Boat trips
Around Vis: Stiniva, Budikovac and the Green Cave
The south coast of Vis in a day: Stiniva cove closed in by cliffs, the shallows at Budikovac and the Green Cave on the islet of Ravnik.
- Duration
- Half day
- Komiža (NM)
- 8
The south side of Vis is steep and indented, with a string of bays that are easiest to reach by sea. The best known is Stiniva: two high cliffs leave only a narrow gap, and behind it is a pebble beach. The cove is a protected landscape and in season is full of excursion boats.
A few miles to the east are the islet of Budikovac with its shallow lagoon and Ravnik with the Green Cave (Zelena špilja), into which light falls through an opening in the roof. From Vis town it is seven miles to Budikovac, one more to the cave and ten in all to Stiniva. The trip is often combined with the Blue Cave on Biševo.
What to see
- The gap between the cliffs at Stiniva
- The turquoise lagoon at Budikovac
- The shaft of light in the Green Cave
- The bays of Stončica and Rukavac
Departure points
| Departure point | Distance | By speedboat | By sailboat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vis Boat rental: Vis | approx. 10 NM | 24 min | 1.7 h |
| Komiža Boat rental: Komiža | approx. 8 NM | 19 min | 1.3 h |
| Hvar Boat rental: Hvar | approx. 16 NM | 38 min | 2.7 h |
Distance one way. Travel time is calculated at about 25 knots for a speedboat and about 6 knots for a sailboat, without stops.
With your own or a rented boat
No permit is needed. Boats may not enter Stiniva: you swim or row to the beach. Only small boats and kayaks can pass through the entrances of the Green Cave, and swimming in it is allowed.
Good to know
- Stiniva is a day anchorage for calm weather only: anchor off the entrance, in 10 to 15 metres, with a line ashore.
- There is no anchorage off the Green Cave, so someone has to stay on board. You enter the cave by small boat, by kayak or by swimming.
- The whole south coast is open to the south. In jugo the trip is not worth making.
Boat trips
Other trips
The Blue Cave on Biševo
The best-known sea cave on the Adriatic, five miles from Komiža. Around noon the sun fills it with blue light through an underwater opening.
Open tripThe Blue Lagoon at Drvenik Veli
The shallow turquoise bay of Krknjaši between Drvenik Veli and two islets, six miles from Trogir: the most popular half-day trip in central Dalmatia.
Open tripThe Pakleni islands off Hvar
A chain of some twenty islets just off Hvar harbour: turquoise bays, Palmižana and Vinogradišće, restaurants under the pines and swimming from spring to autumn.
Open tripSafety
Emergency at sea
Croatia's national maritime search and rescue coordination centre (MRCC Rijeka) is on watch 24 hours a day. Save the number before you set off.
- 195Maritime search and rescue
- VHF 16Distress and safety calls
- 112Single emergency number
Before you call, have ready the boat's position (coordinates or the nearest headland, island or bay), the number of people on board and a description of the problem. A call to 112 is put through to the maritime rescue centre.
Get out on the water yourself
Find a boat directly from its owner and arrange the rental with no commission.
The information is for guidance only and does not replace official nautical charts, pilot books or forecasts. Check the current conditions and regulations before you set off.