Blue Cave & Lady of the Rocks Tour: Swim in Turquoise Water

Swim inside the Blue Cave, then explore a man-made island and wartime tunnels

A 3-hour private speed boat tour from Kotor's UNESCO Old Town to the Blue Cave, where you swim or photograph the turquoise water inside a 300-square-meter limestone cavern. The route passes Boka Bay villages, the narrowest strait at Verige, and includes stops at a submarine tunnel carved into Luštica and Our Lady of the Rocks, a baroque church built on a small island by Perast fishermen. Groups stay under eight passengers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Kotor Old Townpassing by
2. Blue Cave20m
3. Our Lady of the Rocks20m

Blue Cave and Lady of the Rocks tour

• Start from Kotor Old Town or nearby
• Panorama speed boat ride through Boka Bay
• Pass narrow Verige strait and view landmarks
• Swim or photograph inside Blue Cave
• Stop at old submarine tunnel
• Visit Our Lady of the Rocks church and museum

The experience

The tour starts from Kotor Old Town or another pickup point around Kotor Bay (Muo, Prčanj, Stoliv or Dobrota) wherever the speed boat can dock. A 55-minute panorama ride takes you past small villages with charming palaces and churches, the contrast between sea and mountains sharpening as you approach Verige, the bay's narrowest point at about 300 meters wide. The water there is where Perast once stretched iron chains to block Ottoman ships. The name Verige means chains. You'll see the Church of Our Lady of Angels, rebuilt after a 1654 Turkish attack, and pass the Luštica peninsula, the small island of Mamula with its 19th-century fortress, and arrive at the Blue Cave.

Inside the Blue Cave, you get 20 minutes to swim or take photos. The cave is about 300 square meters with arches 25 meters high, and the water is three to four meters deep. The turquoise color comes from light refraction off the limestone walls. An optical effect that makes the water seem to glow from below. Fish and octopuses live in the cave, and the unusual blue draws both swimmers and divers. You'll have a diving mask and safety equipment on board.

On the return, you stop for 5 minutes at an old submarine tunnel cut into Luštica's steep banks. The tunnel is about 50 meters long and 7 meters wide, built during Yugoslavia when the peninsula was a Cold War military base for hiding and repairing submarines and ships. Then you spend 20 minutes at Our Lady of the Rocks, a baroque church on a small island off Perast. Local legend says two fishermen found an icon of the Virgin Mary on a rock in the sea and promised to build an island and church in her honor. The island is man-made, and the church has a museum inside. Entry to the island is free. Perast itself, visible from the water, is a UNESCO-protected town with 18 churches and 19 palaces built in the 17th and 18th centuries when it was a wealthy Venetian stronghold.

What’s included

• Safety equipment and diving mask.
• life jacket on request.
• bottled water.
• WiFi on board.
• licensed skipper in English or Serbian.
• pickup from Kotor Old Town or another Kotor Bay location of your choice.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day12 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 13:30

Book up to1h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Serbian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on site€ 5

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Sea Horizon - Speed Boat Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you have a free afternoon in Kotor and want to swim and explore by water rather than on foot. The 3-hour duration fits between a morning in the Old Town and an evening meal, and the speed boat covers four distinct stops (the Blue Cave, submarine tunnel, Our Lady of the Rocks, and Verige strait) that would take much longer to reach by car or hiking.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Serbian.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Blue Cave actually like when you get there?

The Blue Cave is a large limestone cavern about 300 square meters with 25-meter-high arches and water three to four meters deep. The turquoise color is created by light bouncing off the cave walls, making the water appear to glow from inside. Fish and octopuses live there, and you'll have 20 minutes to swim or photograph the water.

Can I visit Our Lady of the Rocks, or is it optional?

Our Lady of the Rocks is included as a 20-minute stop on the tour. You visit the baroque church and its museum on a small island off Perast. Entry to the island is free. The church was built by locals who promised to create an island after fishermen found an icon of the Virgin Mary on a rock in the sea.

What happens at the submarine tunnel?

You stop for 5 minutes at an old submarine tunnel carved into Luštica's steep banks. The tunnel is about 50 meters long and 7 meters wide, built during the Cold War when the peninsula was a military base for hiding and repairing submarines and ships. It's now a historical site you pass through briefly on the return journey.

How much time do I spend actually swimming in the Blue Cave?

You have 20 minutes inside the Blue Cave to swim, snorkel with the diving mask provided, or take photos. The water is three to four meters deep and rich with marine life, though the time is shared between swimming and photography depending on what you prefer.

What's included in the tour besides the boat ride?

The tour includes a diving mask, safety equipment, life jacket on request, bottled water, and WiFi on board. A licensed skipper who speaks English or Serbian guides the entire 3-hour route and shares stories about the bay's history and landmarks.