Island Vis is a small Croatian island and the furthest inhabited island from the Croatian mainland. If you are a fan of Mamma Mia, then Island Vis must be on your bucket list since the movie was filmed there! Here is all you need to plan your Croatian vacation!
How to get to Vis Island
The cheapest way to get to Vis Island is by taking a Jadrolinija ferry from Split. The ferry takes 2h and 20 minutes to get to Vis Island. You can purchase the tickets online or in person at the dock.
Another way to get to Vis Island from Split is by taking a fast catamaran which takes 1h and 25 minutes. You can buy the tickets online (best way) or at the dock. The prices for the ferry and catamaran range from 45 Kn to 55 Kn.
To make sure there are tickets left, it is best to buy them beforehand, especially in the hight season. There are maximum four lines per day from Split to Vis but make sure to check if the timetable is correct.
If you will be island hopping and your starting point is from Hvar, there is a 50 minute catamaran connection to Vis but only once a week.
There is always and option to get to Vis Island by speedboat. This is of course the most expensive way, but there are options.
Most of the ferry lines during the year make is impossible to visit Island Vis only for a day trip. The best option is staying at least for one night. If you were planning on doing a day trip to Vis from Split, make sure to check the ferry lines beforehand.
Vis Town
The town of Vis is the main town on the island and you may already have seen its port if you watched “Mamma Mia Here We Go Again”. Town of Vis is the oldest town in Dalmatia founded all the way back in 397 B.C..
It was a place of ancient Greek settlement, under the name of Issa. Later it came under ancient Roman rule. In the pretty recent past Island Vis was used as a military base up until 1989 and was closed for tourists. On an area of only 90 km2, there were more than 30 military facilities, including an underground military hospital and a tunnel to shelter warships.
Vis has a really long harbour so you need to take some time to walk along all of it and explore it properly. With the palm trees and stone houses right on the sea front it is the perfect Dalmatian town to explore, relax and breathe in the scents of summer. The sea is so clear that you can see the sea urchins in the shallow water which is amazing but also means you have to be extra careful while going for a swim!
Where to eat in Vis Town
If you are looking for a good place to eat I suggest Pizzeria Karijola which has great pizza and Konoba Kantun which I heard has amazing local food! For the perfect sunset with a cocktail in your hand I suggest Bistro Frutarija situated on a stunning terrace above the sea!
Where to stay on Vis Island Croatia
There are many options when choosing accommodation on Vis Island. Whether you prefer hotels, camp sites or private accommodation Vis will offer you the perfect place to relax.
Vis Island AirBnb
Since Vis Island offers a small number of hotels compared to neighbouring islands, the best kind of accommodation is an AirBnb. Since we only had 2 nights to stay on Vis, we decided we wanted to find a private room.
We managed to find the perfect one. This accommodation is owned by a young couple, situated in an old stone house, newly renovated in the old town of Vis! The host was amazing, she welcomed us, explained the island map, recommended best restaurants, beaches and place to watch the sunset! The house also has apartments so if you want more space and a kitchen you can rent an apartment! If you decide to book this room or apartment trust me you won’t make a mistake!
Vis Island Hotel
One of the most beautiful hotels on Island Vis is Hotel San Giorgio. This is s beautiful 4-star hotel is situated in the old town of Vis. The charming family owned hotel is surrounded by a lush, green courtyard with palm and orange and lemon trees. Modern and comfortable rooms and suites feature a queen-size bed. A great plus is that there is breakfast included in the price.
Accommodation in Komiza, Island Vis
Besides the town of Vis, you can book your accommodation in the picturesque village of Komiza. Komiza mostly offers private rooms and apartments. One of the most adorable accommodation are Apartments Sole situated in an old stone house just 300m from the sea.
Rent a scooter on Vis Island
If you came to Island Vis without a vehicle, I suggest renting a scooter for getting around. We rented one in Vis Rent and it was great. I suggest driving around the old road. It is a bit longer but the views are stunning and I am guessing that’s what you came for! One of the best things about renting a scooter on Vis is free places to park and pretty cheap gas.
If you prefer something on four wheels, you can always rent a car in Vis Town. On the other hand, if you are a sport lover, and want to go biking in Vis, you can rent a mountain bike. Since the terrain is quite uphill, you will need to be in shape!
Vis Island Beaches
As one of the most beautiful Croatian islands, no wonder Island Vis also has some of the best beaches. Since Vis Island is the 5th highest island in Croatia, besides the beaches you can also find many cliffs.
Prirovo beach is the main beach in Vis town and beach Grandovac is situated at the end of the town.
Srebrna beach is a beautiful beach that we decided to enjoy. It is great but keep in mind that it is created of big rocks and you need to park and walk a bit to the beach.
Near Srebrna is the famous Stiniva beach. Stiniva Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Croatia and was awarded as one of the best beaches in Europe by European Best Destinations.
Stiniva beach is a bit harder to reach from the island so make sure you have your sneakers on and not flip flops!! The reason are steep cliffs surrounding the beach. It will take a 20-30 min hike to get to it. The most popular way to reach Stiniva is by boat. It can be a daily boat rental from Vis or an organised boat trip. Since it is a popular beach it can get pretty crowded. The best time to visit is early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
On the same coast you can find other beaches like Mala Travna, Ruda beach, Beach Telpuš, Zglav beach, and Milna beach. You can find more reachable beaches in Komiža.
