Exploring Croatia: The Island of Vis

I took a short trip to the Island of Vis in Croatia yesterday.

I spent all of four hours on the island—four hours exploring the town of Vis.

And that was all I needed to fall in love with the island. Or, at the very least, the town of Vis on Vis Island.

Ice Cream Shop on Vis Island. Pa Ti Odoli

I arrived on Vis via TP Line catamaran from Makarska.

The catamaran was at 10% capacity (see photo). Probably not great for business, but I was in heaven.

You see, it’s the height of the ‘sezona’ in Croatia. Which means there are many tourists in Makarska. But for some odd reason, there weren’t that many passengers on this catamaran. And that was fine by me.

The boat ride there and back was longer than my stay on the island. The boat ride is three hours there and three hours back. It stops on Hvar and Brač.

Probably not great for visitors on a schedule, but I was in full-on Dalmatian mode - it was all about the laganini yesterday.

TP Line Catamaran. In Mid August. Loved it!

In four hours on the Island of Vis, I managed to do…very little.

And it was glorious.

In four hours, I walked through Vis, ate at a restaurant (some restaurants do not open until dinner), swam in the sea, fell asleep on the beach, and enjoyed a coffee by the sea.

I wasn’t looking to rush through my trip. I had four hours. I wanted to spend them wisely.

And so I spent two of those four hours in the sea and on the beach.

Wise decision.

Is there more to the town of Vis and the Island of Vis in Croatia?

Of course.

Was it possible to accomplish so much more in four hours?

Of course.

But that’s not what I was looking for, nor why I fell in love with Vis.

I fell in love with it because its energy said: come here and relax; we’ve managed to shut out the noise. 

Vis, Croatia

I live in a coastal town where, for almost eight months, things move at a relatively ‘nice’ pace for me. And then it gets hectic.

And I am learning that hectic might not be my favourite speed.

That’s why exploring Vis in August hit the spot.

I don’t know how long that will last.

How long before someone marks Vis as the new hot spot and brings the noise?

Maybe they already have, and I managed to silence the noise for some fortunate reason.

Maybe places do not have to get ‘noisy’ to be popular.

Maybe.

For now, all I know is that I found another place that helps to remind me to be present, to appreciate the stillness, just to be.

Strolling through Vis, Croatia

Vis, Croatia

Church Of Our Lady Of Spilice, Vis

Vis, Croatia

Shoutout :

Thanks to Jasmina Knezović (Sensible Guides) for creating A Sensible Guide to Split & its Islands. 

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She has a chapter on Vis that starts with this quote that sums up how I felt on the island - like time had stopped.

Vis has always been a special place. As the furthest (inhabited) island from the Croatian coast, under the control of the Yugoslav military until 1989, Vis exudes a sense of stopped time.

And thanks to Jasmina for playing a part in helping to name this blog: My Adriatic Adventure.

Jasmina’s guide is full of recommendations and stories. It’s the perfect-sized companion for exploring Split and its islands.

Her Frutarija recommendation was an ideal spot for a coffee.

I could have easily spent four hours drinking coffee on that bench and staring at the Adriatic Sea.

Maybe next time.

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