<div><br></div><div><span><b>Getting There</b></span>&nbsp;<span><span>Vis is a small island in the Adriatic off the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. Unless you have your own boat, the most direct way to reach Vis is by ferry from Split. There is also a ferry from Ancona, Italy, but it is a much longer ride.&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.jadrolinija.hr/en/ferry-croatia" target="_blank" rel="">Jadrolinija</a><span>&nbsp;operates the ferry from Split and tickets can be booked online in Croatian, Italian, German, and English.&nbsp;The ferry accommodates cars and motorcycles in addition to passengers, but as I'll</span></span><div><div><div><div></div><img alt="" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_64dfb6362fb247b09ccb3a1681e54c83~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_387,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_64dfb6362fb247b09ccb3a1681e54c83~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg" title="Image: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_64dfb6362fb247b09ccb3a1681e54c83~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_387,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_64dfb6362fb247b09ccb3a1681e54c83~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg"></div></div></div>get into later, a rented scooter is a great way to get around Vis. Heading south out of Split, the ferry shoots&nbsp;the narrow channel between Brač and Šolta before bending southwest and skirting Hvar. The ferry ride takes about two hours and is pleasant in nice weather. Food and drink are available, views of the islands and the Adriatic are plentiful, and yachts cruise past regularly.&nbsp;<br><br><b>Where To&nbsp;Stay</b>&nbsp;<span><span>Vis is not a big island so options can be somewhat limited, though&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/?has_logged_out=1" target="_blank" rel="">Airbnb</a><span>&nbsp;has opened up more choices in the past few years. Sites like&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.booking.com/" target="_blank" rel="">Booking.com</a><span>&nbsp;are useful, but many&nbsp;hotels fill up far in advance of the busy season of July and August, so book ahead of time.&nbsp;The town of Vis is located on the eastern end of the island, tucked into a small protected harbor. The majority of lodging options are clustered around the small town center, many of them accessible by a short walk down a narrow alley and likely up several flights of stairs. A hill rises sharply up from the water, so even modest accommodations offer stunning views of the Adriatic.</span></span><div><div><div><div></div><img alt="" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_fe000ebfe14a455ebf6f311fee4041ee~mv2_d_2448_2448_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_580,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_fe000ebfe14a455ebf6f311fee4041ee~mv2_d_2448_2448_s_4_2.jpg" title="Image: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_fe000ebfe14a455ebf6f311fee4041ee~mv2_d_2448_2448_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_580,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_fe000ebfe14a455ebf6f311fee4041ee~mv2_d_2448_2448_s_4_2.jpg"></div></div></div>I stayed in a small guest house in Vis town (people often say 'Vis town' to delineate it from the whole island) reserved through Booking.com and found the location to be ideal for access to the ferry, restaurants, and activities. The view in the photo to the right is from the balcony attached to my room and is typical of the rooms in town.&nbsp;But Vis town is not the whole story. At the other end of the island is Komiža, a slightly smaller town with an active fishing industry. To separate yourself from the bustling ferry crowd, Komiža is a nice alternative.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br><b>What To Do</b>&nbsp;<span>I can't emphasize this enough --&nbsp;rent a scooter. There are a few scooter rental options located right at the harbor in town.&nbsp;Vis has a small network of roads that wind along the coast bisect the interior on a Vis-Komiža axis.&nbsp;There are very few cars driving around the island and the self-contained nature of the place makes it ideal for scooter travel. If you're looking for a visceral&nbsp;open-air experience&nbsp;this is the place. Sweeping sea views and the smell of wild rosemary make it feel like a scene from a movie about a guy finding himself while traveling.</span>&nbsp;I rode west out of Vis town, heading up hill past small stone buildings with terra cotta roofs and a rocky but green landscape. This section of the island is the rugged interior and is not cultivated land with the vineyards and olive groves found elsewhere. Cresting closer to Komiža, I caught my first western-facing view of the open water of the Adriatic.<div><div><div><div></div><img alt="" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_03ad110195cb4b12b3fa8a70eadc318e~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1260,h_840,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_03ad110195cb4b12b3fa8a70eadc318e~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg" title="Image: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_03ad110195cb4b12b3fa8a70eadc318e~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1260,h_840,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_03ad110195cb4b12b3fa8a70eadc318e~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg"></div></div></div><span>At the point the road descends into a&nbsp;<span>series of hairpins towards&nbsp;Komiža, tucked into a bay dotted with fishing boats. Komiža has restaurants, cafes, and beaches to go along with the stunning scenery, but the main attraction is the boat to&nbsp;</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi%C5%A1evo" target="_blank" rel="">Biševo</a><span>. An even smaller island a few miles southwest of Komiža, Biševo is home to the Blue Cave. There are multiple options to visit the Blue Cave from Vis and other nearby islands, but the most direct way is to leave from Komiža. For 150 kuna, the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.visbluecave.com/en/izleti/komiza-blue-cave/" target="_blank" rel="">Blue Cave Tourist Agency</a>&nbsp;will bring you there. Tours leave mid to late morning depending on the season to catch the lighting at the right time.