Unspoiled landscape, calm waters, a deep azure colour and plenty of solitude sum up Vis’ beaches. Beaches here aren’t huge what with the small area of the island, but they are plentiful. There are so many nooks and hidden coves that finding your own lone spot is quite easy. Some beaches are easily accessible via a drive while some require a bit of hike. Another way is to go out in a boat for the day and dock it a little away from the beaches.
We did a lot of beach hopping what with the beautiful weather and a scooter handy. It was the month of May so beaches were mostly empty. May also meant that the water was very cold but with that blue all around it is difficult not to go in right? Taking a deep breath, in we went tiptoeing at first and then plunging in. After that it just gets better, you know that. Barring the odd fellow, no one seemed interested in taking a dip, so we splashed about without a care. Read on to find out more about beaches of Vis, Croatia
Stoncica beach
Stoncica beach is a twenty minute drive from Vis town, and was my favorite of the lot. It lies on the island’s east side. After parking, it can be reached by a ten minute walk on a dirt track leading down to the beach. Most beaches in Vis tend to be pebbly and Stoncica is one of the few sandy ones. With calm waters and a gentle slope, it is very safe and perfect for average swimmers like us. If at Stoncica, freshly grilled seafood at the beach’s only restaurant Konoba Stoncica is a must.
Milna beach
Most beaches of Vis lie in south east and south of Vis. Amongst them, Milna is one of the popular ones. It works as it is a sandy beach with shallow waters. Although, I did not like its location right next to the main road. Also lack of shade meant we didn’t stay that long.
Zaglav
Zaglav is another sandy beach and was recommended to us by our host. It is next door to Milna and it takes fifteen minutes to walk here from Milna. We did start the walk but then just got lazy and didn’t go all the way. Since most of our host’s recommendations worked, am quite sure Zaglav would be a good one to visit.
Rukavac
Rukavac is a small town south east of Vis. We didn’t really stop here for any beach although there is one here named Tepluš. What got our attention was some rock formations caught in the light of an evening sun. It is next to Srebrna (mentioned below) so worth dropping in.
Srebrna beach
Srebrna is one of the most popular beaches in Vis. After parking, it is just a few minutes walk away. It is also known as Silver beach because apparently the pebbles and rocks shine in moonlight and give the beach a silvery effect. It is framed on both sides with big rocks, perfect for getting some sun. As with most beaches of Vis, the water is very calm. The beach was empty save for two people, and with all that space to ourselves, we ended up having quite a good time here.
Stiniva beach
This is perhaps the most recognized of all Vis’ beaches. With two cliffs jutting out, the beach is protected from strong currents. It can be reached either by hiring a boat or by a twenty minute (supposedly) hike down a dirt path. We tried the latter, but did not expect the path to be extremely steep and full of slipping stones. We kept going for a good fifteen minutes but with wrong shoes, a hot sun and the end nowhere in sight it just didn’t make sense to keep going and do the whole thing again uphill.
Sigh. Giving up midway was too disappointing, but having slipped twice it was the sensible thing to do. It is, however, not to be missed and I would recommend reaching here either by boat and then stopping before the cliffs, or coming fully prepared for at least a thirty minute descent on what can best be described as a goat’s path on a steep cliff.
Grandovac
This is a pebble beach at the end of Kut village. We liked it as there is plenty of shade available to simply relax. Being closest to Vis and Kut, it is quite popular. There is always the option of driving, but honestly the best way to reach here is by a lovely 30 min walk along the sea from Vis Town. There was a signboard for a cafe but I guess owing to lack of crowds it was shut.
Rogačić area
Rogačić was a recommendation by a local. It lies to the north of the island and it takes a fifteen minute drive to reach here from Vis town. The road from Vis took us uphill to Fort George which is a 200 year old fortification turned restaurant and wedding venue. There are panoramic views of the Adriatic from here. Going further for fifteen minutes brings you to Rogačić town. All along the way the water is very calm and there are numerous spots suitable for stopping and taking a dip.
Going on and crossing Rogačić (there is just one road and easily navigable), we spotted something that looked like a concrete tunnel – it is actually a Yugoslavian era shelter for submarines. Vis in earlier decades was used as a military centre so there are plenty of such remnants from that time. Though the shelter is visited via a military tour and needs to be booked separately, we wanted to have a closer look. We parked and walked down a path towards the shelter. The walk ran parallel to another shallow stretch of water. Soon enough we came to a wood/stone platform set in the shade of trees which meant dropping down and dipping our feet in the inviting water. The shelter was soon forgotten.
This part of the island is not visited much, but if you have all the time in the world, do pop down for a lovely drive and open views of the Adriatic sea.
so beautiful…. so clean….. amazing ….. thanks for sharing……
Thanks for reading !