Stiniva Beach
Vis Island, Split-Dalmatia, Croatia

Stiniva Beach sits on the remote southern coast of Vis Island, Croatia, the farthest inhabited island off the Dalmatian coast, wedged into a narrow gap between towering limestone cliffs. The cove itself runs 600 meters deep, but the beach at the end of it is only about 35 meters wide, entered through a gap in the rock just 5 meters across.
A genuinely dramatic cove that earns its reputation, but the remote location on an already remote island and the steep hike mean it's a deliberate half day trip rather than a quick stop.
Plan for the full 20 to 30 minute hike down from the hilltop parking lot, and budget the same coming back up. There's a small bar at the beach, but no shade to speak of.
A parking lot sits at the top of the hill above the cove, reachable by car or scooter from elsewhere on Vis. Boats also anchor in the wider bay for anyone arriving by water.
The hiking trail down is steep and rocky and takes 20 to 30 minutes each way, not suitable for strollers or anyone with limited mobility.
June through September brings the warm, calm Adriatic water Vis is known for, with the clearest visibility typically in the earlier and later parts of that window before and after the August peak.
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