From Bay of Kotor: Blue Cave Private Speedboat Tour

The star of this trip is the Blue Cave, where sunlight filters through the sea and turns the water an intense blue. You also get a lively ride across Kotor Bay, with stops at Our Lady of the Rocks, abandoned submarine tunnels, Mamula Island, and Žanjic beach. I like the private format, since your group can spend more time swimming or move on when a stop has had its moment. I also like that drinks, snacks, snorkeling equipment, and Wi-Fi are included.

The main consideration is the price: $483 per group of up to six, which is good value with a full boat but expensive for one or two people. This is a saltwater-and-speedboat day, not a quiet sightseeing cruise, and the cliff jump is optional but the tour suits confident swimmers best.

Key points before you book

• Blue Cave swim: Spend about 25 minutes swimming and snorkeling in the cave’s blue-lit water.
• Private boat for up to six: A full group pays about $80.50 per person, before the small Our Lady of the Rocks entry fee.
• Four major sights: See Perast, Our Lady of the Rocks, submarine tunnels, and Mamula Island in one half-day.
• A real choice at Žanjic: Relax on the pebble beach, eat at a local restaurant, or jump from a 6-meter cliff.
• Skipper-led storytelling: English-speaking skippers such as Marko and Nikolai explain the places you pass.
• Practical extras: Drinks, snacks, snorkeling masks, travel insurance, Wi-Fi, and speedboat transport are included.

Why this private Kotor Bay trip works

Kotor Bay is easy to admire from the shore, but the water gives you a different view. From a speedboat, the old towns, steep mountain walls, islands, and military remains arrive in quick succession. You get the broad sightseeing picture, then time to swim.

This is not a full-day cruise. In four hours, the boat covers a lot of ground, so the pace is brisk. That is the appeal if you want several of Kotor Bay’s main sights without giving up an entire day. It also means most stops are short. You will have roughly 20 minutes at Our Lady of the Rocks, 10 minutes at Mamula, 25 minutes in the Blue Cave, and 45 minutes at Žanjic beach.

The private setup matters. With only your own group aboard, the skipper can respond to your interests. Nikolai and Marko have both been praised for being sociable, helpful, and attentive, and one group was able to shape the timing around its needs. Your exact skipper depends on the day, but the format gives you a better chance of having a flexible outing than a large shared boat.

The speedboat adds fun but also motion. Music is commonly part of the ride, and one group even turned the trip into a floating dance party. If you want gentle, silent sightseeing, this may feel too lively. If you like wind, waves, and a quick change of scenery, it is a good match.

Meeting the boat near Kamelija

You meet at the MontenegroGlobe office near Kamelija shopping center, a few minutes from Kotor’s Old Town and the port. Look for the agency’s illuminated advertising along the main road. This is more practical than trying to find a boat somewhere along the waterfront.

Arrive with your swimwear already accessible. You will want sunglasses, a sun hat, a towel, and a camera. There are fewer parking spaces in summer, and car traffic can be heavy, so driving to the meeting point requires extra patience.

The boat ride begins with drinks, snacks, and onboard Wi-Fi available as you leave Kotor. Wi-Fi is a useful extra if you want to send a quick message or post a photo, but do not let your phone distract you from the views. The first part of the trip is about enjoying the bay from the water.

Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks

The ride to Our Lady of the Rocks takes about 20 minutes. You pass Perast, one of the bay’s most appealing seaside towns, with a chance to photograph its waterfront and surrounding mountains from the boat.

Our Lady of the Rocks is a small artificial island with a 15th-century church and museum. The island was built up over time, and its position in the bay makes it one of Montenegro’s most recognizable views. You have around 20 minutes here, enough for a quick visit and photographs.

You can pay €2 per person to enter the church museum. That fee is not included. You can also browse the shops or simply look around the island before returning to the boat. With only 20 minutes, you should decide early whether you want the museum or prefer outdoor views.

This stop is cultural rather than active. It gives the trip a pause before the faster boat sections and adds context to the bay’s religious and maritime past. If your group is mainly interested in swimming, you may feel the stop is brief. If you want a mix of scenery and local culture, it earns its place.

The abandoned submarine tunnels

After another roughly 20-minute ride, the boat stops at the entrances to former submarine tunnels built by the Yugoslav Army. You do not enter the tunnels. Instead, you have about five minutes for photographs from the water.

That short stop is enough to understand the setting. The dark openings cut into the shoreline, and the abandoned military structures feel very different from Perast’s elegant waterfront and the church island. This contrast is one of the trip’s strengths: Kotor Bay is not just pretty scenery. It also carries a complicated military past.

Five minutes is a quick photo stop, so keep your camera ready. You will not have time to explore on foot or linger inside. The value here comes from seeing an unusual piece of the coast that is difficult to appreciate from a standard town tour.

Mamula Island and its difficult past

The speedboat continues for about 15 minutes to Mamula Island. The boat pauses for roughly 10 minutes, allowing you to photograph the circular Austro-Hungarian fortress and hear about the island from your skipper.

The fortress was later used as a concentration camp during World War II. That fact changes the mood of the stop. Mamula is visually striking, but it is not simply a pretty island with old stone walls. Listen closely as your guide explains what happened there, and treat the site with respect.

The stop is described as a photo visit, so do not expect a long historical tour or a full interior exploration. The attraction is the setting, the fortress outline, and the story your skipper provides while you are near it. Marko, one skipper associated with this route, has been praised for explaining each place clearly and keeping the mood friendly without losing sight of the history.

Swimming inside the Blue Cave

The Blue Cave comes after a short 10-minute boat ride from Mamula. You get about 25 minutes for swimming and snorkeling. This is the trip’s main reward for many people.

