO

Pebble and gravel city beach right below the hotel Issa, however, completely on the other side from most villa’s and apartments, which are in the city. Near the beach you can find activities for children (owned by hotel), bar and restaurant. It is the most popular for it’s Franciscan monastery which is built on the foundations of Hellenistic theater. I heard one guide say that you can see part of old Roman port in the sea around Prirovo. Do you see it?

There are few more beaches in the cities and on the island that I didn’t mention. My cousin Svila is gonna kill me if I don’t mention Duboka, but that is another beach I haven’t visited since I was a little kid or maybe ever. I can safely say I saw and listed all the popular ones. Hope I helped you organize your Vis island beach hunting. Let me know if I did.

In next blog I plan to write about ALL attractions on the island. Head’s up, it is mostly Tito’s JNA legacy.

TOP 5 VISITED BLOGS – CROATIA

Hello world!!

We are working again, that means sitting home on our laptops, planing and editing. Until we plan our new adventure we are bringing you our

TOP 5 visited blog posts!

These are YOUR favorite posts of all time:

1. Wellness and Spa Weekend

We visited Villa Magdalena, in Krapinske toplice, perfect place for relaxation, wellness and amazing gourmet experience. We know two couples that visited Villa after seeing our blog post, are you planing to visit soon? Tell us in comments if you are interested and we will try to get you a discount :).
Read more about our Wellness and Spa Weekend: https://goo.gl/XyW71Q

2. How many lakes do you have Imotski?

We visited town of Imotski, hidden deep in the Dalmatian inland. Picturesque little town on a hill with, not one, but two most impressive lakes, Blue and Red.
Read more about our visit here: https://goo.gl/RB2Jjw

3. Behind the business meeting in Vis

Maya‘s family has a house on island Vis, so we look for any excuse to visit island. This time we were there on business, but we managed to film some behind the scenes for you.

Read more about our visit here: https://goo.gl/Fg6xRq

4. Senko’s konoba, island Vis food paradise

We were invited by Senko Karuza, the best Croatian short-story writer, to his konoba (type of Dalmatian restaurant) in little town by the sea, Mala Travna (Mola Trovna, as locals call it). Senko is not only the best writer, he is also artist in kitchen.

Read more about our visit here: https://goo.gl/SLQqV7

5. Autumn on Hvar island, Croatia

Maya visited HVAR island with her girls and Diano stayed in our Split home editing Frode Borge videos.
Read more about our visit here: https://goo.gl/CdNbUe

Don’t forget to share this blog, if you liked it 🙂

See you next week! In meantime you can:

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Sailing in Croatia, Vis to Hvar

Hello world!

We are sailing!! Maya wanted to sail for a while now, so it is crossed from her’s bucket list!

We were invited by Frode Borge and his lovely wife Hege to sail with them from island Vis to Hvar, on their beautiful boat “Le Salon”. Plan was to sail and to have business meeting with Frode.

We arived to Vis day before, if you haven’t already, go see blog about our adventure there: HERE.  Next day, we jumped on board towards Hvar island.

Palmižana, Paklenci otoci

The weather wasn’t as ideal, it was cloudy and windy, which made Maya little sea sick. She just needed a little adjustment to sailing boat life. Once we docked to Palmižana, Paklenci otoci near Hvar island, she was felling much better.

We did our meeting while rocking on Frode’s sailing boat. Is there a better way to do business meeting??

The city of Hvar

After the meeting we sailed into Hvar, for dinner. Hvar is one of many islands on Croatian coast and a great place to experience Adriatic lifestyle to fullest. City of Hvar offers great gastronomic experience, it will seduce you with is historical center and vivid nightlife.

We had a late night sail back to Split. Easy sail, Maya was fine :). Thank you Forde & Hege for this amazing experience!

We are coming back from this trip energized and prepared for new challenges upon us. Feel free to contact us, should you also wish to work with us, at maivcevic@gmail.com

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Behind the business meeting in Vis

Hello world!

We are back in VIS island, CROATIA! Maya‘s family has a house there, so we look for any excuse to visit island. This time we were there on business, but we managed to film some behind the scenes for you.

We took Jadrolinija ferry from Split. Return ticket fee is approx. 15 EUR. You can find seasonal prices on their website.

City of Vis

Ferry docks in Vis city ferry port and the entrance in the bay is always magnificent! If you are not in a hurry, stay on ferry deck and watch city from bird view.

Žena Glava

Maya’s father and his brother have house in middle of the island, in little village named Zena Glava (eng. Woman Head). 

We love coming to Zena Glava, enjoying life in a peace and quiet. In winter times we come to harvest olive trees Maya’s father, Nikša, has planted there. We dream about the day when we will have something beautiful as Nikša’s Olive garden.

Komiža city

When we are with Nikša, we always go to Komiža. This time, we took quick detour at place called “The red rock’s”(Crvene stijene), right above Komiža city. This place contains more than a dozen trails up for free climbers. It also hides one of many Tito’s tunnels. Vis has always been of significant strategic importance for World War II leader Tito, that’s is why he built tunnels and bases all around the island.

When in Komiža we always take a walk down the riva promenade. One picture you can count 100% you will catch, is local elderly siting at benches by the sea.

We always, but always, have a drink at Speed bar. We are there so much that we actually met the owner :).

If you are looking for good place to eat, KONOBA BARBA, has our highest recommendation.

Tell us your island experience! Have you visited island Vis before? What are your impressions of the island?

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Senko’s konoba, island Vis food paradise

We are so happy to be in Croatia, after traveling Europe, for a month. Croatia is our home country, operation base and love. We are not travelers who travel non-stop, we are those who take brakes in between travels and we needed, well deserved, break. With that thought, as soon as we reached Croatia, we went to island Vis.

Croatia has over thousand islands and they are all equally beautiful. Vis is the furthest island of Central Dalmatia and island of many beautiful beaches, charming little towns, fresh seafood and rich wines.

Main towns are Vis and Komiza, however we stayed in Zena Glava (eng. Woman Head), little inland town with funny name.

Senko’s Molo Trovna restaurant

We didn’t just come to relax, we also came to eat :). We were invited by Senko Karuza, the best Croatian short-story writer, to his konoba (type of Dalmatian restaurant) in little town by the sea, Mala Travna (Molo Trovna, as locals call it). Mala Travna is off main road, but can be approached by car trough dirt road. Other option is to come with a boat. Whatever option you choose, it is worth it.

Senko is not only the best writer, he is also artist in kitchen. He prepared fresh fish, he caught himself that morning. He was also in charge of drinks. You have to try his wine! Be careful, it is stronger than it seems while you obliviously sipping glass after glass.

Senko belives in good slow food, taking swim in between courses on cliffs below konoba and having a good laugh with friends and family. There is no WiFi, telephone signal is week, but views from Senko’s terrace are breathtaking! If you are in Croatia and looking to enjoy authentic experience, away from crowded cites, this is the place.

Don’t forget to call Senko for reservations! +385 99 35 25 803

We are ready for summer in Croatia! Are you?

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