Vis, the Croatian island furthest from the mainland, is an island for fishermen, fugitives, poets, and solo travellers
seeking sanctuary. During the second world war, Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito and his dog slept in a cave on the island's Mount Hum, a summit from which you can now paraglide. When I was there last September,
I cycled the island enthralled by its plants – extensive vineyards, palm, pine, olive, oleander, fig, carob and mulberry trees, and more than 300 herbs. Local seafood and wine are cheap and delicious – my favourite is the restaurant at Stoncica Bay. You can fish for squid at Komiza, in the south-west of the island, the sunniest place in Croatia, or swim/dive in the warm, emerald waters of the Adriatic, watching out for Loggerhead turtles and Bottlenose dolphins. As long as you avoid mid-July to mid-August you can easily rent a green-shuttered room in an old stone house looking across the sea. If you want a night out, there's the harbour of Vis town, where the boats come in, and the locals are very friendly...
