Boats must pass through a gap just a few metres wide to reach Stiniva beach
Almost
completely obscured from the view of passing boats, Stiniva beach on the
Croatian island of Vis has something of the James Bond villain lair about it.
But its secret is out.
This week it was named the top beach in Europe for 2016 by the Brussels-based
tourism organisation European Best Destinations following a poll of more than
10,000 holidaymakers.
Its inaccessibility is
part of its allure. Vis is the farthest inhabited island from the Croatian
mainland; beyond Brac and Hvar, it is more than a two-hour ferry or catamaran
ride from Split. The beach itself can only be reached by hiking down a
steep and narrow path or by taking a taxi boat from the nearby cove at Rukavac.
And only those vessels small enough to pass through a gap of a few metres in
the cliffs can reach it.
It's clearly
captured the imagination of those who voted in the awards, and Telegraph
Travel’s Adrian Bridge, after a visit back in 2014, was also impressed. It’s a
"perfectly formed white pebble cove framed by towering cliffs through
which a small opening leads out to the sea," he wrote, which during early
season, you might have to yourselves.
Vis is more than two hours by ferry from Split
He explored the rest of
the island by scooter, a mode of transport also recommended by the local
tourist board. There are just two main roads of around nine and 15 miles in
length. The longer is more scenic, he said, affording “wonderful vistas out
towards the island of Bisevo and back to the extraordinarily picturesque red
roofs of the port of Komiza”.
Stops along the way include “Tito’s cave”, where for a while during the
war, the leader of the Yugoslav partisan forces retreated to mastermind
operations, and the vineyards of Plisko Polje.
No comments:
Post a Comment