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Favorite Croatian island

I know this is likely a matter of personal preference, but nonetheless was wondering how people feel about the various islands off Croatia- specifically Hvar, Korcula, and Vis because those are the ones I've read the most about and seem to be the easiest to connect to from Split, but I am also open to other suggestions!

Background- we are hoping to spend a week in Croatia next May and would like to spend a couple of nights on an island. We are also planning for a few days in Dubrovnik and would like to go to Mjlet, but get the impression this is better as a day-trip activity rather than overnight.
From the research I've done so far, Vis sounds lovely- low key, less touristy but still good restaurant options, and beautiful scenery. However, due to the more limited ferry schedule and our limited timeframe, we realize this may not be the most practical option. While Rick Steves sounds pretty keen on Korcula and Hvar, these came across as resort-y and touristy to me, but maybe in May they wouldn't be too crowded? What is Stari Grad like compared to Hvar Town?

Also, is one island better than others if you don't plan to rent a car? It seems they all have bus transport to a degree, but it's hard to tell how much of the island they cover.

Posted by
455 posts

hvar didnt feel overly touristy to me in sept. at least not compared to split and dubrov but vis was more low key in the port area. on hvar the fortress is nice and the waterfront is fun at night. didnt venture further as we thought scooter rentals very pricey. on vis we rented scooters and toured the vineyard area. had a really great meal at restaurant illy on the waterfront.

Posted by
15 posts

My personal favorite is Vis Island. It's a little quieter than Korcula and Hvar, but it's solitude adds to its charm. Komiza, a fishing village on Vis, is very quaint. It's easy to rent a scooter and explore the island. If you like secluded coves, ask at the tourist agency about Stineva beach- it's at the bottom of a steep cliff and difficult to access, but a great beach for some privacy. If you're into history, you can check out Tito's cave, where he hid from the Nazis during WWII. His caves are at the top of a bluff overlooking Komiza and the Adriatic. If you make it to the caves, you'll see why he was safe here.

The ferries don't run as frequently to Vis during the shoulder season, but you should still be able to catch a ferry to the island from Split.

Bus transport is equally accessible for all three islands. Renting a scooter on Vis is probably the best way to explore the island.

Hvar is a little more upscale, swanky - the island seems to cater to high rollers. Korcula is more family-oriented; everything to see is in the town of Korcula - though there are some nice beaches on the neighboring islands.

Happy travels!

Posted by
2171 posts

I didn't find either Hvar or Korcula resorty or touristy during our September visit. Hvar by far the biggest; it's the only one of the three islands with any nightlife. Our favorite thing there was taking the little day trip boat out to the nearby tiny island of Stipanska. We found great restaurants in Hvar too. Korcula was smaller and quieter; the old town was beautiful. There are some pretty beaches accessible by bus or taxi.

Our very favorite, though, was Vis -- specifically the town of Komiza mentioned earlier. We stayed in the main town (Luka?) and had some great dinners in the neighboring town of Kut, but we took a bus one day to visit Komiza and wished we had stayed there. It's tiny and scenic and so pretty. You can catch boats from Komiza to the "blue hole", which is fun.

You might need to stay back in the main town for your last evening on Vis in order to catch the early ferry. It's just a short bus-ride but I don't know if they have buses running that early. We took a 5:30 am ferry from Vis to Split and caught the 8 am bus to Dubrovnik, which got us there around 1 pm. So connections aren't too bad.

We haven't visited Mjlet, so can't comment on that. If you're not already planning a day trip from Dubrovnik to Montenegro, I highly recommend it. The bay of Kotor is one of the most beautiful places you'll ever see!

Posted by
50 posts

Thanks for the replies! We are leaning towards Vis should it work out with our schedule. Otherwise, I like the sound of Korcula over Hvar- I didn't realize you could also catch a bus from Korcula Town to Dubrovnik. So we could avoid making the return trip to Split, which would be nice.

Posted by
354 posts

From Dubrovnik, you can also visit Lopud island as a day trip, there's nice sandy beach there - one of the few in this area. I enjoyed it very much. Island or beach hopping on the Adriatic coast is great.