THE island of Vis is one of those beautiful places in the world that goes mostly unnoticed by tourists.
But the Croatian gem has been highlighted on Intrepid’s Not Hot List 2026 which guides travellers beyond the popular spots – and Vis has beautiful beaches and barely any holidaymakers.
5
5
Vis is in the Adriatic Sea and you’ll find it around 30 nautical miles southwest of Split.
Vis used to be a military base between the 1940s and 80s and is now home to around 3,000 residents.
Not only does it have few residents, but it is also the least visited island in Croatia.
Last year it welcome just under 28,000 tourist – Hvar in comparison received 195,000.
But it could soon become more popular as Vis has been highlighted in a new tourist campaign encouraging slow travel to the island.
Intrepid explained: “In response to growing crowds in Dubrovnik and Hvar, Croatia is shifting the focus to Vis Island, a serene refuge poised to welcome more travellers in 2026.
“Shielded from tourism for decades by its past as a Yugoslav military base, Vis has had the rare chance to observe and learn from the overtourism challenges faced by its Adriatic neighbours.”
Intrepid’s assistant product manager for West Europe, Duje Dropuljic, added: “It’s free from long queues and heavy crowds, removing the stress that often comes with popular destinations.”
Next year, Vis is also going to open walking and cycling paths, along with a museum.
There’s plenty to do on the island with activities like climbing, caving, as well as exploring traditional villages and local wineries.
5
5
Vis has some beautiful coastal spots with bright blue waters, there’s Stiniva, a sandy beach called Zaglav Beach and Srebrna – also known as Silver Beach.
While you might not have set foot on Vis, many will have seen it on television as it doubled for Greece in a hit movie.
Vis was used as a filming destination for Mamma Mia 2, doubling up as the Greek island of Skopelos.
Vis Island has no airport or cruise stops, to get there visitors have to take a boat from the mainland, with Split being the most popular departure point.
Flights from Manchester to Split start at just £15 with easyJet, with the journey from Split to the island taking two and a half hours.
Other destinations on Intrepid’s Not So Hot List include Tiwai Island, a wildlife sanctuary in Sierra Leone which was just given UNESCO status.
Intrepid’s Not So Hot List 2026
Here are the destinations from Intrepid to inspire your travel for next year…
- Tiwai Island, Sierra Leone
- Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan
- Sierra Norte, Mexico
- Vis Island, Croatia
- Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey
- Arunachal Pradesh, India
- Via Transilvanica, Romania
- Ruta de la Flores, El Salvador
- Oulu, Finland
- Great Basin National Park, USA
Another is Tien Shan in Kyrgyzstan, which is considered an “undiscovered trekking paradise”.
But when it comes to Europe, Oulu in Finland and Via Transilvanica in Romania were also named.
Intrepid said Via Transilvanica was “poised for a new chapter in responsible tourism” after Romania became part of the Schengen Zone”.
And Oulu was also named as the Finnish coastal city was dubbed the European Capital of Culture.
One Sun writer visited a country in Europe only to discover he was the only tourist there.
Plus, this is Europe’s least-visited country with no airport, and it’s home to royal vineyards and fairytale castles.
5
