There are so many great spots on such this tiny paradise on earth and all of them give it that special quirky, bohemian vibe.

We’ve narrowed the list down to 10 must-visit places in Vis that represent the truly laid back yet vibrant island spirit.

The fisherman’s village of Komiza

This picturesque village on the south side of the island will steal your heart from the first moment. The idyllic setting, easy and laidback flow and the beautiful architecture are something you will carry in your memories forever.

“When day-dreaming about Mediterranean you think of crystal clear sea, unique architecture, narrow streets, cozy ambient and fishermen surrounded by bunch of seagulls – we call it in one word – Komiza”, says Mario, Summersalt yoga coordinator and tour guide 

“Cutest of the cute! A bit of an eclectic, artsy vibe with quite funny locals. I love all the little nooks and crannies with places to sit and just be.” Vanessa, Summersalt yoga teacher

Traditional tavern “Rokis”

If you come to Vis and don’t go to Rokis for dinner your time here was not complete and you must come back again! This wonderfully set tavern showcases traditional ways of preparing the unique Dalmatian dish peka (meat, fish or octopus baked under the bell – yummmm), the service is beyond charming and setting makes you want to linger just a little longer, a little longer…

“It is all about the experience at Roki’s. A place where you will get more than just AMAZING food” Maya Kolega, artist and photographer, in love with Vis

“Pico the dog, delicious food, friendly people, and an adorable rustic building. What more can ask for?”, – Vanessa.

200-year old Fort George

Blending the old and the new, this unique place offers the full island food, cocktail and evening-out experience. Set up on the hill, this Fortress offers the views you wont forget and the setting you will not want to leave. “The best sunset view in Vis!”, says Maya.

“A place where you’re whisked away back in time and can feel the energy from long ago. Marble and stone, comfort and beauty, with the best views for sunset on the whole Dalmatian coast”, – Vanessa.

Restaurant & lounge “Lola”

A place where traditional and modern blend, where afternoon food experiences and lazy chill out mode merge, where bohemian atmosphere and incredible desserts make you want come back again, and again. So we do and you will too!

“I love everything about the place – the style, the flavors and the always unique music tunes”, Milda, Summersalt Yoga founder.

“Amazing food in a perfectly picturesque garden”, – Maya.

Bisevo island and Blue cave

“It’s really blue!”, – you will hear that more than you’d expect when you enter this tiny, but impressive cave on the Bisevo island. “A magical and surreal experience where the color “blue” takes on a whole new significance and meaning, and confirms that nature truly is a mystery”, – says Vanessa. After seeing the cave the only thing you need is a boat ride to explore other rugged corners of the Bisevo island and take a few hours to soak up the sun on a sandy beach.

“Bisevo is a place where you can pretend you’re a castaway. With snorkeling, sandy beaches, beautiful flowers and trees just up the walking road, everything is there for enjoyment, all in a little inlet that seems so far away from the rest of the world, – Vanessa.

Café and juice bar “Frutarija”

If you’re craving for a smoothie or healthy fresh juice as well as a place to get cozy with a book – you’ve found it. Right above the sea this quite recently opened location is always a great choice for that or for a nice evening with friends.

“Ultimate breakfast views”, – Maya.  

“The juices are just so so good”, – Milda.

Grandovac beach

Don’t be lazy and take the extra few minutes to walk to a wonderfully hidden beach at the end of the Vis town. It’s less crowded and always great for an afternoon dip. “A hidden paradise not too far from the centre of Vis town”, says Maya.  

Stiniva beach

The iconic beach always makes all the best travel lists and deservingly so. You can reach it by foot or by boat – in any case the views and the crystal waters waiting for you make it so worth it!

“My favorite beach by far! Part of the reason why it’s my favorite is because you have to earn it. After your 20 minute descent to the beach, you’re met with picturesque rock formations, clear pools of water, and even places to go cliff jumping”, – Vanessa.  

“Magnificent natural pearl given as reward for successful picturesque hike till it.”, – Mario.

Bistro “Fabrika”

A quirky spot right on the promenade in Komiza village is a perfect place to relax, grab a smoothie and watch the people go by. The bistro style is rustic-meets-retro (take a peak inside!) and the menu offers a fresh look on local and international cuisine.

“I love coming here for breakfast. Mornings in Komiza and this place get close to perfection”, – Milda.

Silver beach

Sometimes overshadowed by the more famous Stiniva, Silver beach (or Srebrna on Croatian) is pretty close on the “wow” chart.  “A place where white (beaches pebbles) – meets blue (sky and sea) in a most magnificent way”, – says Mario. So pack your sandwiches and be ready to spend a divine afternoon here.

A yoga bonus:

The island is a perfect setting for a peaceful and inspiring holiday. And that’s why we, Summersalt Yoga are here.

Join us at our Adventure yoga retreats (Around the Island and Into the Sea) and SUP yoga retreats!

