From Bay of Kotor: Blue Cave Private Speedboat Tour

The best part of this Kotor excursion is the mix of fast open-water riding and easy swimming stops. In four hours, you reach the Blue Cave, Mamula Island, the old submarine tunnels, Our Lady of the Rocks, and Žanjic beach without spending the day on a large sightseeing boat.

I like the private format, which lets your skipper adjust the pace, and I like the range of the trip: culture at Perast and Mamula, then a swim in clear blue water. The main drawback is simple: four hours goes quickly, so most stops are short, and the speedboat can feel rough when the sea picks up.

Key points

• Blue Cave swim: Spend about 25 minutes swimming or snorkeling in water lit by a striking blue glow.
• Private boat for up to six: The $483 group price works out to $80.50 each when six people share it.
• Mamula and submarine tunnels: See two reminders of Montenegro’s military past, with time for photos and a short visit.
• Žanjic beach finale: Get 45 minutes to swim, sit on the pebble shore, or eat at a local restaurant.
• Flexible skipper-led outing: Guides such as Marko and Nikolai have led trips with a friendly, adaptable approach.
• Useful extras: Drinks, snorkeling masks, onboard Wi-Fi, boat transport, and travel insurance are included.

Why This Four-Hour Boat Trip Works

This is a compact tour with a lot packed into it. You leave Kotor by speedboat, cross the inner part of the bay, pass Perast, and continue toward the open water near the entrance to the Bay of Kotor.

I see the main appeal in the contrast. One moment you are looking at stone churches and old coastal towns. Later, you are standing on a beach in a swimsuit or jumping from a six-meter cliff into the sea. It is not a slow, reflective cruise. It is a brisk outing with music, spray, swimming, and short history stops.

The private arrangement matters. You are not tied to a large group or a fixed choice of lunch. If your group wants more time in the water, your skipper can try to give it more attention. If a stop does not interest you, you can keep moving, subject to the day’s timing and sea conditions.

The boat holds up to six people, making this best for a family, a group of friends, or a small party that wants its own outing. At $483 per group, the cost is high for one or two people. Split between six, it becomes a much more reasonable $80.50 per person for four hours of transport, guiding, drinks, snorkeling equipment, and several major sights.

Leaving Kotor Near Kamelija Shopping Center

The meeting point is the MontenegroGlobe office near the Kamelija shopping center, a few minutes from Kotor’s Old Town and the port. Look for the office with illuminated advertising along the main road.

Give yourself time to find it, especially in summer. Parking is limited, and the traffic around Kotor can be slow. If you are staying inside the Old Town, walking to the office may be easier than trying to park nearby.

Once aboard, the first part of the journey takes roughly 20 minutes. The speedboat gives you a quick change of scene from Kotor’s crowded waterfront to the wider bay. Music is part of the mood, and free Wi-Fi is available during the ride.

Bring a sun hat, sunglasses, swimwear, a towel, and a camera. You will want dry clothes or at least something easy to throw on after swimming, though the supplied information does not specify storage or changing facilities.

Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks

The first major stop is near Perast and the artificial island of Our Lady of the Rocks. The ride from the starting point takes about 20 minutes, followed by around 20 minutes for a photo stop and visit.

Perast is one of the prettiest stretches of the bay, with old stone buildings pressed between the water and the hills. From the boat, you get the classic view of its waterfront and the two small islands offshore.

Our Lady of the Rocks is the larger of those islands. It was created by placing rocks in the water over time, and its church and museum give the stop more substance than a simple photo pause. You can pay €2 per person to enter the island attraction and museum, or use the time to look around the shops.

Twenty minutes is enough to step ashore and get a taste of the place, but not enough for a careful museum visit and a relaxed wander. If you want to study the displays, tell your skipper early and ask how much time the group can spare. The visit is included in the route, but the €2 entry fee is not.

The Abandoned Submarine Tunnels

After another roughly 20-minute boat ride, you stop at the entrances to former submarine tunnels built by the Yugoslav Army. The boat pauses for about five minutes, mainly for photographs.

