Vis Island

Vis is a small island 45 kilometres off the central Dalmatian coast of Croatia and the most remote of the inhabited Dalmatian islands reachable by regular ferry. The island was used as a Yugoslav military base from 1945 until 1989, which meant it was closed to foreign visitors for over four decades and effectively prevented the mass tourism development that transformed the closer islands. The result is an island whose villages, vineyards, and fishing coves remain largely unchanged. Vis Town on the north coast and Komiža on the west each have compact waterfront settlements with konobas serving the local Vugava white wine, a variety grown almost exclusively on Vis. Komiža is the departure point for boat tours to Biševo Island, 6 kilometres to the southwest, where the Blue Cave (Modra špilja) draws visitors who enter by small rowing boat through a low-tide arch. The cave's ethereal blue glow is most intense between 11 AM and noon. Stiniva Cove, on the island's south coast, is a pebble beach enclosed by towering limestone cliffs that narrow to a slot at the sea entrance; it was voted one of Europe's best beaches. Military tunnels dug by Yugoslav forces are accessible near Komiža and around the island, providing an unusual urban exploration experience. Inland, the ruined Venetian fortress above Komiža and the 2nd-century AD Roman baths at Vis Town extend the historical range. The island can feel quiet and uncommercialised by Adriatic standards, which is its principal appeal to visitors who find Hvar and Brač overcrowded.