We always dreamed of renting a sail boat and sailing through turquoise waters. We never imagined that the first time we would do this would be along the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. Sailing the Islands of Croatia was an unforgettable experience and super easy to arrange State side. Vis Island was our second day of exploration.

Green Cave and Stiniva Bay, Vis Island

The Green Cave is located on a tiny island called Ravnik, less than 1,000 feet from Vis Island. The Green Cave is very different from the Blue Cave but a great experience none the less. First of all the Green Cave is free! It has a large entrance that moderate sized boats can go into (we used our little zodiac), you can swim inside, and there’s a small hole in the roof 50 feet up that projects sunlight down into cave and to the bottom of the water. It’s a fun place to see and spend some time in, just don’t expect to be by yourself during the day. Check it out, it’s worth the trip if you’re nearby.

Stiniva Bay is another little favorite tourist destination that has a nice pebbly beach tucked in between two large rocky cliffs at the water’s edge. Our skipper told us that despite the dozen or so boats that arrived shortly after we did, we were relatively alone compared to the hordes that show up to this special little cove during the peak of the summer. We spent a few hours snorkeling, lying on the beach, and jumping off some the cliffs into the deep turquoise water. It was a nice compliment to the Green Cave for a morning of exploring.

Quaint Bay Waterfront Komiža, Vis Island

The beautiful bay of Komiža, a tiny fishing village on the island of Vis, was our second overnight stop while sailing the islands of Croatia, after visiting the island of Bisevo and the Blue Cave during the day. We tied up at a buoy on the quieter side of the bay next to several other sailboats, though none as nice as ours 🙂 and used our tiny zodiac to motor over to the shore for a stroll along the simple but cozy and active promenade. There were several small shops along the way to dinner, some selling the normal wares for the residents of this mostly summer-inhabited island, but almost every shop had something for the tourist. Each turn took us down a quaint little walking path lined with stores, restaurants, and flowering vines growing all over. Every now and then there was a tiny square that was filled with tables and chairs for different cafes. We had a swing and a miss of a dinner at a water side restaurant, my first experience with shrimp so small they couldn’t be peeled…they expect you to eat them whole. The view though was excellent as was the atmosphere, and we ended the night with a nice serving of gelato from a stand along the waterfront, so we at least got our nourishment.

The next morning was warm and clear with no wind. Our friends went with the skipper to shore to find our dinner (some fresh fish from the night’s catch) while we took the opportunity to jump in the water in our birthday suits (sorry no photos of that, you can thank me later). All in all a wonderful stop for our second overnight.

After our wonderful evening and morning in Komiža, we set sail eastward toward Korčula Island.