These dark openings cut into the coast are a sharp change from the bright waterfront scenery. They show how the bay was used for military purposes, not only as a beautiful setting for churches and holiday towns.

Do not expect a long shore visit here. The tunnel stop is brief and the focus is on seeing the entrances from the water. That is useful to know if you prefer substantial historical visits. For most people, the appeal is the unusual view and the quick context from the skipper.

Mamula Island and Its Difficult Past

The ride to Mamula takes about 15 minutes, followed by a photo stop of around 10 minutes. The island is ringed by an Austro-Hungarian fortress, and your skipper explains its military role.

Mamula also served as a concentration camp during World War II. That fact gives this stop a more serious tone than the beach and cave visits. The fortress is not simply a photogenic ruin. It is connected to wartime suffering, and a short explanation helps you understand why the island matters.

The supplied route describes this as a visit and photo stop, but the timing is limited. You should expect a short look rather than a full historical tour. If you want detailed information about the fortress, ask questions while the boat is nearby.

Skippers including Marko and Nikolai have led this experience, and the guide’s style can shape the day. The best use of the stop is to listen, take photographs, and avoid treating the site as only a backdrop.

Swimming Inside the Blue Cave

From Mamula, it is about 10 minutes to the Blue Cave. You get around 25 minutes for swimming and snorkeling.

This is the natural centerpiece of the trip. Sunlight enters the cave through an underwater opening, giving the water its blue-lit appearance. The cave is the sort of place that makes a speedboat worthwhile because reaching it independently is less straightforward.

A snorkeling mask is included, and the cave stop is designed for getting into the water rather than simply looking from the deck. Bring your own towel and swimwear. If you are not a confident swimmer, remain close to the boat and follow the skipper’s instructions.

Twenty-five minutes is a useful amount of time for a swim, a few photographs, and a look below the surface. It is not a long beach session. The cave can also be the busiest-feeling part of the route if other boats arrive, though no crowd conditions are specified for this tour.

The water is a major reason to choose this outing, but it also makes the tour weather-sensitive. If the sea is rough, boarding, swimming, and moving around the boat may be less comfortable. One previous outing required the skipper to handle bigger waves carefully, so listen closely to the crew on the day.

Forty-Five Minutes at Žanjic Beach

The final stop is Žanjic beach, reached after about 10 minutes on the boat. You get around 45 minutes here, making it the longest pause of the tour.

Žanjic is a pebble beach, so water shoes may be useful, although they are not listed as required equipment. You can swim, sunbathe, or sit by the water. The beach also gives you a chance to slow down after the faster boat rides.

You have the option of eating at a local restaurant. Lunch is not included in the stated price, so bring payment if you want to order food. The tour information does not specify a set menu or restaurant, which leaves the choice open but also means you should not expect a prearranged meal.

For many groups, this is the most relaxing part of the day. For others, the six-meter cliff jump is the highlight. The jump is optional and should be treated seriously. Six meters is high enough to make this unsuitable for anyone who is unsure about the height, the water, or their swimming ability. You can simply stay at the beach instead.

What the Speedboat Ride Feels Like

The route includes about two hours of boat movement when the listed travel times are added together. That is a lot of time on an open speedboat during a four-hour tour.

You get the reward of covering a wide area, but comfort depends on the sea. The ride can be lively, and music often plays during the journey. One skipper, Nikolai, was specifically praised for handling larger waves, while Marko was described as friendly, funny, and attentive to families.

The boat format also gives you changing views of the bay. You see Kotor from the water, pass Perast, move toward the submarine tunnels and Mamula, then reach the Blue Cave and Žanjic. The route feels varied because the scenery changes from historic waterfronts to military sites to open sea.

Free Wi-Fi is a handy extra, though the main reason to bring a phone is photography. Keep electronics secure around spray and while boarding. Drinks are included, and the activity information also highlights snacks, but you should not treat the boat as a full meal service.

Is $483 Good Value?

