When we booked our Blue Cave Tour from Hvar, our expectation was to simply see the Blue Cave- a unique and spectacular natural wonder you must see when visiting Croatia.
But the reason why I’m writing a whole blog on a tour we did is because it exceeded our expectations beyond just the cave. We visited some incredible spots, including hidden caves, had the best guides and had a wonderful time all in all. This tour was part of our 70-day Europe trip, and I can say with much certainty that it was one of our most memorable days.
But before I get into the nitty-gritty of the tour, let me answer some basic questions about the Blue Cave.
What is the Blue Cave?
The blue cave, sometimes even called the Blue Grotto or Modra Spilja, is a small cave just 24 metres in length that was formed by erosion caused by sea waves. It is a unique cave to visit because when the sun’s rays hit the water and reflect off the limestone floor of the cave, the water glows a brilliant blue as if it has lights underneath. It’s an incredible sight to witness. The cave is blue not because of sunshine but simply because of daylight and it remains blue from sunrise to sunset and even on cloudy days. The sunshine only effects the shade of blue, making it even brighter and glowier.
Earlier, the cave was only accessible by scuba diving through a natural entrance, which, to date, is the opening that lets light in to give the cave it’s blue glow. Later, an artificial entrance was created using dynamite to make an opening. The opening is just big enough to allow a small boat to enter while passengers have their heads bent. It’s so small and navigation challenging that only 3 boats are allowed inside at a time.
Where is the Blue Cave in Croatia and how to visit it?
The Blue Cave is located on the small island of Bisevo, a part of the Vis Archipelago off the coast of Croatia. The best way to visit is by taking a tour from Split, Vis or Hvar, as getting there by yourself through public transport is inconvenient and very time-consuming.
While most people opt to take the tour from Split, I highly recommend taking it from Hvar town if you’re planning to stay a few nights on this island. Why? Hvar is closer to the Blue Cave so you’ll spend less time on the boat and more time actually enjoying yourself. Plus, the tour in question is fantastic way to spend a day.
Visiting the Blue Cave from Hvar, Croatia
We booked the Blue Cave tour from our go-to tour booking platform, Get Your Guide, because booking tours from it is extremely easy and one can cancel the tour up to 24 hours in advance, ensuring flexibility because travel plans can always change.
Check out the tour details and availability here.
Details of the tour
Reporting time: 10:15 AM
Return time: 6:45 PM
Inclusions: Speed boat with an experienced skipper and guide, cold bottled water and beer, snorkelling gear and lifejackets (if needed)
Exclusions: Entry to the Blue Cave (€12 in the low season and €18 in the high season), entry to the Green Cave (€6 in the low season and €10 in the high season), lunch
Why we loved this Blue Cave tour from Hvar
- We were a small group of 10 people only
- The guide and skipper were experienced and friendly
- We got to visit the famous blue cave with any hassle
- We swam in a hidden cave with glowing turquoise water that we wouldn’t have ever found it without our guide.
- We visited some incredible beaches and swimming spots
- All in all, we had a very relaxed yet fun and memorable day
The tour itinerary and experience
Set out from Hvar: We reported to their office in Hvar at 10:15 to start our day. We’d actually received an email from them in the morning stating that because of the wind and tides, the blue cave might be closed. When we got to their office, they asked us if we wanted a refund or wanted to continue even if the blue cave happened to be closed. We opted to go anyway. A great decision!
All the people who turned up were divided into two groups so that the number of people in the boats could be kept to a minimum, which was fantastic. Then we walked to Hvar Harbour and set sail towards the island of Vis in a speedboat.
We made our way to the Blue Cave registration area and guess what? We got lucky. The tours had just started. So our guide registered us, purchased our tickets, and said we’d come back in a bit instead of waiting and wasting time on the island.
