Blue Cave boat tour · Montenegro
A sea cave on the Luštica peninsula where the water glows electric blue — reachable only from the sea. Here’s how to get there from Herceg Novi, Tivat or Kotor, and when to go.
Choose your boat
The cave sits near the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, so Herceg Novi is the closest harbour, Tivat and Luštica are next, and from Kotor it becomes a full day that crosses the whole bay. Every option runs shared or private.
~5h · Half dayHerceg Novi → Mamula → Blue Cave → Luštica tunnels → Žanjic
The classic run to the mouth of the bay: a swim in the cave, the fortress island of Mamula, the old submarine tunnels and a beach stop.
Check availability
~7h · Full dayKotor → Perast → Verige → Blue Cave → Mamula
Staying in Kotor? This is the whole bay in one day: Perast and the island church in the morning, the cave and Mamula after lunch.
Check availability
2–4h · Your timingHerceg Novi, Tivat or Luštica Bay → Blue Cave → your stops
A private speedboat lets you choose the hour — early to beat the queue of boats, or around midday for the strongest blue.
Plan a private tripInside the cave
Sunlight enters through the water at the cave mouth and is reflected back up from below, so the whole cave seems lit from underneath. Boats nose into the entrance, you slip over the side and swim in — the colour is strongest when the sun is high.
On the way
The mouth of the bay is the wildest stretch of Boka — open sea on one side, cliffs and coves on the other. Most Blue Cave trips take in a few of these.
The round 19th-century fortress island guarding the entrance, seen up close from the water.
Former navy tunnels cut into the cliffs — small boats glide right inside.
A pebble beach and an old fishing village — the classic lunch and swim stops.
Cliff-backed water so clear you can see the bottom from the deck.
Drag or scroll sideways to see every stop.
Good to know
Still unsure which boat fits? Send your base and date — I’ll suggest the best option.
On the Luštica peninsula, near the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. There’s no path down to it — you can only get there by boat, usually from Herceg Novi, Tivat, Luštica Bay or Kotor.
No. Croatia’s famous Blue Cave is on the island of Biševo, near Vis, far up the Dalmatian coast. The Montenegrin one (Plava špilja) is on Luštica, a short boat ride from Herceg Novi.
Herceg Novi is the closest, then Tivat and Luštica Bay. From Kotor you cross the whole bay, so it works best as a full-day route that also takes in Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks.
Yes — when the sea is calm, boats stop at the entrance and you swim in. Life jackets are on board for anyone who wants one.
For the strongest blue, late morning to early afternoon, when the sun is high. In July and August boats queue at the entrance around midday, so an early private trip is the quieter choice.
A shared departure is the best value for couples and solo travellers. A private boat makes sense for families and groups, or if you want to choose the time and the swim stops yourself.
Keep planning
The man-made island church off Perast — how to visit and when to go.
Seven routes across the bay, from a two-hour island hop to a full day.
Where a boat day fits into one, two, three or four days on the bay.
Swimsuit on
Send your base, date and group size — you’ll get the right departure and a clear price, personally.