The value depends almost entirely on group size. At six people, the price is $80.50 each. That is fair for a private four-hour boat with an English-speaking guide, several major stops, drinks, snorkeling masks, Wi-Fi, travel insurance, and the freedom to spend time as a small group.

For two people, the same price becomes $241.50 each. At that point, you need to care strongly about privacy and speedboat access to justify the cost.

The private format is more valuable than it first appears. You are not paying only for a boat seat. You are paying for a route that combines several hard-to-link locations, plus a skipper who can tailor the pace within the four-hour limit.

The main extras are modest. Entry to Our Lady of the Rocks costs €2 per person, and lunch at Žanjic is extra. There is no stated charge for the Blue Cave, snorkeling mask, drinks, or boat transport.

Who Should Book This Experience?

I would recommend it to you if you want a busy half-day on the water and your group includes people who enjoy swimming, photographs, and a little speed. It works particularly well for friends or families who can fill most or all of the six places.

It also suits you if you want several sides of the Bay of Kotor in one outing. You get Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks for architecture, Mamula and the submarine tunnels for military history, then the Blue Cave and Žanjic for water time.

Families can enjoy it, and the skipper-led format allows some flexibility. Still, the boat, swimming, cliff jump, and possible waves mean it is not ideal for wheelchair users. The activity is also listed as unsuitable for people over 95.

I would think twice if you want a quiet cruise, a long museum visit, or a full day at one beach. The schedule is active, and each stop has a time limit. You should also avoid booking it if you dislike speedboats or feel uncomfortable with open-water swimming.

Practical Tips for a Better Day

Arrive at the MontenegroGlobe office with enough time to locate it near Kamelija shopping center. Summer traffic and limited parking can make a short distance take longer than expected.

Wear swimwear under your clothes and bring a towel, sun protection, sunglasses, and a hat. A camera is worthwhile, especially for the submarine tunnels, Mamula fortress, Perast, and the blue water inside the cave.

If you want lunch at Žanjic, plan to pay separately. If you want to visit the museum at Our Lady of the Rocks, bring €2 per person for entry.

Ask the skipper about the day’s sea conditions before deciding on the cliff jump. The jump is not the measure of a successful tour. A swim from the beach can be just as enjoyable and involves much less risk.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before departure, and you can reserve now and pay later. Starting times depend on availability, so check the schedule before building the rest of your Kotor day around it.

Should You Book the Blue Cave Speedboat Tour?

Book it if you want to see a lot in four hours and can share the $483 price with a small group. The combination of the Blue Cave, Mamula, submarine tunnels, Our Lady of the Rocks, and Žanjic beach gives you strong variety, while the private boat keeps the day more personal.

I would choose it especially for a group of four to six people who want swimming and scenery rather than a slow cultural tour. I would skip it if you want long visits at each site, dislike rough water, or are mainly interested in museums.

The best reason to book is not one single stop. It is the way the tour links Kotor’s architecture, military past, and sea life into one energetic morning or afternoon.

FAQ

How long is the Blue Cave private speedboat tour?

The tour lasts four hours, including the boat rides and stops at Our Lady of the Rocks, the submarine tunnels, Mamula Island, the Blue Cave, and Žanjic beach.

Where does the tour start?

You meet at the MontenegroGlobe tour agency near Kamelija shopping center, a few minutes from Kotor Old Town and the port. The office has illuminated advertising along the main road.

How many people can join the private group?

The price covers a private group of up to six people.

Is snorkeling equipment included?

Yes. A snorkeling mask is included, along with boat transport, drinks, travel insurance, and onboard Wi-Fi.

Is entry to Our Lady of the Rocks included?

No. Entry costs €2 per person. You can also use the stop to look around the shops or take photographs.

Can I swim in the Blue Cave?

Yes. The Blue Cave stop includes about 25 minutes for swimming and snorkeling.

Is the six-meter cliff jump required?

No. The cliff jump at Žanjic beach is optional. You can swim, relax on the pebble shore, or choose lunch at a local restaurant instead.