Narrow Cave: So instead, we were first shown a narrow cave, and honestly, I cannot believe that our boat fit into it. The water was so clear that everyone wanted to jump in. So we eventually did get into the water for a bit, then swam to the cave and back. It was my first time jumping into the sea without a life jacket. I was a bit frantic but damn, that water was beautiful and super easy to float in because of the excessive salt levels.
Secret Cave: We were then taken to a secret cave. See the photo below. You won’t even know it’s there unless you know what to look for because the opening of the cave is under water. So you have to swim under the water for a few seconds to make it to the other side.
Being a bit scared of water, I was a bit sceptical about dunking my head in the water to try to get to the other side. But with encouragement from the guide, I was able to. Even though I did hit my head against the wall of the entrance while trying to do so.
Once you’re there, you’ll think to yourself, ‘Really? This is here! Wow!’ The cave had turquoise, clear water and just us inside. Surreal!
Blue Cave: To get inside the blue cave, there is a bit of a wait time, especially during the summertime because only 3 boats can go inside the cave at one time and there are so many people waiting to go. We grabbed an ice cream and used the toilet while waiting, and time passed really fast.
Soon enough, our entire group got into a small boat led by an official blue cave boat operator. After a short boat ride, we saw the small, man-made entrance of the cave. Excited, we waited our turn and all ducked our heads to go inside. The cave was completely dark but the water was glowing blue. Wow! Even though you know what you’re about to see, seeing it with your own eyes is a different experience.
The guide told us a bit about the cave while we were inside and took some photos. The time inside the cave lasted about 10 minutes or so and it was more than enough!
Vis Island: Next, we went to a small beach on the island of Vis for swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing. I stayed back to fly my drone because the view was absolutely gorgeous but my husband had a wonderful swim.
Note that Croatia doesn’t really have sandy beaches. They’re all pebble beaches!
Green Cave (Zelena špilja): We then made our way towards the green cave, which has green-tinted water. Our guide explained to us a bit about the cave and asked if we wanted to go inside. She was of the opinion that the cave wasn’t really worth it. So all of us agreed to skip it. We’d actually all had such a wonderful time swimming and enjoying the sights that, at this point, all of us just wanted to relax with a beer in hand.
Pakleni Islands for Lunch: Finally, we got to Pakleni Island for lunch. We were taken to Restaurant Bacchus (rated 4 on Google) which has a nice setup under the trees and a mist blower to keep the area cool on a hot day. It isn’t necessary to eat at this restaurant but I think it has the most options catering to all dietary preferences, which is why it is recommended by them. Two of us couples were asked to share a table, which was kind of strange but we ended up having a good long chat and all turned out great. The issue was that the food was overpriced for what it was.
There aren’t many other options around, but the seafood restaurant beside this one, Laganini Lounge Bar & Fish House, is rated 4.4 on Google so if you eat seafood, then that’s a better option.
The Blue Lagoon: After lunch, you get time to take a dip in the blue lagoon. The guide dove into the water, got two sea urchins and told us all about them before putting them back in the water. Did you know that sea urchins can be eaten? And they don’t really prick if held softly. But be careful and do not step on them!
And with that, we sailed back to the Hvar port, happy with the beautiful day we’d had exploring caves, absorbing the beauty of Croatia’s coastline, swimming in the clear waters of the Adriatic Sea, and chatting with people from around the world.
We were super glad we’d done this Blue Cave Tour from Hvar Island, as I’m sure you will be too!
Things to carry for the tour
- Beach Towel
- Hat with a string, else it’ll fly off
- Coverup/Sarong
- Snacks (lunch for us was around 4:30 pm so we were glad we had something to snack on)
- Motion sickness medicine if you get sick easily (I usually do, but did not on this ride, neither did the others on the boat)
- Cash (for tipping, food and for cave entrance fees)
- Ocean-safe sunscreen
- A go-pro or waterproof case for your phone so that you can easily take it with you to the underwater cave
- You do not need water shoes for this tour but you can carry them if the stony beaches hurt you or sea urchins scare you
I hope you choose this blue cave tour and have as fab a time as we did.
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