Islands
Hidden Islands Worth Exploring
Vis is the most distant inhabited Croatian island, 47 km from Split. It was a Yugoslav naval base until 1989 and closed to foreigners; today it has two villages (Vis and Komiža), one road across the middle, and a fish stew (gregada) cooked in seawater that locals will argue about for hours. The 2018 Mamma Mia 2 was filmed here, and the island shrugged it off.
These eight islands all have ferry connections, all have at least one place to sleep, and all are still inhabited by people who would prefer that you arrive on the slow ferry rather than the fast one.
Each entry includes the boat, the bed, and what to eat.
Late afternoon light, looking east. Photo by our regional correspondent.
Why This Place Matters
Vis, Croatia — Greek colony of Issa (4th century BC), closed Yugoslav naval base until 1989, now home to 3,500 people. Two villages, no resort hotels.
Sandoy, Faroe Islands — the southernmost large Faroe island, recently linked to the rest of the country by an undersea tunnel (2023). Population 1,200 across five villages.
Delft Island (Neduntheevu), Sri Lanka — off the Jaffna peninsula, home to wild ponies (descendants of Portuguese-era horses) and a 5th-century Buddhist temple built of coral.
A Short History
Vis was a Yugoslav submarine base from 1944; the British SOE based partisan operations here in WWII and Tito personally directed the war from a cave on Vis from June to September 1944. The submarine tunnel at Parja Bay is now a kayak landing.
Sandoy's church of Sandur was a major Norse cult site; the 1969 'Sandavágur Find' excavated a 10th-century pagan burial near the modern church.
Delft Island was a Dutch East India Company stud farm 1660–1796, breeding Portuguese-imported horses for the Asian colonies; the wild herd descends from those horses.
What You Will Actually See
Vis, Croatia — Tito's Cave (above Borova bay), the abandoned military airstrip, Stiniva Cove (between two cliffs), and Konoba Pojoda in Vis town for octopus peka.
Sandoy, Faroe Islands — Sandur church and Norse archaeological site, Skopun fishing village, and Søltuvík beach (the only sandy beach in the Faroes).
Delft Island, Sri Lanka — Coral wall of the old Dutch hospital, the baobab tree (planted by Arab traders), the wild horses on the southern plains.
Linosa, Italy — black-volcanic Pelagie island halfway to Tunisia; population 430, no cars after 8 pm, one B&B (La Calandra).
Skye's neighbor Rona, Scotland — population 3, run as a private estate with two cottages.
Hirta (St Kilda), Scotland — the 1930 evacuated village remains; landings only by NTS-permitted boat, 5 hours from Harris.
Komodo (Indonesia, the village rather than the dragons) — Kampung Komodo on the eponymous island has 1,800 people who live alongside the lizards.
Pico, Azores — the basalt vineyards of Criação Velha (UNESCO) where Verdelho grows in lava-walled corrals.
The kind of detail you only notice on the second visit.
Interesting Facts
A few quick notes on hidden islands worth exploring before the section below.
These are the details our correspondents most often get asked about by readers planning a trip.
Practical Information
Vis: ferry from Split takes 2h15 (catamaran) or 2h45 (car ferry, Jadrolinija). Stay at Hotel San Giorgio in Vis town or Konoba Pojoda's rooms above the restaurant.
Sandoy: 30-min ferry from Gamlarætt (or new road tunnel from 2023). Stay at Skálavík Guesthouse, the only B&B on the island.
Delft: 1-hour ferry from Kurikadduwan jetty, free for Sri Lankans, LKR 2,000 for foreigners. Day trip only — no formal hotels yet.
Linosa: 9-hour overnight ferry from Porto Empedocle, Sicily. Bring a sleeping bag; the cabins are bunkable.
Interesting Facts
- Vis was closed to foreigners until 1989 because of its Yugoslav naval base; the underwater submarine tunnel at Parja can be entered by kayak.
- The new Sandoyartunnilin (Sandoy Tunnel), opened December 2023, is the third undersea tunnel in the Faroes and 10.8 km long.
- Delft Island's wild horses descend from Portuguese stock left after the 1656 Dutch conquest; the herd is estimated at 800–1,000 animals today.
- Linosa is one of three Pelagie Islands (with Lampedusa and Lampione) and is geologically African, not European.
- Pico's vineyards in the Azores were planted in lava-walled rectangles called 'currais' in the 15th century; the practice is UNESCO-listed.
Most travellers walk straight past this corner. Stop and look up.
How To Visit
Split → Vis: Jadrolinija catamaran 9:30 and 16:00, €11 one-way.
Tórshavn → Sandoy: 30-min Strandfaraskip ferry from Gamlarætt OR drive the new undersea tunnel (toll DKK 200 each way).
Jaffna → Delft: train to Jaffna from Colombo (Yal Devi, 9 hrs), then road to Kurikadduwan, then ferry.
Sicily → Linosa: Siremar overnight ferry from Porto Empedocle, €45 deck class.
Final Thoughts
Of the eight: Vis is the easiest to love. Sandoy is the most likely to have you alone on a beach in the entire archipelago. Hirta is the hardest to reach and the most emotionally heavy.
Take cash. Take a paper map. Take the slow ferry rather than the fast one when both are offered.
Buy your dinner at the smallest restaurant in the smallest village. The fish was caught that morning by the cook's brother.
If you read this article and noticed something we got wrong, please write to us. Reader corrections shape what we publish next.
Ada Petrović
Regional correspondent for WIGO Trips. Writes about overlooked places and quiet histories.
