Blue Cave Montenegro: How to Visit Plava Špilja by Boat

What and where the Blue Cave is

Plava špilja, also called the Blue Grotto, is a sea cave on the Luštica peninsula near the coastal resorts around Kotor, Tivat, Budva and Herceg Novi. Its entrance lies just south of the mouth of the Bay of Kotor, and from outside it is inconspicuous and hard to find without knowing the spot. Steep cliffs along this stretch of coast mean there is no way in from land, so every visitor arrives by water.

The blue glow comes from sunlight passing through clear water and reflecting off the pale floor of the cavern, which is why the colour depends on the weather and the hour rather than on anything inside the cave itself. The entrance is small and only small boats can get through.

How you reach the cave: sea only

Two options cover almost every visitor. The first is an organised boat tour from Kotor, which bundles the cave with other sights around the bay. The second is a local boat taxi from Igalo beach, near the Croatian border at the mouth of the bay, where boats leave daily and also stop at Janica beach and several smaller sea caves. One account puts those taxi trips at five euros, but treat that as a reported figure rather than a current fare and confirm the price at the quay before you board.

Neither route is a simple walk-on. The Kotor tour needs a booking, and the Igalo taxi needs you to get to Igalo first, by public transport or your own car, which is why the taxi suits travellers already staying near Herceg Novi. If you are based around Tivat, the Luštica Bay and Krašići villages sit on the same peninsula and make a sensible base for the bay's boat traffic.

The boat tour from Kotor

Kotor boat trips combine the bay highlights with the cave. On the way you pass the submarine tunnels, stop at Our Lady of the Rocks off Perast, see Mamula island at the entrance to the bay, and finish with the Blue Cave itself. Length varies by operator: one account describes the standard loop as just over three hours, while another operator markets its version as a longer outing beginning from its office in Kotor.

If Mamula Island is the part you care about, it is a former Austro-Hungarian fort on the same boat loop, and it deserves its own look beyond the passing view from the deck. Time on the tour is tight, so decide in advance whether you want the cave swim or the island commentary more.

The cave has no separate entrance charge: you pay for the boat trip and nothing at the cave mouth. What you pay for that trip is set by the operator and changes with the season, so ask for the price in euros when you book rather than relying on a figure quoted online. One operator runs pick-ups from Budva, Tivat and Herceg Novi, so check where your boat actually starts before you commit.

The boat taxi from Igalo

The Igalo boat taxi is the cheaper option for anyone staying near Herceg Novi. You give up the submarine tunnels, Our Lady of the Rocks and Mamula, and you get the cave plus Janica beach and smaller caves in a shorter hop from the shore. If your priority is swimming in the blue water rather than a full bay circuit, this is the more direct way to do it.

The trade-off is flexibility for convenience. Taxis run from the beach without the fixed itinerary of a tour, but you need to reach Igalo, and the boats are small, so a choppy afternoon can cut the trip short. For travellers staying further around the bay, the drive to Igalo competes with simply joining a tour that picks up nearer your base.

When the blue light is strongest

The glow is best around midday, when the sun is at its highest and the colours are brightest, and on a clear day rather than under cloud. Summer months offer the most reliable light, and tours run daily through the peak season from April to November, with quieter departures early in the morning. If the colour matters more than the swim, book a late-morning or midday slot rather than the first boat out.

Tides and the small entrance

The cave mouth is small, and at high tide it becomes almost impossible to enter or leave. Skippers check tide charts before departure and time the crossing around them, so the hour of your trip may be set by the water rather than by your preference for light. Ask whether the tide is being factored in when you book, particularly for afternoon departures.

Swimming inside the cave

Boats stay outside the cave to keep engine fumes out of the enclosed space, and you swim in through the entrance. Bring a swimsuit and a waterproof camera, because the best views are from the water rather than the deck. The swim is the point of the stop for most visitors, so check that your chosen trip includes it and not just a look from the boat.

Standard three-hour speedboat tours now cap swimming stops at about twenty minutes, though boats stay fairly flexible. That is a reported practice rather than a guaranteed allowance, so if a long swim matters, ask the operator how long the cave stop lasts. Wear warm clothing for the return leg, since a wet swimsuit and an open boat make for a cold ride back across the bay.

How busy it gets

The cave has become busier as more tour boats work the route, but early-morning tours are much quieter and may give you the cave almost to yourself. Peak-season afternoons bring the strongest demand for the midday light, so the two goals pull against each other. Choose early for space and midday for colour, and accept the compromise.

What to bring

Pack swimwear, a towel, a waterproof camera and a snorkel if you have one, plus a warm layer for the return. Wear comfortable clothing you can change out of easily on a small boat. Sunscreen matters even on the water, and a dry bag keeps phones and cameras safe during the swim stop.

Practical limits to check before booking

Confirm four things before you pay: the departure point, the total time on the water, whether the swim stop is included, and how the operator handles a high tide or bad weather. Book ahead in peak season, since the daily schedule is densest then. If you are combining the cave with other bay sights, the island of flowers near Tivat and the Luštica villages are easy to fold into the same day by car.

Which boat should you book?

Take the Kotor boat tour if you want the submarine tunnels, Our Lady of the Rocks and Mamula alongside the cave in a single three-hour run. Take the Igalo boat taxi if you are staying near Herceg Novi and only want the cave and a swim. Either way, confirm the departure point, the swim allowance and the price in euros at the time of booking.