Vis Off The Beaten Path

4 more images

Bisevo Island has several caves but is famous for the Blue Cave (Modra Spilja) in a small cove Balun, which is a rare natural phenomenon. It's known by the local fishermen since ancient times and discovered for the world by Baron Eugen Rausoonet in 1884. It resembles the cave on island Capri in Italy, but is much more attractive and luxuriant!

The Blue Cave is 24 m long, 10-12 m wide, up to 15 m high and up to 16 m deep. It can be reached by small boat and it's accessible through some 1,5 m high and 2,5 m wide rock gate. Between 11am and noon, on a sunny day when the sea is calm, sun rays passing through an underwater opening illuminate the cave with a luminous blue light while objects beneath the surface shimmer in silver and pink. It's magic!!!

The easiest way to visit the Blue Cave is to take one of the excursion boats that runs daily from Komiza in the summer. I booked at Nika Adventure Tours and was highly satisfied!

4 more images

This small island (6 km2) lies about 5 nautical miles southwest of Komiza. The island is hilly and built mostly of limestone. Its highest peak is Strazbenica (239m). In the middle of the island is a small field with vineyards and olive groves. The coast is characterized by a number of caves, the largest of them being Medvidina and Modra Spilja (the Blue Cave). The main occupations are fishing and viticulture but most of the tourists visit Bisevo to see the famous Blue Cave.

The Benedictine monastery of St. Sylvester was found in 1050. Due to pirate attacks, two centuries later, the monastery relocated to Komiza. The remains of the original church of St. Sylvester from the 11th century may be seen next to the monastery ruins.

Only few people permanently live in the little villages as Salbunara, Mezuporat and Porat by the bays and in the village Potok, which is located at small plateau at the peak of the island. There are few mostly uninhabited little islets in the vicinity: Jabuka, Svetac and Palagruza.

Bisevo is famous one-day excursion spot not only for visitors of Vis but also the near islands, as Hvar, Brac... First you visit the Blue Cave and then a sandy bay of Porat that is ideal for swimming. Besides, you can have lunch in one of a tavern type restaurants offering catch of the day since the coastal area is extremely rich of fish!

Have you ever experienced a night time swimming? Well, I have, and can tell you, it's fantastic!! Since my first time I do it quite often, I just love it!

Especially when the air temperature is up to 40C by day and it drops only to 30C by night, as it happened in my case, you simply need to refresh yourself! And what is better than swimming in the sea? The feeling is magnificent, since the air and water temperatures are nearly the same and you have the sensation of the sea being warmer by night than by day. There's only a little advice: you better check the beach before your night time adventure, just to convince yourself that it's safe.

I found pebbly Kamenica beach in Komiza very suitable and it's easy of access. Only bear in mind that the daily bar on the beach changes into popular night spot with DJ. To avoid the strong lights, you move some 100 m and nothing will bother you anymore, you'll be just fine! :)

4 more images

Croatia has been an attractive naturist destination for five decades. Today there are more than 30 official naturist resorts (campsites, tourist villages and beaches) and numerous unofficial bathing places. There are also so called free beaches which are known to be naturist for many years and those places are mostly clothing optional. It is important to point out that most of naturist beaches are placed in beautiful natural environment.

Naturism is well accepted all along Croatian Adriatic coast. Naturist beaches are marked with "FKK" for "Freikorperkultur" (German for Free Body Culture). Central Dalmatia islands and coast line is the right place where you can find not only official naturist resorts and beaches but those hidden and secluded small bays.

I checked up most of the island's secluded beaches but Nova posta was undoubtedly the winner!! And besides, it was also the closests, only about 20 minutes' walk. Staying in Komiza, you first pass by Kamenica beach. There you can choose between the longer upper path and be at the same time rewarded with a stunning view or go along the shorter but slippery rocky margin of the coast. But you realize it's worth any effort when you see the sight: little pebbly beach with separate trees and blueness of the sea! Just perfect for relaxation, taking your favourite book, listening to the waves and forget about everything! :)

3 more images

Rukavac is the third large settlement on Vis and one of the most attractive tourist destinations on the island. Situated on the southern coast, about 10 km from Vis town and 13 km from Komiza, it is easily reached by an asphalted road.

