VIS ISLAND

The area of Vis archipelago includes open sea islets and small islands which belong to the island of Vis: Jabuka, Brusnik, Svetac, Biševo and Palagruza, and those of closer proximity: Veli Barjak, Mali Barjak, the islet Host, Greben, Budihovac Veli, Budihovac Mali, Parzanj Veli, Parzanj Mali and Ravnik.

This entire area, with the greatest concentration of Natural monuments in Croatia (a total of six), was declaired a military zone after the Second World War and thus partially or completely off limits to foreign visitors.

Vis thus remained a terra incognita to the world until recently, even though it had been a central island in the Adriatic, because it was the farthest inhabited island, situated at the crossroads of maritime routes throughout history, from the first Greek colonies in the 4th century BC up until the end of the II WW when this island was the only impenetrable bastion for Hitler's conquering armies on the map of overrun Europe.

The island of Vis, with its smaller open-sea islands, is becoming a world-wide attraction. The modern world is discovering this once-forbidden and unknown island zone of the Adriatic.

THE LAST MEDITERRANEAN PARADISE OASIS

The pelagic islands of the Middle Dalmatia arhipelago ( Vis, Biševo, Ravnik, Budihovac, Jabuka, Brusik, Svetac, Palagruza) have been listed among the 10 last paradise oases in the Mediterranean. The World Wide Found for Nature want to protect the island from mass tourism.

BLUE CORRIDOR

On the basis of scientific analysis, a "Blue corridor" has been identified as a zone with the highest level of biodiversity in the area. The corridor encompasses the islands of Svetac, Brusnik and Biševo, the northwestern and southeastern part of the island of Vis, the southeastern part of the island of Lastovo and its archipelago, the western and eastern parts of the island of Mljet, including the important fishing areas of the island of Sušac, the Jabuka pit and Palagruza archipelago.

VIS AQUATORIUM

The island of Vis, the nearby island Biševo, Sveti Andrija, Brusnik, Jabuka and Palagruza, and the whole Vis Aquatorium are protected as Natura 2000 site. There islands and islets are of great significance, especially as the main are for nesting of pelagic birds, and the entire aqua is one of the six significant area for the bottlenose dolphin in Croatia.

KOMIZA TOWN - THE CENTER OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY OF THE ADRIATIC

Komizan fishermen were the only open sea fishermen in the Mediterranean. They were fishing in the waters of Croatia's islet Palagruza, the one most distant from the mainland. The largest fishing industry of the Adriatic, whose center was Komiza, endured until the mid-20th century.

GAJETA FALKUŠA - is an ancient wooden fishing boat, one of the central symbols of thousand year old fisheries tradition in Komiza.