The post The top 10 must visit places on Vis island appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

2017 was pretty great and 2018 seem to be starting just as awesome, so we’ve put together a short info-guide of the most talked happenings and events in Vis and the area!

Mamma mia!!!

September and October were beyond exciting on the island of Vis. Why do you ask? Because it served as a set of the Mamma Mia 2 movie. Yes, the tourists and locals were curiously following the production, the movie stars and everything related, but being relaxed and chill place Vis was just perfect for all the A-listers (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and more) without too much fuss, hassle or attention. Well, maybe just Pierce Brosnan had to pose for a few photos, but he totally enjoyed his time strolling in the town, exploring the nature, beaches, and the food!

Mamma Mia 2 filmed on the island of Vis for 24 days, with more than 270 Croatian film professionals and extras engaged.

We also had an exciting encounter with the 007 and just had to take a photo together (#sorrynotsorry)

The Mammia Mia 2 trailer was released not long after the production wrapped and here’s a trailer for yall’s pleasure!

Vis and UNESCO

Some more great news for Vis came this December – Vis archipelago was nominated for UNESCO Geopark Status! In our humble opinion, it deserves this honor and we’re keeping the fingers crossed.

The area of the Vis archipelago covers the islands of Jabuka, Brusnik, Biševo, and Palagruža as the geologically oldest island of the Adriatic, which (just as Brusnik) is constantly growing under the influence of tectonic activity.

The archipelago also has great biodiversity and landscape diversity, rich cultural and historical heritage, and valuable geological and geomorphological heritage.

We will need to wait until spring 2019 to find out whether the UNESCO Geopark status will be granted for our beautiful island!

2018 EURO Handball championship

Some of our team members are crazy sports fans (we’re looking at you, Mario), but so are majority Croatians and all of them are putting a lot of attention and hope for the National Handball team in the 2018 EURO Handball championship held in Croatia this January.

The matches are hosted in the cities of Zagreb, Split, Varaždin, and Poreč.

Make sure you follow Croatia’s attempt to reach or even top the 2016 championship’s bronze medals! We surely will.

Game of Thrones is back

Recently Croatia had the most exposure for being a shooting place of the cult TV series “Game of Thrones”. Guess what, the production of the final 8th season is coming back to Dubrovnik in 2018 – the team and some of the cast will be in Dubrovnik in February to shoot the last scenes. For those who are not following the show (why? why?) It has been a location for King’s Landing since season 2.

It is announced that 244,415 tourists visited Dubrovnik between 2012 and 2015 due to Game of Thrones and have spent 126 million euros.

If only we didn’t have to wait until 2019 to see how the amazing show ends…Sniff..

Dubrovnik has become a beloved film location ever since, serving as a setting for such movies as Star Wars: the last Jedi, the upcoming Robin Hood and James Bond movies.

The post So, what’s happening in Vis and Croatia? appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

I left Vis on 9 July feeling nostalgic, bittersweet, and excited. After a wonderful teaching and learning experience with 4 different groups of bright and shining yogis, I was happy for the experiences we all shared and ready to go exploring.

Not 15 minutes after my arrival in split, I sat down for a coffee and a bite when I hear my name. I turn and am surprised by Hannah, Vicky, Nadin, and Lauren. All from the retreat. What a perfect moment to culminate the feelings of next steps.

I sit with them for just a bit before I have to be on my way to catch a bus to Zadar, where I was meeting Andy for our Croatian road trip adventure.

On the bus, I went, and I got to Zadar around 7 pm and headed straight to meet Andy at the Sea Organ, an enchanting pier with sounds like an organ (hence the name!) as water passes underneath, all with a rich sunset as the backdrop. We sat with magical sounds beneath us as the sun set in front of us, soaking up every sparkling light off of the waters.

After the sunset, we grabbed a bite to eat before we headed out onto the road at, as we had a long drive to Rovinj ahead of us. We got on the road right around 10:30 pm.

We didn’t realize how long of a ride it would be.

The GPS put our arrival time at 2:50 am. Andy took the first shift driving while I took a nap in the back seat so that we both could be alert. I took over driving at 12:40. I could make it 2 hours, with the assistance of a late-night cappuccino and the AC blasting in my face.

Around 2:45 am and after some windy roads and lots of darkness, I approach what I thought was a toll booth. Nope, it was border control. I was confused, but I blamed it on the lack of sleep and unfamiliarity of how these countries intertwined. I knew that to go to Dubrovnik, you have to cross over the border to Bosnia, so maybe up north was the same case?

It’s not the case.

We were in Slovenia. With a GPS saying in French, “Vous etes arrivez!” and looking around a pitch-black road with nothing around, we were both like…um…how did this happen?

