If you were to list your top ten destinations with incredible scenery and stunning nature, we’d be surprised to see Croatia make the list. Not because there’s anything wrong with Croatia, of course, but just because it’s not the kind of name that comes up all the time for these kinds of adventures.

Frankly, we think that’s a shame because Croatia has a ton of incredible experiences to see and enjoy, especially if you love nature. We’ve talked about Croatia before, like in our guide to the city of Split and our recommendation of visiting Plitvice National Park, so it should be no surprise that we’re here to recommend it again.

This time, the must-see we’re talking about in Croatia is the Blue Cave. What is the Blue Cave, what can you do there, and how can you visit it? Let’s get your trip started!

What is the Blue Cave in Croatia?

The Blue Cave, also called the Blue Grotto or, in Croatian, Modra Spilja, is a magical place. It’s a cave on the water. Sounds simple, right? You might be picturing a seaside cove, a dark hole where bats hang out, or even the entrance to some den of pirates.

The reality is quite a bit more exotic than any of those images. The unique geological formation of the cave has left a crack in the shell, and at certain times of day, sunlight shines through that crack. It hits the vibrant blue waters of the Adriatic Sea and bathes the whole cave in a light blue glow that is frankly unreal to witness in person.

Centuries ago, the Blue Cave was hardly more than a minor oddity for the local fisherman of Bisun Bay to periodically enjoy. At the time, you could only access the interior of the cave by diving under the water and swimming into it. Then, in 1884, locals showed the cave to Baron Eugen von Ransonet, and he was captivated. He suggested a method to make the cave more accessible by blasting a hole in it with dynamite.

So… they did.

If it sounds insane, especially by today’s standards, it really is. Who in their right mind would suggest exploding the wall out of a natural wonder? At the risk of the whole thing collapsing or losing its magic, at that?

Fortunately, the blasting went off without a hitch, and a boat-accessible entrance to the cave was created. Fishermen, nature lovers, artists, and many others over the subsequent 150 years have enjoyed the cave and its incredible blue glow.

The Blue Cave is located on the island of Bisevo, which is incredibly small. That island is just off the coast of a larger island called Vis, which stands in the Adriatic Sea south of Split. So, if you’re already following our guide and visiting Split, you’ll be well-positioned to go see the Blue Cave as well.

Should You Take a Tour of the Blue Cave?

One of the most common questions about any destination like this is whether or not you should take a tour of the destination or if you’re good to go and explore it at your leisure.

In this case, you don’t actually have a choice.

The Blue Cave is managed by Croatia’s National Tourism Agency, and there’s effectively a gatekeeper at the front that restricts access. Only licensed and authorized tour guides can bring groups into the cave.

This also means you’re going to be on a tour boat, very likely with strangers. The tour boats seat twelve, so unless you’re visiting with your eleven closest friends, you’ll have other groups on the boat with you. This can make your experience a little hit or miss, depending on how intrusive those other visitors are.

Similarly, there are also likely to be 1-2 other boats in the cave with you. It’s large enough you won’t be crowded right up against them, but they might get in the way of some of your photos if you aren’t patient.

It’s reasonable, of course. The entrance to the cave is narrow and surprisingly challenging, and if the Croatian government just let anyone with a boat try to go through, there would be all sorts of problems, from collisions to capsizing to emergencies. Not to mention overcrowding!

You are allowed to take a boat you charter or own elsewhere on the Adriatic and can even take your boat to Bisevo. You just can’t take your own boat into the cave; you’ll need to moor at the marina and switch over to a licensed boat for the tour.

Where to Start for Your Visit to the Blue Cave

You generally have two options for a trip to the Blue Cave.

The first is to spend your time on one of the nearby islands. Vis is fairly small but has some small towns and habitation for people spending a night or two there to visit the cave. Bisevo itself has one single resort, Island Escape, but calling it a resort is a stretch. There’s no running water, no stores, and even making a fire is forbidden on the island. It’s an interesting rustic cottage experience, but most people aren’t interested in something so far from the amenities of modern civilization.

Instead, most people opt for Hvar. The island of Hvar is larger than Vis and a little further from the cave (and closer to Croatia’s mainland), but it has more infrastructure, more towns, and more hotels to choose from. It’s a good base camp to spend a few days on a vacation while you explore the area.

The second option is Split itself. As the closest major city, Split has pretty much everything you could want. The only downside is that taking the trip from Split to the Blue Cave is a day trip rather than a matter of a few hours like it is from Hvar or Vis.

Things to Know About Croatia and the Blue Cave

A few details that can be worth knowing about a trip to see the Blue Cave, and Croatia in general, might help you with your planning.

