How does the Blue cave visit look like during a tour?
The Blue cave itself is located on a small island called Bisevo, behind a bigger island Vis.
Bisevo is one of the most distant islands from Split, and a powerboat/speedboat is needed to reach it in timely fashion.
For example, our boats (12m/37ft, 5.5 tons, powered by 500hp inboard engines) take approximately 1h45min to reach the island.
Granted, there are lighter and faster boats.
They are of different type, but faster – meaning one gets to the Cave in 20ish minutes less.
but, they can’t even begin to compare themselves with our boats in terms of comfort, quality, safety, space, amenities, and making.
but, they can’t even begin to compare themselves with our boats in terms of comfort, quality, safety, space, amenities, and making.
In any case..
You arrive to a small bay on the island where the official company managing the Blue cave has their operation set up.
Our guests get off of our boats, our crew members buy their Blue cave admission tickets and then they wait in line for their turn to visit the cave.
Some companies require their clients to buy their own tickets, but that’s besides the point here..
The Blue cave managing company’s staff bring the visitors into the cave in the following way:
They have several smaller boats (12 passengers each) which they use to bring people into the Blue cave itself – since the cave is located just around the corner of the bay (3 minutes boat ride, approx), and no other boats are allowed nor suitable for entering the cave.
Duration of the staying inside is approx 10 minutes.
The cave is stunning, but really small and only 3-4 boats can be inside at the same time.
Important: as described, no tour companies control the cave, the sea traffic, the quantity of people visiting during the day, how much time one gets to stay inside, how much time one has to wait in line = the aforementioned managing company does.
Not even they control how many ppl get there and how long is the cue.
Nor the weather, of course..
Also,and this goes especially for tourists doing the tour from Split – there are a lot of other places, closer to the Cave location, where the tours start from (islands Solta, Brač, Hvar and Vis) + private yachts + small cruise ships which anchor close to the Cave overnight = leaving early is important, but it mens little.
Keep in mind this means:
During the peak season, 2000-2500 people visit the Blue cave every day.
Resulting in – the cue can be, literally, a few hours long.
Passengers would be doing a 10h & 100 nautical miles long round trip tour and still not getting much longer than 10 minutes inside the Blue cave itself.
A personal opinion, from someone who’s company is specialized in speedboat day tours and who’s been in the industry for over 2 decades:
If the Blue cave is the sole reason to book that tour, plase be advised, warned and informed how it looks like.
If you want to spend an enjoyable day on the boat/sea, whilst enjoying some drinks, food, sun, swimming, sunbathing and music + considering a Blue cave to be a welcome bonus = you’re on the right track.
For Vis island is spectacular, Hvar is world-renowned, Zlatni rat famous, Šolta beautiful..
The Blue cave is just a small glowing cave.
Beautiful, indeed, but 10 minutes during 10h.
The last advice for those looking and able to afford a private tour – book any private boat tour except a Blue cave one, especially from mid-June to early September.
Thank me later, Aligator.