Blue Cave Submarine Base and Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour Kotor

The Bay of Kotor and Perast

The Bay of Kotor is one of the deepest fjord-like inlets in southern Europe, ringed by steep limestone mountains and old stone towns that were once part of the Venetian Republic. Kotor and its surroundings are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the water route gives you a view of the bay that a road cannot.

Your speedboat tour from Kotor heads out past Perast, a small baroque town of palaces and church towers along the shore. Perast is one of the prettiest stops on the bay, and the boat passes it slowly enough for photos before the tour continues toward the open sea.

Our Lady of the Rocks

Just off Perast lies Our Lady of the Rocks, a small island that was built up by sailors over centuries. According to local tradition, seamen began to fill the sea with stones in the fifteenth century after finding an icon of the Virgin on a rock, and they kept adding stones and old ships until the island took shape. Today it holds a baroque church and a small museum.

The tour includes an optional 20-minute stop here for the church and museum, where entry costs a small fee paid in cash on the island. Dress modestly: swimwear is not allowed in the church, and shoulders and knees should be covered. If you are wondering how to visit Our Lady of the Rocks from Kotor, the boat is the easiest way.

The hidden submarine tunnel

On the way toward the open water, the boat enters a secret naval base cut into the mountainside. The tunnel was built during the Yugoslav era to shelter submarines, and it stayed off limits for decades. Today, boats can slip inside for a short visit of about ten minutes on the group option.

Your guide explains how the navy used the tunnel and why the bay's steep sides made it such a good hiding place. It is a dark, echoing place that many people call the most surprising stop on the Blue Cave and submarine base tour, and it is easy to enjoy even if you are not a history fan.

Mamula Island

Mamula is a small round island at the mouth of the bay, topped by a nineteenth-century fortress built to guard the entrance. During the Second World War it was used as a prison camp, and its history is more sombre than its neat, circular walls suggest. The boat passes close by, and you can take pictures from the water.

This stop is a panoramic look rather than a landing. It also marks the point where the calm bay meets the more open Adriatic, so you may feel the boat pick up speed and a little more movement on the water.

The Blue Cave

The Blue Cave is a natural sea cave on the outer coast of the Luštica peninsula. When the sun is high, light bounces off the pale seabed and gives the water an intense turquoise glow. It is the reason many travellers book a Blue Cave tour from Kotor, and it is the moment the tour is built around.

On the group option you have about 30 minutes to swim and float at the entrance, with life jackets and snorkelling masks, subject to availability. Local rules can change, and in some periods boats are not allowed into the cave itself, so swimming from the entrance is the way to see it. Only competent swimmers should enter the water, for safety.

Choosing your departure: group or sunset

The group tour runs at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM, which gives you a choice between morning light, midday brightness for the cave and a later start. The sunset departure leaves at 6:20 PM, and offers less crowded stops in evening light. Both routes take about three hours.

Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, comfortable shoes and cash for the optional island entry. The best time to visit the Blue Cave is usually in the middle of the day, when the light is strongest, but the tour runs on other departures too. In rough weather the route may be changed for your safety.