Blue Cave & Our Lady of the Rocks tour: Cave swim

The Blue Cave's light show happens only when you're inside it.

This four-hour boat tour from Kotor takes you through the Bay to three distinct stops: Our Lady of the Rocks Island (20 minutes to visit the church and museum), the Blue Cave (45 minutes to swim and explore inside), and Dobrec Beach (45 minutes to swim or rest on a private gravel beach). A live English guide leads the tour, pickup is included, and the boat carries safety equipment and a sun deck. The route also passes Mamula Island and includes a stop at an abandoned submarine tunnel built by the Yugoslav Army.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Our Lady of the Rocks20m · entry included
2. Blue Cave45m · entry included
3. Bay of Kotor5m · entry included

Island visit, cave, beach, and tunnels

• Ride to Our Lady of the Rocks Island
• Visit church and museum on island
• Boat ride to Blue Cave
• Swim inside Blue Cave
• Panorama ride past Mamula Island
• Swim or relax at Dobrec beach
• Explore old submarine tunnels

The experience

The boat leaves Kotor and spends 15 minutes riding past the villages of Boka before reaching Our Lady of the Rocks Island. The islet itself is a local creation, for centuries, returning seamen threw rocks into the sea to fulfill an oath made after finding an icon of Madonna and Child on the rocks in 1452. You get 20 minutes to walk the island, visit the church, and decide whether to pay extra for the museum, which holds a treasury of local artifacts. The custom of adding rocks continues every July 22 during an event called fašinada, when residents still take boats out and expand the island by hand.

From the island, the boat heads toward the Blue Cave on a 45-minute ride. The cave sits at the foot of 30-meter cliffs on the Lustica peninsula, carved by thousands of years of waves hitting porous rock. Two openings let light in: a small one on the south side and a larger one (3 meters high, 15 meters wide) on the southwest that lets boats enter. Inside, the vault sits 9 meters above sea level. You swim and explore inside the cave during this stop, watching how the light plays across the water in the natural hall.

After the cave, the tour passes Mamula Island on a panorama ride before reaching Dobrec Beach, a 70-meter gravel beach tucked in the bay. Since boats are the only way to reach it, the beach stays uncrowded. You get 45 minutes to swim or rest on sun loungers under umbrellas. The beach has showers, changing rooms, a pier, and cafes. The final stop is a short one at the submarine tunnel near the village of Rose: three tunnels built by the Yugoslav Army with fake rock coverings to hide them from satellites. You can swim to the end of the tunnel and back, walk alongside it, or explore the side passages. The space gets dark deeper in, so a flashlight helps if you want to venture far.

What’s included

• Boat with sun deck and sun tent.
• live English-speaking guide.
• hotel pickup.
• safety and emergency equipment.
• shower and swimming stairs.
• skipper and fuel for the four-hour route.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 16:00

Book up toStart time

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

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.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Sea Tours - Speed Boat Montenegro

Is this one for you?This tour works for families with children and mixed fitness levels, since the boat does the traveling and each stop lets you choose your own pace: 20 minutes on the island, 45 minutes swimming in the cave, 45 minutes on the beach. The group size stays small enough that you're not herded through the stops, and the submarine tunnel at the end gives you the option to explore on your own or stay on the boat.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

3 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

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 Our Lady of the Rocks Island and how did it form?

Our Lady of the Rocks is an islet in the Bay of Kotor built over centuries by local seamen. After finding an icon of Madonna and Child on the rocks in 1452, they made an oath and began throwing rocks into the sea upon each safe return from voyages. Over time, the rocks accumulated and the islet emerged. The tradition continues today, with an annual event called fašinada on July 22 when residents take boats out and add more rocks to the island.

Can I swim inside the Blue Cave, or just look at it from the boat?

You swim inside the Blue Cave during the 45-minute stop. The larger entrance (3 meters high, 15 meters wide) on the southwest side lets the boat enter, and you explore and swim in the natural hall inside, where the vault sits 9 meters above sea level. The play of light on the water is visible only from inside the cave.

Is Dobrec Beach crowded, and what facilities are there?

Dobrec Beach stays uncrowded because boats or sea taxi are the only ways to reach it. The 70-meter gravel beach has sun loungers, umbrellas, changing rooms, showers, restrooms, a pier, cafes, and a sea rescue service on site.

What is the submarine tunnel stop, and can I swim through it?

The submarine tunnel is one of three built by the Yugoslav Army near the village of Rose, with fake rock coverings on the outside to hide them from satellites. The tunnels are dead ends, so you cannot swim all the way through, but you can swim to the end and back, walk alongside, or explore the side passages. The space gets dark at the deeper end, and diving off the top into the sea is an option for those who want to try it.

How long is the tour and what's included in the price?

The tour runs four hours and includes the boat, a live English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, safety and emergency equipment, fuel, a sun deck with sun tent, and shower and swimming stairs on the boat. Lunch is not included, and entry to the museum at Our Lady of the Rocks Island costs extra.