This quiet and charming place was originally a fishermen's village but today it has been transformed into a holiday resort with small summer houses surrounded by their own gardens. If you are looking for peace and relaxation, it's the right place for your holidays.

Rukavac is surrounded by beautiful coves, sandy and pebbly beaches and the crystal clear sea. Here you'll find Srebrena (the Silver Beach), one of the most beautiful beaches of the Adriatic! Off the Rukavac bay there are two small islands, on one of them is the famous Green Grotto.

4 more images

Fort Saint George is a fort built by the British in 1813, on the left side of the Vis bay, when seen from town. It can be reached by foot from town in about 45 minutes of leisurely walking - there is a dirt road passing it by - it is almost at the tip of the bay. It is quite well preserved, especially the main structure - only the second floor is missing, but the stone structure survives. After entering the main gate, you turn right to go to the main building, where you can walk up the stairs to the roof platform, which has beautiful views of the bay. Farther along is a wide yard in the shade of trees, which also has very good views of the bay. Unfortunately, it is not kept up by anyone, and people tend to burn fires inside and throw trash around. There is also apparently an underground portion of the structure, although I assume it is filled with trash.

On your way to Tito's cave (ah well, it is a lovely hike up, those 100 stairs, great views and all, especially amazing long stretched spider webs - 3 meters and more! but the cave itself is beyond boring) ok, even If you don't wish to climb up there, you might find it interesting to notice this particular village.

A mysterious secret lingering over it.
The name of this village is ZENA GLAVA !!!
Oh, right, need a translation, eh?
Woman Head.
Not Woman's Head or Female Head.
More like The Head Woman. She's in charge.

What happened up there??? How can this be???
I did a thorough investigation by interrogating a few locals, and two stories emerged.

One - that all men went to war and women took over so they actually started using their heads. (I'm just quoting my source here, a male in his fourties, ehm ...)

The other - that there's no water well up there, so they had to carry water from distant water-well, and they did that by carrying buckets on their heads, all the time, every time they went anywhere, they would return with water bucket on their head.

Totally stunning, right?
:o)

A small, really not impressive cave, with carved lyrics celebrating Tito and his troops, you know the epic pompous style that most of us find touching and uplifting in our own country and funny in other countries or political regimes.

Tito was hiding in this cave for a short period of time, during German raids. The walk up towards this place takes exactly 100 stairs, it’s not too difficult and offers lovely views. Don't be afraid of spiders, they have extremely long nets beaming high across your head, but couldn't care less about us tourists, really. .

Italian troops occupied Vis in April of 1941. Soon after that, the Germans declared the war against the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Partisan forces were fighting against Nazi troops all over Yugoslavia, and in one phase of the war when the liberation of Dalmatian islands was a priority, Tito’s forces with the help of British commandos captured Vis and kept on defending it against German attacks.

By this time he was already recognized first by British, then by Americans and Russians as a capable military leader who’s Partisan units consisting of civilians from all walks of life, ethnic, religious and political background, were defying Fascists and liberating the country without major intervention from allied forces.

The majority of inhabitants were evacuated to El Shat refugee camp in Egypt, a destination of ill reputation, where many perished.

Partisans treated British with great respect, helped and collaborated in their specific ways. One typical story: British medical personnel needed an X-ray machine and more medical supplies, to treat wounded British soldiers, Partisans and civilians. They mentioned this to some Partisans, who replied in typical Croatian manner: “Nema problema”.

One day, an X-ray machine and medical supplies were delivered. Partisans went “shopping” - raided one German medical unit in Split and delivered the goods.