A week end in Vis Island - Croatia (Scooter, beach, food and explorations!)

Me and my boyfriend are currently working a season in Croatia. Now it is getting quiet again but in full summer there is enough work to make you exhausted. In July we managed to have two consecutive days off and that was the moment to have a break.

We decided to go to Vis, a small island (90 km²) off the coast of Split that you can reach by ferry. Not as touristic as the rest of Croatian coast, it makes a perfect pause to relax for two or three days (and even more).

This day we had to drop somebody at the airport a bit before 8h00 so it was a perfect timing to catch the ferry at 9h30. We decided to let the car in split because you don’t really need it in such a small island and it coast more or less 400 kuna with the car against 100 kuna for two persons (for one way). We just parked the car further from the centre to avoid parking fees and walked to the ferries dock. There is quite a long queue to have a ticket but we tried to go directly to the ferry and the agent just sold us a ticket there. It was the perfect moment for a nap because we woke up early and it takes two hours and a half to cross.

We arrived in Vis, the town. It is quite small but full of charm. There is a lot of sailing boats all around the island and sometimes I wished I could be in one of those.

We decided to rent a scooter to move around the island. That was so much fun! At the start it is quite strange to drive and you get used quickly. Well…I didn’t drive so much because it is quite cool to chill out on the back. It is a nice way to visit because you have more time to watch the scenery than in a car, and you stop easily everywhere you want. Later on we explored some paths which wouldn’t have been accessible by car. It is really easy to drive in Vis because there is one road along the coast and one road in land, you’re not gonna get lost! It coast 250 kuna for two days to rent the scoot… if I well remember. Careful, there is just one petrol station in the island, in Vis Town.

There is few beaches around Vis Town, and some nice restaurants. But we decided we will visit later and we went to our apartment. If you go there in summer it is imperative to book in advance because all is rented quite quickly. We were staying in Milna a small village peaceful and quiet. But nothing special to do there so we left to explore the southern coast until Komiza, the second main town of the island. The road is a bit more in land but you have a beautiful view on the see most of the time. A few paths leave the main road to go to the coast. That’s where you go if you want to find a nice beach to relax. There is some really nice coves. We visited one of the most famous one called Stiniva.
It’s a small cove a little bit off the road. There is a 20 minutes walk to get there. It’s a good spot to snorkel or just relax. There is a small bar and they also cook some delights.

Later on we left the beach, went to Komiza and were absolutely starving. A friend advised us Pizza Charly. We ordered pizzas of course and a salad. They also cook pasta and lasagna. It was great food for a good price and I recommend you this place. The good point is that they have a branch in Vis Town and in Komiza, anywhere you are you will find these delicious pizzas!
Then we had a walk around. The village is not so crowded by tourists compared to the rest of Dalmatian coast line and that is very enjoyable! The island was the refuge of Tito during the second world war and no tourists were admitted here. It was also a military base. The island open to tourism only when Croatia had its independence. Talking about Tito and the military base, you can visit the underground tunnels, abandoned warehouses and bunkers. Some agencies offer this kind of tours. We didn’t do it but I heard good things about.

When we left Komiza we decided to check Tito’s cave. It is easy to reach with the scooter, and then you have to walk few minutes to see …. a cave, just that. It is a little bit disappointing because there is nothing special… and the only sign with informations written on are in Croatian. Anyway, it’s a nice walk for digestion !

On the evening we went back to Vis Town for a romantic dinner. I can just recommend the restaurant we went: Konoba and Bar Lola. The restaurant is a bit hidden from tourists, and nestled in a garden. It really have a special atmosphere by night with all the candles and the fountain in the middle. The food was very good and quite creative. We were happy because there was a vegetarian option: salad, falafels and home made patatas bravas which change a bit from the traditional pizza or salad, only choice for vegetarians in this country ! Good wine, good desserts, good service.
To come back we almost didn’t have any more petrol and the station was closed… We knew we had enough to come back to the apartment but we were not sure after that to move again…

The next day after a good sleep we went for a mission petrol and took our scooter direction Vis Town. The person who rented us the place told us that she was going to the same place a bit later with her car and if we run out of fuel she could take us, so that was good luck. But we managed to finish our ride until destination.
We carried on the road until a nice piece of beach and just chilled out and did snorkelling.

On the afternoon we had an appointment to go diving from Komiza. There are great sites for scuba diving there, and for those who like wrecks it is the perfect place. We were with ISSA diving centre and did a cliff on 35 m. It was really cool and we saw a lot of fishes. I used to dive in Croatia and I never saw so many fishes, I guess it was better because further from the coast. I wish I had an underwater camera to show how it is beautiful underwater !

An idea of activity if you cannot dive : visit the Blue Cave. In certain time of the day the light can be very special in this cave. A lot of boats go there every day. It is a popular natural site to visit in Croatia.

Then we had to catch the last ferry which left at 18h00. We drove as fast as possible with our small scooter and went back in a rush to Vis Town, dropped off the scooter … and missed the ferry !

We tried to find accommodation for an extra night but everything was booked or quite expensive… I went to the village, tried to talk to agencies to see if they had an option for us. After a long search I met a girl that suggest us to sleep in her place for free. I was so happy and surprised ! That was very kind. We spent a night there and the next morning took the first ferry at 6h00, early enough to arrive on time at work !