Sunlight enters through the water and gives the cave its famous blue glow. The effect changes with the light and the movement of the sea, so this is a place for looking around as much as taking pictures. The snorkeling mask is included, which lets you see beneath the surface without bringing your own gear.

The cave stop is short enough that you should get ready before arrival. Keep your towel, camera, and swimwear organized, and follow the skipper’s instructions about entering the water. You need to be comfortable in the sea, since the point of this stop is to swim rather than simply view the cave from the boat.

The Blue Cave is not a museum or a long natural attraction. It is a concentrated moment: a short swim in unusual light, surrounded by the sound of water and the boat’s movement. That makes the timing feel worthwhile, but anyone hoping for a long snorkeling session may find 25 minutes limited.

Žanjic beach and the 6-meter cliff

The boat then heads toward Žanjic beach for a 45-minute break. This is the longest stop and gives you room to slow down after the sightseeing and swimming.

Žanjic is a pebble beach, so water shoes may be useful if you have them, though they are not listed as required. You can sunbathe, swim, relax on the shore, or choose lunch at a local restaurant. Lunch is not included, so bring enough money if you want to eat there.

For a more dramatic option, you can jump into the sea from a 6-meter-high cliff. This is strictly for confident swimmers who are comfortable with the height and conditions. You do not have to jump. The beach stop works just as well if you prefer a quiet swim or a simple break.

I like this part because it gives you control over the final active section. Some people will want the cliff jump. Others will be ready for shade, food, or a calm paddle after the Blue Cave. The 45-minute window is long enough to split the time, but not long enough for a full beach afternoon.

The return run to Kotor

The ride back takes about 40 minutes, making it the longest single boat stretch of the day. After the stops, you can use this time to enjoy the bay, listen to music, take photographs, or simply let the skipper handle the route.

The return journey also shows why this is better understood as a speedboat tour than a slow harbor cruise. You cover distance efficiently, but the ride can be lively if the sea becomes rough. One experienced skipper was specifically praised for handling larger waves well. Conditions can still affect comfort, so anyone prone to motion sickness should prepare accordingly.

The boat returns to the MontenegroGlobe office near Kamelija. Since the outing lasts four hours, it fits neatly into a morning or afternoon in Kotor. You can pair it with time in the Old Town, though you should leave yourself enough room for the return ride and any changes in sea conditions.

What the $483 price really buys you

The price is $483 for a private group of up to six. At six people, that works out to about $80.50 each. For two people, it becomes $241.50 per person, so the value depends heavily on how many people you can bring.

You are paying for a private speedboat, skipper, drinks, snacks, snorkeling mask, travel insurance, Wi-Fi, and transport by boat. You also get a route that joins several distant parts of the bay in four hours. Booking separate transport to the Blue Cave, Mamula, and Žanjic would be difficult and less efficient.

The €2 entry fee for Our Lady of the Rocks is extra. Lunch at Žanjic is also extra. Those are small costs, but carry some cash so they do not interrupt your plans.

For a full group, I consider the price reasonable, especially if you value privacy and flexibility. For one or two people, a shared boat could offer better savings if available. The private format is most valuable for families, couples traveling with friends, or groups that want to decide how much time to spend swimming and how much time to spend sightseeing.

Who should choose this boat trip

This tour fits you best if you want several types of experience in one outing: cultural sights, military history, fast boating, swimming, snorkeling, and beach time. Families have found the route enjoyable, and the skipper’s care can help make the day easier with children, though the boat and water require close attention.

It also suits active couples and small friend groups. You can take photographs at Mamula, swim in the Blue Cave, and let the trip become as energetic or relaxed as your group prefers. The cliff jump is a bonus, not a requirement.

Think twice if you use a wheelchair, since the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. It is also not suitable for people over 95. You should be comfortable boarding a speedboat, getting into the sea, and handling a brisk schedule.

Bring a towel, swimwear, sunglasses, a hat, and a camera. Alcohol and drugs are not allowed, and bicycles cannot be brought along. Most importantly, keep your belongings secure and listen to the skipper around the water.

Should you book the Blue Cave private speedboat tour?

Book it if you have at least four people to share the cost and want a lively half-day that covers the bay’s major sights without spending all day on a boat. The combination of Our Lady of the Rocks, submarine tunnels, Mamula, the Blue Cave, and Žanjic is unusually efficient.

I would also book it for a group that values a flexible skipper. Marko and Nikolai have both been singled out for their friendly service, clear explanations, and attention to individual needs. Your guide may be different, but the private format remains the key advantage.

Skip it if you want long museum visits, extended beach time, or a quiet cruise. The stops are purposeful and sometimes short, and the price is hard to justify for only one or two people. For confident swimmers who want scenery, stories, and a splash of adventure, though, this is one of the most useful ways to see Kotor Bay in four hours.

FAQ

How long does the Blue Cave private speedboat tour last?

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 is the meeting point?

Meet at the MontenegroGlobe tour office near Kamelija shopping center, a few minutes from Kotor’s Old Town and the port. Look for the office’s illuminated advertising along the main road.

How much does the tour cost?

The price is $483 for a private group of up to six people. The entry fee for Our Lady of the Rocks is not included and costs €2 per person.

Is lunch included?

No. At Žanjic beach, you have the option to eat at a local restaurant, but lunch is an additional cost.

Is snorkeling equipment provided?

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

Can I swim in the Blue Cave?

Yes. The tour includes about 25 minutes for swimming and snorkeling in the Blue Cave. You should bring swimwear and a towel.

Is the tour suitable for wheelchair users?

No. The activity is not suitable for wheelchair users. It is also listed as unsuitable for people over 95.