Vis Island travel guide

Is Croatia getting too crowded? Then jump over to Vis Island, the remotest populated island from the mainland. In 2017, Mama Mia – Here We Go Again was filmed on Vis, giving the island’s beauty spots a brief moment in the spotlight. But the sudden flash of fame doesn’t seem to have affected this quiet paradise one bit. Vis is for adventure and escape – you’ll be having far too much fun to think about film sets. Get to know the lay of the land with our Vis Island travel guide.

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Vis Island travel guide

One of Croatia’s islands is a little different from the others. A scattering of abandoned army bases gives a clue to Vis Island’s past. The island was off-limits to tourists until 1989 and it’s still relatively unspoilt. The furthest large island from the shore, with a population of just 3,000, its harbour is too small for cruise ships and its shores far quieter than neighbouring Hvar. Vis Island has always been an outpost. Now, it’s a great place to start an adventure.

In World War II, Vis was a hideout for the head of the Yugoslav resistance. It’s still got that out-of-the-way wonder about it.

Vis is ripe for exploring. You could fling yourself around the island on a bicycle, or hop between rocky coves on a boat. You could drink wine that’s been grown, pressed and bottled within a few miles of your dinner table. You could play a riotous game of Picigin (think hacky sack but with a real ball, played in the sea) just off a deserted beach. Whatever you do, you won’t be able to resist the clear, sparkling water.

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Vis is...

a great place for a relaxed escape or an adventurous family holiday.

Vis isn’t...

just a filming location. Though Mamma Mia 2 was shot here.

Things to do on Vis Island...

Stay with a local operator. You can book some really rewarding group activity holidays on Vis with local operators. Activities are organised for you, for you to attend at your leisure – whether that’s slacklining across a flooded cave or an outdoor yoga session. Everyone gathers around the same dinner table for a home-cooked meal in the evenings. You’ll get the best local advice, and you’ll support a local business, even if you never muster up the courage to complete that cliff jump. Get active. Thanks to the needs of the military in the 20th century, the island has two very good roads and you can traverse it by bike in an hour. You can climb the highest point on the island – Mount Hum –making your way through wild rosemary to the chapel on its summit, and you can swim for days in the clear, clear water. Thanks to local efforts and responsible visitors who pick up litter, Vis Island is one of the cleanest islands in the middle Mediterranean area. Order sardines. The water around Vis is sardine central – you could say they’re packed in the sea like... well, you get the picture. These silvery beauties can be thrown on a grill, baked into a robust fish pie known as a pogaca or barbecued and served with potatoes. You’ll find local food in informal restaurants known as konobas. Vegetarian? No problem, our holiday operators cater for veggies with their home-cooked meals – and plenty of home-grown, pesticide-free produce will work its way onto your plate.

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Things not to do on Vis Island...

Party. It’s not that you shouldn’t party on Vis, but why would you? Neighbouring Hvar, with its bars and clubs, has the reputation, and the nightlife scene, to back up its status as Croatia’s most up-for-it island. If you’ve come to Vis instead, chances are you’re here to spot seals, not slam shots. The island is a centre for relaxed activity breaks – perfect for those who fancy a spot of cycling in the morning, but just want to spend the afternoon on a quiet beach. Channel Cher. Whisper it, but Mama Mia: Here We Go Again was filmed on Vis Island. It’s brought a little bit of new-found fame to Vis, but understandably, local people aren’t going to start hawking ABBA CDs in the marketplace in celebration. If you’re going to do an impression of Cher’s scene-stealing rendition of Fernando from the third act, then do it quietly. Stay above ground. Blue caves, green caves, coves where submarines hid, and a secret tunnel network left over by the Yugoslav resistance: Vis Island has a hidden underbelly. Tito’s cave, where the Yugoslav leader hid during the war, sits near Mount Hum, but there are plenty of other hidden places on the island – the best thing to do is to grab a torch and book onto a tour.

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Written by Eloise Barker

Vis Island travel guide