The Quiet Star of the Summer

Beach on Vir

Dubrovnik, Split, Hvar, Zadar, Makarska, Brač, Rovnij…all seem to hog all the spotlight but there is one not so talked about destination that is proving very popular this year..

With more overnight stays last month that Split, the island of Vir has recorded some impressive results this summer. Situated just off the Dalmatian coast of Zadar, Vir had more than 500,000 overnight stays in July, nearly 200,000 more than Split. Vir has big jumps in tourist numbers over the past couple of seasons. Last year Vir recorded 50% more tourist overnight stays, and 40% more arrivals than the previous year, and this year they have built on those numbers.

Vir is currently the 5th most popular destination in Croatia thanks its popularity with local Croats.

As of last week Vir had 1.3 million overnight stays and 97,169 arrivals. Croats dominate those numbers making up 36% of arrivals and 50.9% of overnight stays. Hungarians were next, making up 14% of arrivals and just less than 10% of overnight stays. Czechs and Austrians were also well represented, but the island this year has attracted tourists from all over the globe, including Mexico, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, New Zealand and Thailand, writes daily Jutarnji list.

Vir is well-connected by bus from major Croatian cities and also the east of the country. A comfortable 3-hour drive from Zagreb will get you there, and whilst being an island, Vir is connected by a small bridge to the mainland, meaning there are no ferry charges or waiting time at ports required to get there.