• Croatia uses the Euro. A lot of places will be fine taking credit cards, but you’ll likely want to carry enough cash just in case.
• Paying for entrance to the Blue Cave needs to be done at a ticket office on Bisevo. From there, you’ll get on your tour operator’s boat and visit the cave.
• You definitely want to make sure you visit on a sunny day. The blue glow comes from sunlight reflecting through the water, so if it’s overcast, you won’t get much of the glow.
• The blue is strongest when the sun has the right angles on the cave, which is usually somewhere around or before noon, but it changes with the seasons.
• The cave is only accessible for around 4-6 hours each day due to the tides, so while planning an off-peak tour can be nicer for the crowds, you still have a limited amount of time available.
• Your visit to the cave itself is limited to 15 minutes. That’s a lot of time for a small cave, but some people find it to be too short. Nothing stops you from buying multiple tour slots and coming back in, but that can get expensive very quickly.
• When it’s busy, the line for a ticket can be hours long, but they offer fast-track tickets (think Disney Lightning Lane), though they’re significantly more expensive.
• Peak season for the Blue Cave is exactly when you would expect: the peak of summertime. June through September are the busiest. Visiting in the off-season is a little tricky with the higher chances of cloudy weather, but the smaller crowds can make it worth it.

If you have questions and we haven’t answered them, let us know in the comments!

What to Bring on a Blue Cave Tour

The Blue Cave tour is a boat tour, so you’ll want to bring what you need for a few hours out on the sea, in the sun, and on the water. If you’re prone to motion sickness, medicine for that is a great idea. Photography gear is a must-have. You don’t need swim trunks for the Blue Cave itself, but if you want to do any swimming or snorkeling elsewhere on the island or in the area, having them is good.

You’ll also definitely want sun protection and might even want to bring your own umbrella. The waiting area for the Blue Cave tours is unprotected, and since you want to be there on a sunny day, it can be very oppressive.

We also recommend bringing plenty of water, snacks, and other necessities. While you can buy some refreshments on the island, it’s going to be overpriced, as any tourist destination will be.

Can You Snorkel or Dive the Blue Cave?

Unfortunately, no. While you used to be able to many years ago, these days, the whole area is part of the Vis Geopark, which is a UNESCO site and is protected.

This is often confusing for people because there are a lot of tours that advertise snorkeling. You have tours with titles like “Blue Cave Tour: Drinks, Snorkeling, Beaches, and More” for sale all over trip planning sites.

The truth is, these are usually larger tours that take you through numerous caves and islands throughout the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Croatia. You get to visit the Blue Cave, as well as other caves and plenty of beaches and islands in the area. You also get to snorkel on the tour. You just don’t get to snorkel in the Blue Cave itself.

To be sure, these longer and more elaborate tours are a great option to experience a lot of what the coast of Croatia has to offer, and we definitely recommend them to get your money and time’s worth out of the trip.

Some of this is also confusing because the Blue Cave we’ve been talking about isn’t actually the only Blue Cave in Croatia. Another Blue Cave, further south and east, called Blue Cave Dubrovnik, does allow swimming and snorkeling. The Dubrovnik cave is smaller, less popular, a less vibrant blue, and more difficult to enter because it didn’t get blasted open by dynamite, so the entrance requires swimming.

But if you want to swim or snorkel in a Blue Cave in Croatia, the Dubrovnik Blue Cave is your best option.

There’s also actually a third Blue Cave in Croatia, called the Small Blue Cave, on the coastline of the town of Cavtat. It’s comparatively tiny with a very weak blue glow, but it can feel very personal if you get the cave to yourself.

The Realities of the Blue Cave

While we’ve made the Blue Cave sound like a magical and incredible experience – and it is – it’s also not huge. The cave itself is only around 80 feet long and 40 deep. While you get your chance to sit and enjoy the interior, it’s also a very popular tourist attraction these days, and that means there’s a reasonable chance people will be crowding your group through and out.

If you book a tour from Split, be prepared to spend most of the day on a rough speedboat, looking at largely open seas with little to see or do along the way. Be careful not to leave yourself dehydrated on the trip!

Since it’s so popular these days, it has lost a little of its unique charm, but it’s still an iconic destination, and the blue glow that suffuses the cavern is truly magical. It’s not cool enough on its own to warrant a whole trip to Croatia itself, but since the whole area has a ton more to offer, if you’re able to do a longer multi-island tour, definitely do so.

Don’t let this small downer turn you off of the cave, though. It’s definitely an incredible sight to see, and it’s something you’ll remember for a long time. If nothing else, the otherworldly pictures are worth it!