Guide · Bay of Kotor
Blue Cave Kotor — Boat Tour Guide to the Blue Cave & Our Lady of the Rocks
How to visit the Blue Cave and Our Lady of the Rocks by boat from Kotor: the best time of day, a timed half-day itinerary, what a private charter changes, and honest answers to the questions guests ask us most.
The Blue Cave
Why the water glows blue
The Blue Cave — Plava Špilja — is a sea cave cut into cliffs on the Luštica peninsula, at the outer edge of the Bay of Kotor. Its colour is not a trick of the rock. Sunlight enters through a submerged opening below the main entrance, passes through several metres of clear water, and the water filters out the warmer part of the spectrum. What reaches the chamber is almost pure blue light, thrown up onto the walls and the ceiling.
That makes timing everything. The effect is strongest when the sun is high, roughly between 10:00 and 14:00 from late May through September. Arrive at 17:00 and the cave is still lovely, but the blue has gone soft and grey. Arrive at 09:30 and you often have the chamber to yourself before the first group boats reach it.
You can swim inside, and it is the best part of the day. The water is deep and glass clear; sea temperature runs from about 19 °C in early June to 25 °C in August, easing back to around 22 °C through September and into early October. Bring a swimsuit and a towel — everything else is aboard.
Best light
10:00 – 14:00
Sea temperature
19 – 25 °C, Jun–Oct
From Kotor
45 min direct
Our Lady of the Rocks
An island built by hand
Gospa od Škrpjela sits just off Perast, and it is entirely man-made. The story starts in 1452, when two sailors found an icon of the Madonna on a rock in the shallows. Every boat returning safely to Perast dropped a stone on the spot, and old hulls were sunk alongside, until there was enough ground for a church.
The tradition survives as the Fašinada each 22 July, when a line of boats rows out after sunset to add more stones. Inside the church, the ceiling is covered in Baroque painting by Tripo Kokolja, and a small museum holds a tapestry a local woman spent twenty-five years embroidering with her own hair while waiting for a sailor who never returned.
Allow about thirty minutes ashore: long enough for the church, the museum and a walk round the island, short enough to still reach the Blue Cave in good light.
The route
A half day from Kotor, hour by hour
This is the run we sail most often on a four-hour charter. Every stop is optional and the order is yours to change — but this sequence puts you at the Blue Cave in the strongest light and ahead of the group boats.
09:30 · Boarding 10 min
1. Depart Kotor
We collect you from Kotor Old Town, Dobrota or your own jetty. The bay is at its calmest in the morning, so this is the fastest, smoothest run of the day.
10:00 · 30–40 min ashore
2. Perast
A UNESCO-listed Baroque town of sea-captains' villas, churches and quiet waterfront cafés.
10:45 · 30 min ashore
3. Our Lady of the Rocks
An artificial islet off Perast, home to a 15th-century church built stone by stone by local sailors.
11:30 · 30–45 min, swim stop
4. Blue Cave
A sea cave carved into 100m cliffs, glowing an otherworldly blue. Bring your swimsuit.
12:30 · 20 min
5. Submarine tunnels
Cliffside Cold-War tunnels that once hid submarines from view — now hauntingly beautiful.
13:15 · Open-ended
6. Return, or lunch on the water
Head back to Kotor, or step ashore at Marea by Moments in Porto Montenegro for a long lunch by the water before the run home.
Choosing a tour
Private charter or group boat?
Group tours are the cheaper way to see the bay and there is nothing wrong with them. But they are worth choosing with your eyes open — here is the honest difference.
| Group tour | Momentum, private | |
|---|---|---|
| Departure time | Fixed, usually 09:00 or 14:00 | Any half-hour slot from 08:00 to 22:30 |
| Group size | 12–40 guests you have never met | Up to 6 guests — only your party |
| Waiting at the cave | Often 20–40 min queuing behind other boats | We time the run to arrive between the group departures |
| Swim time | Typically 10–15 min | As long as you want to stay in the water |
| Itinerary | Fixed route, fixed stops | Built around you — add Risan, Orahovac or a restaurant stop |
| Price | Per person, from around €25–€45 | Per boat, from €200 for an hour |
Before you go
Planning your day
- Season
- May to October. June and September are the sweet spot — warm water, long light and far fewer boats than the peak fortnight of August.
- What to bring
- Swimsuit, towel, sun cream and a light layer for the run home. There is shade and an indoor rest area aboard, and a fridge for your own drinks.
- Sea conditions
- The inner bay is sheltered and usually flat. The cave itself sits on open coast and closes in swell — if the forecast turns, we reroute inside the bay or move your day at no cost.
- Accessibility
- Boarding is from a pontoon or jetty and the swim stop needs a ladder climb. Tell us about any mobility needs when you book and we will plan the stops around them.
- Children
- Welcome, and the bay suits them. Children's life jackets are carried as standard and there is always a professional captain aboard.
Book it
Do this trip aboard Momentum
Momentum is a Saxdor 270 GTO carrying up to 6 guests, with a professional captain always on board. Prices are per boat, not per person.
Half-Day Charter
€800 per boat
Up to four hours to explore — Blue Cave, Our Lady of the Rocks, Perast and beyond.
Check availabilityFull-Day Charter
€1100 per boat
A full day of the Bay of Kotor, at your own pace, itinerary built around you.
Check availabilityKotor Bay Luxury Excursion
Price on request
Our flagship day: Our Lady of the Rocks, Perast, the Blue Cave, the submarine tunnels, a stop at Marea, a private submarine tour, and a seven-course tasting menu with Chef Grigori at Mira.
Check availabilityQuestions
Blue Cave & Kotor boat tour FAQs
Ready when you are
Pick a date and a half-hour slot, tell us your preferred pick-up point, and we will confirm the run.
Book Momentum