</span>&nbsp;From Komiža I took the coastal road along the southern side of the island. At Podšpilje I turned north and puttered uphill towards Hum, the highest elevation on the island. Vis has maintained a quirky (Vis is often described as "mysterious" in travel write ups) character because it was primarily a military outpost for Yugoslavia during the Tito era. During this time it was closed to travelers and not especially in demand as a place of residence&nbsp;for Yugoslavians. There are numerous military installations around the island. One of these is the Tito-era outpost at Hum, which shares the summit with a small stone church. The Croatian army has repurposed the site and it is off limits to visitors. Hiking trails through&nbsp;this part of the island weave through caves with plaques describing the recent history of the island.<div><div><div><div></div><img alt="" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_a55d34b2093a4e8296b1744d2f221018~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_387,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_a55d34b2093a4e8296b1744d2f221018~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg" title="Image: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_a55d34b2093a4e8296b1744d2f221018~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_387,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_a55d34b2093a4e8296b1744d2f221018~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg"></div></div></div>&nbsp;<div><div><div><div></div><img alt="" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_a253e338ae13463e960d4aa2b8229430~mv2_d_2544_1588_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_362,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_a253e338ae13463e960d4aa2b8229430~mv2_d_2544_1588_s_2.jpg"></div></div></div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span><span>I eased off of Hum on the scooter, taking in the view and trying not to let the scooter gain too much speed down the hills. Back at the Podšpilje intersection I took the left towards Vis in search of Croatia's crown jewel beach --&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.beachrex.com/en/croatia/dalmatia/marinje-zemlje-beaches/beach-stiniva" target="_blank" rel="">Stiniva</a>. Following a sign pointing towards Marinje Zemlje, I quickly identified the parking area and trail head by the cars parked along the side of the narrow road. Stiniva is a crescent shaped cove that tapers to a narrow opening in the cliffs. Characteristically Croatian, it is rocky rather than sandy. Getting to the beach is a bit of a chore, but well worth the effort. It's located at the bottom of a fairly steep cliff -- flip flops are not recommended. The hike took me about 20 minutes, walking delicately on the loose rocks. Many people also anchor outside the opening in the cliffs and swim into the beach where there is a small bar selling beer. For most of my life, my concept of the beach began and ended at the Jersey Shore. Given that context, I was blown away by Stiniva. It is the most beautiful beach I've ever seen, rivaled only by the Playa del Cabo in Colombia's&nbsp;Tayrona National Park.&nbsp;</span><div><div><div><div></div><img alt="" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_8512e3b298be43508625033bfd65d241~mv2_d_2049_1366_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1260,h_840,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_8512e3b298be43508625033bfd65d241~mv2_d_2049_1366_s_2.jpg"></div></div></div><span><span>After swimming and huffing and puffing back up the cliff, I stopped at&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.beachrex.com/en/croatia/dalmatia/marinje-zemlje-beaches/beach-stiniva" target="_blank" rel="">Aerodrom Gostionica Wine House</a></span>for some wine, cheese, and bread. The local grape variety is vugava, a white wine, but to be honest I went with a red. I drank wine, ate Pag-style cheese, dipped my bread in fantastic olive oil, and got yelled at for feeding a stray cat before winding my way through a more agricultural&nbsp;section of the island.&nbsp;<div><div><div><div></div><img alt="" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_31aba08eaffa4c1cb50643556eb247f2~mv2_d_2448_2448_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_580,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_31aba08eaffa4c1cb50643556eb247f2~mv2_d_2448_2448_s_4_2.jpg" title="Image: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_31aba08eaffa4c1cb50643556eb247f2~mv2_d_2448_2448_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_580,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_31aba08eaffa4c1cb50643556eb247f2~mv2_d_2448_2448_s_4_2.jpg"></div></div></div>&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><div><div><div></div><img alt="" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_03be7d420e8d4eab960f8c23907ae572~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_387,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_03be7d420e8d4eab960f8c23907ae572~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg" title="Image: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e05ab9_03be7d420e8d4eab960f8c23907ae572~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_580,h_387,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/e05ab9_03be7d420e8d4eab960f8c23907ae572~mv2_d_2736_1824_s_2.jpg"></div></div></div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Another great beach option that is more accessible is Srebrna, just southwest of Rukavac. This beach can be reached by parking on a dirt road and walking a few hundred yards. It's a beautiful beach by any standard, but just doesn't quite have the wow-factor that Stiniva brings. From there I winded my way north back towards Vis town,&nbsp;down a series of tight switchbacks. Still having time on the rental, I passed through town and went to Rogačić where I visited some ruins, saw a hidden Yugoslav submarine shelter, and checked out Komarča,&nbsp;a much quieter beach that I heard about from a local. It isn't exactly a secret, just a place that draws less of a crowd and has some isolated nooks. Running out of time, I reluctantly gave up my scooter and went off on foot in search of dinner.&nbsp;<br><br><b>The Take Away</b>&nbsp;<span>Vis is the quintessential Mediterranean island experience. It's quaint, slow-paced, and has lots of local charm. Its unique history gives it an aura that you can feel while traversing the island. Like any place this alluring, modern travelers are finding their way to Vis in increasing numbers. However, rather than lament this fact, I'll point out Vis is the most distant of the Dalmatian Islands and many people opt for convenience and accessibility. If you find yourself in Croatia, consider making the journey out to Vis.</span></div>

Vis: Dalmatia's Crown Jewel

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