We take care of the island that takes care of our guests.

Vis has been inhabited for 2,500 years. It survived Greek colonisers, Roman occupiers, Venetian traders, British forces, and Yugoslav military rule. The last 40 of those years — as a closed military zone — accidentally preserved it. The crowds that overwhelmed every other island on the Dalmatian coast never came.

We intend to keep it that way. Responsible travel is not a policy we wrote for a website. It’s the way we’ve run our home and our business since we moved to this island.

We aim to put back more into Vis — its nature, its community, its economy — than we take out. That’s not an ambition. It’s how we measure whether we’re doing our job properly.

ENERGY & CARBON

Energy & carbon

Solar power
The roof of our house carries solar panels that provide all the hot water our guests use throughout the week — showers, kitchen, everything. On Vis, where the sun is reliable and generous, this is not a compromise. It works completely.

Cooling without the cost
Our air conditioning runs on a modern heat pump system that uses a fraction of the electricity of conventional units. It adjusts automatically when rooms are empty, and we’ve kept the trees around the house deliberately — their shade reduces the need for cooling in the first place.

Rainwater
We collect rainwater in a large tank beneath the property and use it for all toilet flushing throughout the house. On a Mediterranean island where water is precious, this matters more than it might sound.

Getting around
Most of what we do on Vis is done on foot, by kayak, by bike. When we need to travel further across the island, we use our shared van — one vehicle, twelve guests, one journey. We actively avoid activities that rely on motorised boats or high-emission transport unless there is no alternative.

FOOD & WASTE

Food & waste

Our garden
We grow a significant proportion of the food our guests eat in our or neighbours’ own garden: vegetables, fruit, herbs. Guests are welcome — and often invited — to pick what’s in season themselves. When the olive harvest comes, we invite them to help with that too. The olive oil on your dinner table is ours.

Local everything else
What we don’t grow, we buy from local farmers, fishermen and producers on the island. Vegetables, cheese, fish, wine — all sourced from people we know by name, with our own bags and cool-boxes, without packaging. The wine comes from our neighbour’s vineyard. Supporting the local economy is not a marketing line — it’s where we spend our money.

Vegetarian and vegan, every week
At least two days every week are fully vegetarian or vegan. Not because we’ve been told to, but because it’s the right way to reduce the impact of the food we serve. Our chef is good at it. Nobody goes home feeling they missed out.

No plastic, no single-use
We don’t use plastic of any kind in the house or on our excursions. No straws, no disposable cups or cutlery, no small shampoo bottles in the bathrooms — those are replaced with refillable containers. Guests drink tap water from glass pitchers at the table and from reusable bottles we ask them to bring from home. The tap water on Vis is clean and drinkable everywhere on the island.

Waste that goes somewhere useful
We separate all waste according to Croatian standards. Biodegradable food waste goes to a local goat breeder. Glass goes to the local glass collection. Vegetable waste is composted back into the garden. Nothing goes to landfill if we can help it.

Laundry without the machine
We wash all bedding and towels in our own small washing machines and dry everything in the open air. We don’t own a dryer. We ask guests to reuse towels and only change them on request — a small ask with a meaningful impact over the course of a season.

NATURE & WILDLIFE

Nature & wildlife

Leave no trace
Every excursion we run operates under a strict leave-no-trace policy. We go to places that most tourists never find — and we leave them exactly as we found them. No litter, no noise, no damage. The group size of twelve is part of this: small enough to move through the landscape without disturbing it.

Replanting the land
We have replanted the olive groves and vineyard terraces that belonged to previous generations of this land. The replanted areas now provide habitat for rabbits, pheasants, hedgehogs, and numerous bird species. Organic farming methods only — no chemicals, no pesticides.

The Blue World Institute
We support the Blue World Institute — a science-based non-profit organisation based in our village, dedicated to marine research, education and conservation in the Adriatic Sea. One of their ongoing projects is dolphin adoption: we contribute to it, and we invite our guests to do the same. On the days we see dolphins from the water — which happens more than you might expect — we know something about why that matters.

UNESCO Geopark Vis
In 2019, Vis was designated a UNESCO Global Geopark — one of the most significant natural and geological designations in the world. We were part of founding the local organisation that supports the Geopark, and we continue to help develop points of interest, information materials and educational activities for both the public and our guests.
When we visit Geopark sites during the week, we go on foot, by kayak, or by bike. No motorised vehicles, no impact.

COMMUNITY

Community

Employing locally, all year
Our two activity guides are employed year-round — not just during the season. This is unusual in Croatian island tourism, where most employment is seasonal and insecure. We pay fair wages and support professional development. When you go on a hike or a kayak with our guides, you’re out with people who live on this island and plan to stay.

Buying locally
Every purchase we make for the house — food, wine, olive oil, materials — goes to producers and businesses on Vis or as close to it as possible. When we take guests to local restaurants, the money stays on the island. When we visit local vineries, every euro spent goes directly to a family keeping a traditional craft alive.

Local guides, always
Our guides are from here. Not from the mainland, not from an agency in Split. They grew up on Vis, they know the paths and the people, and they show guests a version of the island that isn’t available on any tour operator’s list.

Community events and festivals
Where the timing allows, we bring guests to local festivals and community events — not as observers, but as participants. The island has a small, year-round population that takes great care of its traditions. We think our guests should meet it.

GUEST CODE OF CONDUCT

What we ask of our guests

Responsible travel is a shared effort. Here’s what we ask of everyone who joins us on Vis:

Bring a reusable water bottle from home — tap water on the island is clean and free everywhere
Respect the leave-no-trace policy on all excursions — what you carry in, you carry out
Reuse your towels — we only change them when asked
Follow our guides' instructions around wildlife, protected areas and Geopark sites
Support local businesses when you have free time in town — restaurants, shops, vineries
Don't feed or approach marine wildlife — including the dolphins, if we're lucky enough to see them
Be mindful of noise and behaviour in the villages and on the beaches

None of these are difficult. All of them make a difference. And on an island like Vis — one that has survived centuries precisely because it was left mostly alone — they matter more than they would almost anywhere else.

We believe that the best guests leave a place better than they found it. Not cleaner — that’s the minimum. Better: having spent money in the right places, treated the people well, and understood something about where they were.

Questions about how we do things?

We’re happy to talk about any of it — the solar panels, the food, the dolphins, the Geopark, whatever you’re curious about. Just get in touch.

Questions about our approach? We’re happy to talk about it.

We respect your privacy. Your details are used only to respond to your enquiry. Privacy Policy · Terms We create carefully hosted weeks on the island of Vis, combining outdoor activities, relaxation, and local experiences. Every enquiry is read personally, and we’re always happy to help you plan the right week for you.