Otok Vis

Island Vis, natural beauties and traditional Adriatic architecture, one of the top islands in Croatia, Hotels Vis, Middle Dalmatia, Croatia

Life is simple,
but people are complicated as cynics will say. But it is precisely the simplicity of living even through the most chaotic touristic periods that makes Vis significantly different from other tourist destinations. Simplicity is the essence of this island tailored to men which is used in its whole by most visitors. Consequently, not just its protruding edges, Vis and Komiža, but also the numerous bays in the island's interior leave you breathless with their luxuriant fertility.

Of course, we are talking about natural beauties and traditional Adriatic architecture, but the special attraction of Vis also lies in its atmosphere. During the summer Vis is considerably different from the islands of Hvar, Brač or Korčula. The main reason for this is probably that Vis offers only a very small number of hotel beds so this island is mainly visited by people who like it for their own specific reasons and not by regular tourists who may have seen its name in a brochure and thought it might be a nice place to visit. These are the words of Jonathan Bousfield, an Englishman specialized in writing about Croatia for a notable edition of the Rough Guide tourist book guides who chose Vis amongst his Top 5 choices of Croatian destinations.

We know that one of the reasons for Vis' uniqueness lies in its 500 years of isolation as a military island where time had stopped. However, as so often happens in life, the thing that once seemed to be a disadvantage in the end turns out to be an important advantage. So, Vis' exclusiveness does not lie in its excellent hotel capacities, but in the island itself; its untouched nature and the people that haven't been possessed by tourist commercialisation but who are hospitable in an authentic, native way.

Town of Komiža

Komiža lies on the sunny side of the island and is well sheltered from cold northerly winds, in the bottom of the largest bay on the island and compacted within narrow alleys and slender houses. It is a famous place for its fishermen on the Adriatic and perhaps even on the Pacific.

Komiža faces south-west, towards the open sea and its horizon is limited by two islands – Biševo and Svetac. In the winter time, when the rain cleanses the sky and the bura (north-easterly wind) chases the clouds away, at dusk a new island appears between Biševo and Svetac Majella hill in Italy.

The ferryboat does not come to Komiža, only navigation experts or those from Biševa come here. Others land in Vis and drive to Komiža, an additional ten kilometres along the road over the lowest of Komiža's peaks, Sv. Mihovil.

There are several beautiful pebble beaches of which Kamenice is the most famous; the beach with springs of ice cold water coming from the stone, a shaded area provided by the tamarix trees, and which every night turns into a party area.

There is one hotel in Komiža, the Biševo hotel, with a capacity of around two hundred guests whilst several agencies will help you find an apartment or bed from the private accommodation list.

There is a fish market in Komiža and from between seven and eight o'clock in the morning you can find the best choice of freshly caught fish on the island whilst you will have to reserve a table if you want to dine in one of the excellent fish restaurants of the area.

The everyday tourist offer of Komiža includes numerous excursions to open Sea Islands: Biševo (the Blue Cave), Svetac and Brusnik, the legendary Palagruža and the furthest Croatian island: the volcanic Jabuka.