The small town of Tisno is located about halfway along the coast between Zadar and Split, and just 25km away from Sibenik. Once “just” a nice destination for a holiday, Tisno is perhaps better known these days for hosting many of Croatia’s summer music festivals – including famed festivals such as Love International, Outlook and Dimensions. These festivals are held in the famed The Garden Resort site which is…well…ready-made for plenty of festival fun!
The town of Tisno is unusually located partly on the mainland and partly on the small island of Murter. (Obviously, Murter is connected to the mainland by bridge…a pretty tiny one at that!)
Getting to Tisno
There aren’t too many buses to the centre of Tisno itself. Rather, buses travelling up or down the coast tend to stop at ‘Tisno Mag.’ (Tisno Magistrala); this is a crossroads on the main coastal road on the mainland. There’s not much too much else there, but if you’re travelling to Tisno you may be able to organise a taxi to meet you here. Alternatively, take one of the coastal buses to Pirovac (which has more to it) and then another bus or a taxi to Tisno.
The bus stop in Tisno itself is called Tisno Raskrižje if you want to look up what buses travel here.
There are a number of buses per day from Zadar and Split to Tisno Magistrala and Pirovac.
There are also a few local buses per day from Sibenik to Tisno proper, run by Autotransport Sibenik. If you are having trouble reaching Tisno, get a bus to Sibenik instead and travel from here to Tisno. (Providing the timetables work together.) Do note that there are direct buses from Zadar and Split Airports to Sibenik which may help in trying to reach Tisno.
What to See and Do
Diving
This part of the coast is very suitable for diving, obviously best done with a local diving company. Contact the experienced Tramonto Diving or Nautilus Diving Centre for more details.
Churches
As with…well, practically everywhere in Croatia…there are indeed some churches of note in Tisno. The Church of St Andrew was built in 1606 whilst the Church of St Spirit was built in 1548 with a 31m-tall bell tower added to it in 1680. (See the belltower below.)
Beaches
Head to Jazina Beach on the mainland, just north of the main part of town. This pebble-y beach is pretty shallow, so suitable for all ages. There are toilet and shower facilities, as well as a few catering places for refreshments.
Beach Iza Andrija is located on Murter island – walk in an easterly direction by the pine trees until you come to a suitable spot for a bit of beach time!
Day Trips
Vransko Lake Nature Park is only about 30km away from Tisno, and would provide a wonderful day of nature exploring. One of Croatia’s nature parks, Vransko is Croatia’s largest lake and is home to a number of plant and animal species, particularly birds such as herons and egrets.
Eating & Drinking in Tisno
One of the most popular restaurants is Restaurant Marin which is located on the mainland by the Jadranska magistrala intersection. Come here for barbecued and grilled fish and meats, particularly lamb.
Prova is a smart choice to come to, especially if you want to dine with a sea view. Come here to try typically Croatian/Mediterranean fare, including fish, seafood and pasta dishes.
Pizzeria Fontana is a good option for reasonably priced pizzas!
Head to Ninkasi to try out some Croatian craft beers.
Vortex Beach Bar is definitely the place to head to for some beach-side partying. (Outside of The Garden Resort!)
Events in Tisno
Well…many of the festivals in Croatia, of course!
Every August also sees the entertaining Bridge Games take place, with a team from the island portion of Tisno compete against a team from the mainland part of town.
Accommodation in Tisno
There’s something for everyone here! The two smart and comfortable four-star hotels are the Hotel Borovnik with a pool and private beach area, and the Heritage Hotel Tisno which also has a pool and is on the harbourfront.
What with all the festivals taking place here, there’s also plenty of camping options! One of the top picks is Olivia Green Camping which offers bio-green certified camping villas (some with semi-private pools) and a beach, an on-site restaurant, wellness facilities and kids entertainment. Meanwhile, Mobile Home Luka also has a beachfront location and offers larger mobile homes that sleep up to seven people. There’s also the Apartments and Camp Hostin.
If a hostel is more your kind of thing, there’s the Hostel Marko which offers beds in 4, 6 and 8-bed mixed dormitories.
There’s absolutely plenty of apartment accommodation here, more than suitable for groups if you’re attending any of the festivals in town. Check out Accommodation in Tisno to see what’s available.
For more options in the general area, do also see Accommodation on Murter and the Kornati Islands.
More info
Find out more about this cheerful seaside town on the Tisno Tourist Office website.
Do be aware that the bridge between the two parts of town lifts daily in summer in the late afternoon. Make sure to account for this if you’re planning on travelling to or from the island of Murter!