Vis Archipelago – UNESCO Global Geopark
Another reason why you should visit Island Vis is because it is a UNESCO Global Geopark. Besides the Island of Vis, the Vis Archipelago includes a number of smaller islands and islets surrounding it. All of these rocks are some of the oldest rocks in the Adriatic Sea. They have even found traces of human activity dating back to 8.000 years ago!
The Mamma Mia Island, Island Vis
With its stunning nature, long history, perfectly clear and blue sea, caves and hills, no wonder Mamma Mia was shot here! Even though the movie is supposed to be about Greece, the producers of Mamma Mia found Island Vis ideal for their filming locations.
If you are a fan, like many of us are, there is nothing better than doing a Mamma Mia tour. You will be able to explore all the hidden beaches and beautiful lighthouses that were used as filming locations. Don’t forget to bring your snorkeling gear!
Hum – Sunset spot on Island Vis
Island Vis has some of the most beautiful sunsets in Croatia! And the best spot to enjoy them is the highest peak of the island called Hum. You can reach Hum by driving through the old road. When you enter the village Podšpilje you will turn to the village Žena Glava. Before entering it you will turn left and continue driving while you reach the top.
We went here with the 50cc scooter and it wasn’t strong enough to pull both of us. On one part of the road I even had to run a bit! That might be the only reason to get a stronger scooter but you really don’t need it for anything else.
While on Hum you can visit Tito’s Cave, a place where the famous resistance leader Tito hid out during World War II, strategized and plotted attacks.
Blue Cave and Green Cave
Blue Cave – Biševo Island
A must while visiting Vis Island and Croatia in general is Blue Cave! It is situated on a small island called Biševo, right in front of the town Komiža. You can access Bisevo with a 15 minute transfer speedboat from Komiža. Once you arrive to the island you have to buy tickets in a small shop and wait for your next little transfer boat to take you to the cave. The smaller wooden boat takes about 10 people and drives about 5 min to get to the entrance of the Blue Cave.
While entering the cave everyone must put their heads down because the entrance is so low. Once you enter you will need a few seconds for your eyes to adapt. Once they do, you will see the stunning blue colour that makes this place so magical! The skipper will tell you a story about the cave and how it was first found. He also gives you some information about Island Vis. Blue cave is really something special and I would highly recommend visiting it while there!
In the high seasons there are every hour departures from Komiza to Blue Cave.
Green Cave
Not as visited as the famous Blue Cave but also a famous spot is the Green Cave on Ravnik Island. The difference is that in the Green Cave you can swim and snorkel.
Komiža, Vis Island
Komiža is the second biggest town on Island Vis and it is the cutest town ever! I would suggest driving to it from the old road because of the stunning view!
The road goes along the coast and gives you a view of the cliffs. At one point, all of a sudden this beautiful town appears in the distance and it just looks like a movie scene! The drive from Vis to Komiža takes around 15min.
I can say that Komiža really took my breath away! I wasn’t expecting a view as stunning as that one! The whole town is full of old stone houses that fill the harbour and create the most beautiful scenery. Plus the palm trees fit the look so well!
Komiža is not a big town so you can explore all of it pretty fast. If you decide to have lunch there, I suggest pizzeria Charly. It is right in the center of the harbour so you have a beautiful view while enjoying your meal.
Wine tour Island Vis
Since Island Vis is home to a great number of vineyards, doing a wine tour is pretty high on the list. The two local types of wine are the red Plavac mali and the white and dry Vugava. Vugava is the most famous wine from the island, named after a white grape variety, known for its rich fullness and honey taste.
On the wine tour you get to enjoy local wines but also meet the people who make them. The Lipanović Winery is one of the most famous wineries on Island Vis. Their Cellar is the only one in the world located in a military tunnel whose climatic properties provide ideal conditions for keeping and storing the wine.
Vis Island Military Tour
Another great tour to do while on the island is exploring the old military locations. Since, as I mentioned before, Vis was a military base of the Yugoslav army, there are many tunnels and military objects scattered across the island.
Some of these places can be explored on this tour where you will also learn about the history and what life looked like on the island.
Best time to visit Island Vis
The high season on Island Vis, Croatia is from mid of June to August. This is the period when everyone is on vacation and want to enjoy a summer at sea. This is a great time to visit although the crowds and prices will not be in your favour.
The best time to visit Vis would be in the shoulder season until mid of June or in September. We visited in June and it was perfect. The weather was great and sea temperature amazing, prices still not as high and no crowds in sight.
Explore more!
I hope this blog post will help you make an itinerary for your visit to this stunning island! If you are visiting Dalmatia I highly recommend visiting Vis Island because it is so special! In case you are planning a trip trough Croatia make sure to read my post about Island Hvar! If someone has already visited Vis, I would love to hear your opinions in the comments bellow! Until next time love, laugh, travel, relax & have fun! Ps. don’t forget fo follow me on social media where you can ask me anything you need!
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Beautiful pictures! I have been in Croatia 4 times but never in this area. Will definitely put it on my bucket list!
Thank you so much! You should definitely visit it! Vis and Hvar and both stunning! I hope you will visit it soon <3
I knew Island Hvar, even if I never had the chance to visit, but never heard of Vis. Did you know that the word translates in Romanian as “Dream”? And it surely seems dreamy. The Adriatic is gorgeous. Only remembering the insane blue of the waters makes me want to be there right now. When I happen to travel to Croatia again, I’ll make a note not to miss Vis Island; thanks for sharing your experience there.
Wow I didn’t know it meant Dream! It really is dreamy! It is smaller than Hvar but just as beautiful! You should definitely put it on your Croatia list! I am so glad you liked my post!