So we ditched the car’s GPS and recharged our phones, using Google Maps as a much more reliable source. We had come this far, and we were determined to make it to Rovinj, no matter the time. Sleeping in the car in this unfamiliar town in Slovenia didn’t really seem like the smartest option either, so on we drove and backtracked to Rovinj…

As we approached a toll booth, we caught the attendant taking a little cat nap. We giggled and tried to snap a photo. He didn’t like that so much. He yelled at us in maybe Croatian / maybe Slovenian, and we just shyly nodded, apologized, and went on.

We pulled up to our stay at 4:47 am. The sun was about to come up and we had both been awake for about 23 hours at this point. We crawl into bed just at 5 am, and real talk…I’ve never gone to bed at 5 am completely sober before in my life. It was strange but I was so happy to place my head on that pillow.

We re-emerged into the waking life around 11:30 am, and headed into the town of Rovinj.

Rovinj is a cute seaside town with a largely Italian influence. The stone streets and colorful buildings along the infamous Croatian turquoise waters is the epitome of “Pamalo,” or taking it easy. We had some pizza and just cruised around by foot, soaking it all in. We popped in to a couple of local shops where some of the shop owners only spoke Croatian and Italian. We stopped at a little cafe for something to drink and to chill out for a bit, where we encountered the cutest family. A mother and her sister, two little boys. The little boys were about 5 and 2, with so much personality. We were just hysterically laughing at these two as they encountered a cat, where they screamed “Gattttoooooo!” with joy that only a child can bring.

The people are so friendly, and the sunset…the sunset is unlike any other I’ve seen (and I’ve seen many places.) Shades of purple and bright blue, orange, and pink, all while seagulls were dancing and gliding above the crystal blue waters. I sat and just let myself soak it up as I reveled in the magical beauty of it all.

The next morning, we headed to Bale, a cute little village about 20 minutes outside of Rovinj. It’s so tiny, but ever so charming. Hills and fields all around a very tiny little town. I saw about 5 people in the whole village, including the tourists. Afterwards, I looked up its population — around 1100 people total. We had some breakfast, went to an olive oil tasting, basked again in charm…

And off we went to Plitvice Lakes. Once again, another journey! 5 hours this time, as we headed inland. Fortunately, we had light this time, unlike our journey up to Rovinj. We cruised through picturesque villages along the way, but before heading inland we drove along the coast for a bit. In the States, we have the Pacific Coast Highway or the PCH. It’s a destiny for many to cruise the coast via the PCH because of its stunning nature. Truth be told…the PCH has absolutely nothing in comparison the coastal views of Croatia. Nothing. I can’t even describe, but it’s borderline Stendhal Syndrome inducing. (Stendhal Syndrome can be summarized as the extreme fascination with art or beautiful surroundings, to the point of feeling a bit crazy.)

We got to the lakes around 330, took a bit of a hike, and ended up surrounded by a dozen waterfalls. For 2 hours, we strolled through the lakes, and the waterfalls were magnificent and loud, and I found myself slowly drifting into a walking meditation. The loudness allowed me to go on an internal journey, to just let the thoughts come as they were. To let myself breathe and be, as I continued my constant release towards the willing. The richness of the colors around, the sounds of the water crashing, all in pools of clear waters. There is no fishing or swimming in these lakes to help maintain its pristine quality. I sat in awe of what I had taken in over the last 48 hours…the sea organ, Rovinj, the adorable town, and now I’m in these waterfalls…

But the day didn’t stop there. We still had to get to Dubrovnik. So after a little boat mishap (Andy and I have those, it seems), where we boarded to the wrong direction, we got right and headed down south.

We were lucky enough to have more time along the coastal drive, and we stopped for a plate of mussels in yet another impossibly cute place called Skradin (just outside of Sibenik). We couldn’t stay long though, as we had to get going…

And we arrived in Dubrovnik at about 2 am. I had sacrificed so much sleep at this point, but it was okay. I was being filled with beauty, energy, and being with Andy was so good. She’s very lighthearted and fun, which made the time in the car not only bearable but enjoyable. We jammed out to Taylor Swift (yep, even me), and just cruised this magnificent country.

And if all that wasn’t enough, I walked up to Dubrovnik’s old town the next morning for what was possibly the most breathtaking view. I didn’t even notice the tons of crowds…they didn’t matter. I felt like I had time-warped to the 15th century, and I was awestruck by the view of the walls and the sea and the orange-colored roofs. The energy in Dubrovnik is so freeing…even through the heat and the crowds. We sat at a church, on the steps, listening to a jazz band and I felt whisked away to another world completely. Eventually, the heat got to us so we went for a swim down at the cliffs, and just…sat.

As the sun set that evening, we couldn’t see it dip behind the skyline, but just could just see the buildings all changing colors. The vast experiences I had over those days were coming to an end, and with that final sunset, I knew…

My feelings had changed and grown. What was merely a crush had blossomed. I was now in love with Croatia.

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