Vis: The furthest inhabited island in Croatia with an interesting history

“Don’t worry about your luggage. It is the safest place in Europe,” exclaimed the man behind the counter.

We had reached Hotel San Giorgio, in Vis island, Croatia after asking a few people for instructions and rolling our suitcases over the cobbled street to its entrance. The man behind the counter introduced himself as Dino and quickly took us through the salient features of the charming hotel that was to be our base on Vis island.

The owner of this small, family-run hotel in Vis Croatia barely speaks any English but was helpful in selecting a ravioli dish for my daughter. Imagine our surprise when he woke up to see us off when we were leaving the island and handed us a heavy bag – sandwiches, water, fruit and yogurt for the journey. It reminded me of train journeys taken in India as a kid when the family would bundle up goodies in a box to be savored on the train.

Transfer from Hvar

Both Hvar and Vis island were part of our Croatia family vacation itinerary. We had taken a small boat for a quick transfer from Hvar to Vis and that turned out to be an exhilarating experience. Post all the Hvar sightseeing, it was great to be out on the sea. The open sea was a bit choppy and the 3 suitcases our captain had stored in the front rocked quite a bit during the journey. The skipper was Macedonian and shrugged when I pointed out that none of us had any lifejackets on in the open sea. But I couldn’t fault his knowledge of the routes around the islands, or his sure hand on the wheel.

“So are you from India?”. He asked and I nodded vigorously (the vigor perhaps was more because of trying to keep my feet planted solidly on the boat and not sway)

“I recently saw an Indian movie”, he added.

I was surprised.

“Lion”, he admitted.

Ah, not Bollywood then. But an international movie set in India with Dev Patel in the lead. I had caught it on the flight from Frankfurt to Zagreb. We both agreed it was an emotional roller-coaster, and well directed.

Vis island in Croatia: experience the authentic feel

Home to about 3000 people, Vis is amongst the furthest inhabited islands and not one on the direct ferry route from either Split or Dubrovnik. That said, it has an interesting history. Vis’s geographical location – a series of islands on one side and open seas on another – made it a meeting point for navigation routes since ancient times. Greeks, Romans, Croats, Venetian republic, Austrian rule, French rule, Italian rule – the island has seen it all.

From 1950 until 1989, it served as the Yugoslav National Army’s base, out of bounds to foreign visitors. It still has the air of an unspoilt paradise.

Cycling is big in Vis. From renting-cycles-for-few-hours to explore Vis town or Komiza to off-road inclines and steep declines across the island for the serious cyclists, Vis offers it all.

For our second day in Vis, we decided to rent cycles – there are multiple agencies to book from, you would find many near the main promenade in both Vis and Komiza. A lazy day spent cycling, people watching, listening to the water lapping and taking it real slow. Some yachting event was happening on the island; I didn’t get the details of this event but noticed that the vis town harbor was chock-a-block with yachts.

Do read – Active Croatia: Sea Kayaking, Cycling and Diving adventures

Things to do in Vis: Take the Military Tour

Because of its unique history, Vis island that many interesting sites that can be visited as part of a Military tour.

For the Military Tour, we went with the recommendation of Dino at our hotel and were happy with his choice. Nikola from the agency came to pick us up in a sturdy jeep. Nikola, a political science student, with one grandfather from the island, was knowledgeable both about the island and Croatia in general. It was interesting to hear his opinions on how the period under Tito and united Yugoslavia had shaped Croatia and what the people were facing now vs. the communist rule.

Tito’s House

The first site that we went was not a military one, but a house that was used by Marshall Tito when he was in Vis. I was quite surprised that the government has left the house in ruins and not put any signs to mark the home of the erstwhile commander or done any repairs so that more tourists would visit. Nikola’s opinion was that the ownership issue of the house couldn’t be settled and that it was too expensive to repair the place.

The best view on Vis island

Close to the mountain Hum is the site for Tito’s cave (surprisingly, one of the few military sites that are well marked on the island). We didn’t go to the caves because Nikola believed it would be too arduous for my 6-year-old to climb the 200 plus steps to reach the caves. His skepticism and wariness of “communist propaganda” shone through when he informed us that he did not believe that Tito lived in those caves as a young fighter running away from the Italian fascists.

We spent some time walking the promenade and the streets of the pretty town of Komiza. My daughter had a chocolate ice-cream from a stand on the main promenade, it was the best dark chocolate she had tasted in Croatia!

Have you visited a nuclear bunker and a submarine dock?

The next stop was an eerie experience! A visit to a bunker dug 920 feet deep into a mountain, to protect Tito and the country’s ruling class from nuclear attacks.

“There are no poisonous animals inside. Just a few albino insects, you should ignore them”. With this Nikola plunged into the bunker and we followed suit.

It is an astounding complex – designed to allow more than 300 people to live and work for six months without even coming up for air. It had its own water supply, generators, and air conditioning system.

Our last stop in this 4-hour tour was the abandoned Submarine Pen, near Vis town. The submarine dock is perhaps one of the most noticeable of the remnants left behind after the demilitarization of the island, cut deep into a mountainside.

We had come to Vis for the slow and authentic island life that was expected; this military tour had turned out to be an informative and immersive experience.

Food in Vis, Croatia

Fresh seafood is available all over the island, as can be expected. We had a delightful meal at the recommended restaurant Pojoda – grilled fish and shrimps and swiss chard as a side.

Hotel San Giorgio has its own restaurant, where my daughter enjoyed black ravioli with shrimps. Check this post for more local Croatian food dishes to try, both from the continental part of the country and from the coast /islands.

And we went to the very scenic Lola for dinner (reservation recommended). Their offering is more fusion and a combination of several flavors. I had salmon and hake, cooked 2 ways. And my husband was satisfied with his choice of pork belly.

It is said that Zadar has the best sunsets in Croatia. We didn’t visit Zadar during this trip, but Vis gave us quite a spectacular show on our last evening. If you are looking for more Croatian islands to visit from Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar or Rijeka, check out this post.

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Are you headed to Plitvice Lakes National Park? If so, do read about the travel tips to beat the crowds there.

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Which Croatian island is your favorite?

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