About Vis Town

Vis Town is divided into four sectors - Luka, near the ferry port, Vela Bonda, where our house is located, Kut, which is the area to the east where Venetian nobles used to build their houses and Lucica, which runs on after Kut. Walking from end to end takes approx. 30 minutes. Please use the map, below, for reference!

Tourist Information:
There are two spots where you can book tours, scooters, boats, cars or dive courses - Navigator, opposite the ferry dock and Ionios, on the main waterfront. Scooters cost c200 Kuna/day (c.£22). They are by far the best way to see the island unless you are nautically minded. Dayglo green or yellow Beetle or Dyane convertibles can be yours for c.350 Kuna/day.

EATING:
Best for Cheap Eats: Katarina (1) - tasty ćevapi and chips, basic burgers next to Bejbi's, the coolest bar this side of town.
Dudo's (2) - Good pizzas, decent seafood, but avoid pricier dishes, they're not worth the extra.
Buffet Vis (3) - There are only a handful of sea front tables but this place is hard to beat for value. Service can be slow, but it's worth it - try the girice or squid, the tastiest on the island.

Best for Gastronomes:
Nona Darinka (5) - Fantastic gnocchi and pasta, opulent pizzas and a quirky walled roof terrace upstairs for you to enjoy it all in.
Pojoda (8) - innovative fish and meat dishes in a lovely garden surrounded by orange and lemon trees. Good value for such good food, and excellent service.
Vatrica (10) - sit right on the seafront on wooden benches for some of the best-prepared seafood dishes in town. Also open all year round (not many others are!).

Best for Romance:
Kantun (4) - Relax in the wonderful stone interior or the vine covered garden to the rear. Excellent service.
Karijola (6) - a beautiful sea view location, chilled music, great service and the best pizzas on the island, bar none.
Kalliopa (7) - a magnificent seafood restaurant set in a stunning Mediterranean garden - but be prepared to splash out!

DRINKING:
Vis is a quiet town, but in July and August it comes alive, with most of the town's bars open for the summer months only. It's the Mediterranean, so be prepared to start at 10pm and finish somewhere around 3am! Our favourites are:
Beibi Bar (1) - right next to Katarina, this is the locals' favourite, just to the right of the ferry port - groove during the day and eclectic mix of music late later on.
Kantun (4) - chill out with a glass of wine in their vine covered garden.
Lambik (9) - the best place to go for cocktails (c40Kn), set in a gorgeous vine-covered atrium in Kut.

SHOPPING:
Konsum (2) is the main supermarket in town, although smaller mini-marts are dotted around liberally and there is also a larger one a short drive away (Kerum). If you want film for cameras, etc, there's a new shop just to the right of Konsum - it also tells toys and other kids stuff. Buy the best local wines at Lipanović (2) or Roki's (1) - bottles from 30-120 Kuna depending on quality and "točeno" (draught) from 20 Kuna for a litre and a half. There are also plenty of clothes shops that open up on the riva in high season. They sell flipflops, sun-cream, sunglasses, t-shirts, etc, but mostly close outside of the summer months. On the way down to Kut, past Nona Darinka (5), there is a surprisingly good leather handbag shop.

ART:
There are several cool little galleries in Vis; try further down the waterfront past Kantun (4), or towards Karijola (6) on the right hand side of the corniche.

CINEMA:
Vis' open air cinema is a real treat! All films have subtitles in Croatia, and during the summer there is one screening per evening. The cinema can be found on the walk down towards Kut between Kantun (4) and Karijola (6). Films are generally American/English. Don't worry about the weather - when it rains, the audience and reels alike are transferred to the smaller indoor cinema just 2 minutes walk away!

SWIMMING:
The nearest beach in Vis to the house is the one in front of the Hotel Issa - Vis' one and only meagre attempt at mass tourism - behind the Prirova peninsula. It has several stone quays and a palm-lined cove that is pleasant enough, but Vis has a habit of rewarding those who put in a touch more effort. On the walk down to Kut there are plenty more little bays where the locals go for a dip, but the best beach in town lies a good 25 minute walk away, behind the Ceska Villa on the Lućica peninsula.

Grandovac Beach (pictured in the banner at the top of this page) is a beautiful, secluded crescent shaped beach with aquamarine waters and its own little drinks/sandwich shack. Best of all, even in the summer months, it's never that busy.

DIVING:
An-Ma (near the Hotel Issa) and Dodoro (on the way to Kut), organise dives for beginners and experienced divers. With brilliantly clear waters and shipwrecks galore (including an old Lancaster bomber), Vis is an ideal place to do your PADI course.

HEALTH:
The town pharmacy is located just to the left of Konsum (3). The hospital is open for A&E cases (see map).