Vis, Croatia Expands 2026 Tourism With Military Heritage, Submarine Tunnels and New Island Travel

The 2026 calendar of tourist events for Croatia during its late summer and early fall focuses on Vis Island as a destination that has its own historical significance as a location with various military installations. Various tunnels and places where defensive structures stood will allow tourists to have different experiences while visiting the island with its beaches, vineyards, and coastal towns.

Vis Opens a Different Side of Island Tourism

Vis was a strategically important military location during the twentieth century, and its restricted status helped preserve a network of installations across the island. The island remained closed to foreign visitors during the Yugoslav period until the late 1980s, leaving behind barracks, fortifications, tunnels, naval shelters and other military infrastructure.

Today, several of these sites form part of organised excursions. The Tourist Board of the City of Vis lists tours that include the former Vela Glava military barracks, cannon fortifications at Stupišće Cape and the sea tunnel at Parja Bay.

These experiences give visitors a route through the island’s military history while also taking them into areas away from the main waterfronts. Travellers can combine the heritage excursions with visits to Vis town, Komiža, vineyards, archaeological sites and coastal coves.

The military attractions also provide an alternative itinerary for visitors staying on the island for several days. Rather than concentrating travel around swimming and beaches, visitors can dedicate part of their stay to the island’s twentieth-century history and its former strategic role in the Adriatic.

Jastog Tunnel Connects History With the Coast

One of Vis’s notable military structures is the Jastog tunnel in Parja Bay. The Tourist Board of Split-Dalmatia County describes the installation as a military tunnel approximately 10 metres wide and around 100 metres long, constructed as a shelter for military vessels.

The tunnel is cut directly into the rocky coastline, allowing visitors to see how the island’s geography was incorporated into its military infrastructure. Parja Bay itself is located on the north-eastern side of Vis and can be reached by road from Vis town.

The tunnel’s position makes it possible to incorporate the site into a wider coastal itinerary. Visitors can combine the military heritage stop with nearby beaches, vineyards and views across the Adriatic before continuing towards other attractions on the island.

The Jastog installation is also frequently described as a submarine tunnel, although official local tourism information identifies it more broadly as a shelter for military vessels. This distinction is important when describing the site and its original function.

Former Military Areas Create Heritage Routes

Vis contains a wider collection of former military installations beyond Parja. The island’s strategic importance resulted in the development of defensive positions, underground facilities and naval infrastructure across its terrain.

Guided excursions can connect several of these locations within a single itinerary. The Stupišće area near Komiža includes former military positions and coastal defences, while Vela Glava provides another connection to the island’s underground military history.

Visitors can therefore approach Vis through several historical periods. The island’s military story includes nineteenth-century fortifications, Second World War sites and Cold War infrastructure, creating a layered heritage experience.

The former military landscape also intersects with the island’s natural environment. Many installations are positioned around hills, cliffs and secluded bays, meaning visitors travelling between sites encounter panoramic views and rural landscapes alongside the historical structures.

Vis Adds Heritage to Adriatic Travel

Vis remains one of Croatia’s more distinctive island destinations because of the combination of maritime culture, archaeological heritage, vineyards, natural landscapes and military history.

The island’s ancient heritage includes the Greek settlement of Issa, while its later history is represented by fortifications and military structures. Wine tourism provides another travel dimension, with local grape varieties and vineyards forming part of the island’s agricultural identity.

For autumn visitors, these experiences can be combined into multi-day itineraries that do not depend entirely on summer beach activities. Travellers can visit cultural sites during the day, explore former military areas, walk through inland landscapes and visit wineries before spending time in Vis town or Komiža.

The island can be reached from mainland Croatia by ferry and catamaran services, with connections linking Vis with Split. Travellers should check seasonal sailing schedules before departure, particularly when planning trips outside the peak summer period.

Official Link: https://mint.gov.hr/print.aspx?id=24333&url

Croatia Records Strong 2026 Tourism Activity

Croatia welcomed 17.5 million tourists and 90.5 million overnight stays in the period from January until August 2026, as reported by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. In comparison to the previous year’s equivalent period, both arrivals and overnight stays went up by 1 per cent. The number of overnight stays on the coast made up 86.7 million, whereas in continental Croatia, which includes Zagreb, the total was 3.8 million. In August alone, Croatia welcomed more than 5 million arrivals and 31.4 million overnight stays, representing the first time when monthly arrivals were larger than 5 million. As part of the Croatian tourism industry, the island of Vis offers an alternative to visiting a heritage-rich destination for tourists who seek something beyond a typical beach holiday experience. Visitors can experience various layers of Vis’s heritage thanks to its military tunnels, defence sites, historical towns, vineyards and landscape. Apart from the beach vacation, in late summer and autumn there is an additional incentive to visit Vis due to its military heritage routes. The Jastog tunnel and Parja Bay take tourists directly to Cold War heritage, and further military tours combine the site with fortifications and underground installations.