Vis. Things to do, map and hidden gems

The lighthouse at the entrance to the bay of Vis marks the passage by which ships enter the best-sheltered harbour of the central Adriatic. It was set up in the 19th century, in the period when the Austrian maritime administration was equipping the eastern coast with a network of lights; until then the bay was entered by day and by the knowledge of local pilots. The mark was needed because the entrance is narrow, with the islet of Host and underwater reefs on one side, and ships came here at all hours, above all naval ones. Today the lighthouse works automatically and is visible from the whole shore of the bay. It is not arranged for visitors, but it is seen from the boat on arrival and from the shore by Fort George; toward evening, when it lights up, it is a good marker for a photograph of the bay.

The Kastel in Komiza was raised in 1585 right on the shore, at a time when pirate attacks on this part of the Adriatic were frequent and the town was wealthy because it lived from fish. The structure is Renaissance, with a massive square body and a prominent round tower at the corner, a form suited to firearms; from the tower the entrance to the bay and the approach to the shore were watched. The townspeople took shelter in the Kastel during an attack, and the communal store was kept in it as well. After its defensive purpose ended the building changed use, and today it houses the fishing museum. The Kastel stands at the end of the waterfront, by the sea, and is seen from outside at any time; the interior is accessible with a museum ticket.

Komiza lies on the western side of the island, in a bay below Mount Hum, and its whole history is one of fishing. From here for centuries people fished the open sea around Palagruza, the most distant Croatian island group, and for that voyage a special boat was developed: the falkusa, a wooden gajeta with a large lateen sail and removable side boards that were taken off when rowing. The Komiza boats went out for weeks, and the catch was salted in wooden barrels. The town is compact, with narrow streets climbing the slope, and on the shore stands the Renaissance Kastel of the 16th century, today a fishing museum. Above the town is the Benedictine monastery of St Nicholas. From Vis, Komiza is ten kilometres across the middle of the island.

Prirovo is a narrow peninsula that enters the bay of Vis and divides it into two coves. On it stands a Franciscan monastery with the church of St Jerome, raised in the 16th century, and the interest lies in the foundations: the monastery was built directly on the ancient theatre of Greek and Roman Issa, so the houses around it are arranged in a gentle arc that follows the former auditorium. That shape is best seen from the air or from the sea, and on the ground it is recognised by the curving street. Beside the monastery is a cemetery with the tombs of seafaring families and a monument to those who fell in the naval battles off Vis. The peninsula is low and overgrown with pines, and a promenade runs around it from which the whole harbour is visible. From the centre Prirovo is a ten-minute walk.

The Church of St Jerome is part of the Franciscan monastery at the tip of the Prirovo peninsula and was raised in the 16th century, at the time when the Franciscans received the plot on which the remains of the ancient theatre lay. The building is simple: a single nave, a stone facade, a bell tower and a wooden ceiling, and the interior keeps altar paintings and votive depictions of ships donated by Vis seafarers after voyages that ended well. Such vows were common on the Adriatic, because one did not always return from a long voyage. The monastery also keeps a collection of archaeological finds from Prirovo. The church opens around masses and during the day in season; entry is free. Beside it is the cemetery, and the view from the peninsula takes in the whole bay.

Gospina batarija is a coastal fortification above the harbour of Vis, raised in the 19th century as a gun position to control the entrance to the bay; it bears the name of a nearby church. The structure is a low stone building with an embankment toward the sea and rooms for the crew and ammunition, of the kind built along the whole Adriatic at that time. When it lost its military purpose it was restored and the Archaeological Museum of Vis was placed in it, keeping finds from Greek and Roman Issa: pottery, coins minted at Issa, jewellery, stone fragments and objects from the seabed around the island. The display explains what everyday life in the ancient town looked like and how trade moved along the Adriatic. The museum is small, the visit takes an hour, and the ticket is cheap.

The Green Cave lies on the islet of Ravnik, east of Vis, and in the way it is lit it differs from the better-known Blue Cave on Bisevo: here light enters through an opening in the ceiling, falls vertically onto the water and gives it a greenish tone, and at noon a bright column reaching to the bottom is visible in the chamber. The cave has two entrances large enough for a small boat to enter, so people also come in by kayak; unlike the Blue Cave, swimming is allowed here and that is the main reason for coming. The bottom is shingle and shallow at the edge. You come by excursion boat from Vis and Komiza, usually as part of a tour of the southern coast, or in your own craft. The best time is around noon, when the sun is highest.

Budikovac is an islet off the south-eastern coast of Vis, known for the shallow lagoon that forms between it and the neighbouring islet of Mali Budikovac: the strip of sea between them is only waist deep, the bottom is pale and sandy, so the water takes on a markedly light colour rarely seen in this part of the Adriatic. For that reason the lagoon is often called blue. The islet is almost uninhabited; one family lives there, keeping a tavern in season and growing a garden, and the rest is maquis and dry-stone walls from the time when vines were planted here. You come by excursion boat from Vis, Komiza or Rukavac, or in your own craft. The anchorage is sheltered; bring water shoes because of the shells on the bottom.

The Blue Cave lies in Balun bay on the islet of Bisevo, south-west of Vis, and is known for its light: the sun's rays enter through an underwater opening on the southern side, reflect off the pale bottom and fill the chamber with a blue glow, while objects in the water take on a silvery colour. The cave is about twenty-four metres long, and the vault reaches fifteen metres in height. Until 1884 it could be entered only by diving through the underwater passage; in that year, at the urging of the Austrian explorer Eugen von Ransonnet, an artificial entrance was cut through which boats pass today. The best time is between eleven and twelve, when the sun is highest. You come on an organised excursion from Vis or Komiza; swimming inside is not permitted.

Stiniva is a cove on the southern coast of Vis that looks as if it arose by mistake: steep cliffs on both sides almost meet and leave a passage a few metres wide, through which you enter a small shingle strand closed on every side. The cove is in fact a former cave whose vault collapsed, leaving only the opening toward the sea. In 2016 it was declared the finest beach in Europe and has been a regular stop for excursion boats since. You come by boat from Vis and Komiza or on foot by a path from the road above the cove, with a steep descent of some twenty minutes; the return uphill demands footwear and water. In the afternoon the cove is in shade, because the sun goes behind the cliffs, and it is quietest early in the morning, before the boats arrive.

The tunnel in Parja cove is one of several submarine shelters cut into the coastal rock of Vis at the time when the island was a closed military zone. From the 1950s until 1989 Vis was a base of the Yugoslav navy and foreign visitors were not allowed on the island; in that period tunnels, shelters, gun positions and underground depots were built, scattered across the whole island. This tunnel is large enough for a small submarine or a boat to enter, and it is concreted, its far end closed within the rock. Today you enter by boat, kayak or swimming; inside it is cold, dark and quiet, and the water unusually clear. You come by excursion boat from Vis or in your own craft, with care because of the narrow entrance.

The islet of Host lies before the entrance to the bay of Vis and, although it is small and uninhabited, its name appears in naval history twice. In 1811 in the waters around it a British squadron under the command of William Hoste defeated a considerably more numerous French and Italian force, and the islet is named after him. In 1866 the battle of Vis was fought before the same island, in which the Austrian fleet under Wilhelm von Tegetthoff sank two Italian ironclads; it was the last great naval battle fought by ramming rather than by guns. Today Host is overgrown with low scrub, and a lighthouse stands on it. It is toured by boat from the harbour of Vis; bathing is possible off the rocks, and landing depends on the wind.