Do you know the authentic Vis island in Croatia? It is certainly the furthest away from the Croatian coast, in the heart of the Adriatic and in the middle of the Dalmatian coast, but it is thanks to this relative remoteness that it is less touristy and therefore more authentic, with its agricultural, wine-growing and maritime life.
Interesting places of historical interest
Another positive point is the Italian influence on the architecture of the island's buildings, as the island of Vis was under Venetian rule for four centuries until the end of the 18th century. It was part of the Austrian and then Austro-Hungarian empire for a century until the 20th century. It became part of Yugoslavia and was transformed into Tito's headquarters and therefore foreign tourists were forbidden until 1991. For this reason it is still uncontaminated and not very popular among tourists. During this period, the inhabitants of the island, whose means of communication with the mainland were very limited, had to learn to live in total self-sufficiency between fishing, viticulture and agriculture in order to survive. From this not so distant period you will still find galleries accessible by boat that cross the island and that you can visit.
An island on a human scale that can be visited by land...
The island of Vis, with its 17 kilometers long and 8 kilometers wide and Mount Hum, which reaches 587 meters, has the perfect size to be visited by land or by sea. You can drive along its three main roads from east to west by car, bike or scooter, or walk along its many hiking trails that will take you to beautiful coves and sandy beaches. You can visit the ramparts of the village of Vis, the Greek-Roman remains of Luka, a village very close to Vis, its monastery and its beautiful churches; you can also stay in the many vineyards that occupy 700 hectares of the island of Vis. From Komiza, starting from the monastery of St. Nicholas, in 45 minutes walk you can reach the top of Mount Hum, from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the entire Vis island, one of the many islands of Croatia.
....and by sea
Hiring a sailboat in Split or Baska Voda will give you an even more exotic approach: a short break in Hvar and then, after setting sail again, instead of docking at the port of Vis located in front of Hvar, where several ferries dock, you can sail south from Vis to the other side of the island to discover the port of Komiza, in 30 nautical miles. Beautiful pebble beaches invite you to swim, but from the sailboat you can easily dive into the clear waters of the sea. From there, nothing is easier than reaching the island of Bisevo, which is 4 nautical miles away. Sandy beaches are waiting for you to relax, but don't miss a visit to the famous Blue Grotto: when the rays of the sun penetrate you at the end of the morning, the blue is of rare intensity and worth a visit.
Hiring a sailboat in Croatia, you will need to spend only two or three days on the island of Vis, but it is an essential stop that will allow you to get away from the purely tourist places and discover the sweetness of Croatian life.