3 hours
The classic
Boka Bay Tour
Past St. Mark’s Island and Our Lady of Mercy and into an old submarine tunnel, then through the Verige Strait to Our Lady of the Rocks and half an hour in baroque Perast.
02Open sea & swimmingTivat to the Blue Cave and back
Blue Cave Tour. A tunnel, a fortress, the blue.
Three private hours out to the open sea: into an old submarine tunnel, past the island fortress of Mamula and along the cliffs of Luštica to the Blue Cave, where the water glows electric blue — and you swim right in.
At a glance
Out of the bay to the open sea, and a swim in the blue.
The tour for swimmers — and for anyone who wants to see where the bay meets the open Adriatic. You sail into a tunnel once built for submarines, pass the two fortresses that guard the entrance to Boka and stop at the Blue Cave, where sunlight comes up through the water and lights the whole cave blue.
It is private, so the boat, the skipper and the timing are yours alone — whether there are two of you or fourteen. Boris knows when the cave is quiet and when its light is best, and he waits at the entrance while you swim.
You can go any day from nine in the morning. The cave glows brightest when the sun is high, from late morning into the early afternoon; the open sea is usually calmest in the morning.
- hours on the water, at your pace
- 3h
- by sea, from Tivat to the Blue Cave and back
- ≈ 44km
- stops along the way
- 4
- sea caves — the Blue Cave and two half-open ones
- 3
The voyage
Four stops, out to the open sea.
The stops in the order Boris sails them, with the kilometres from the promenade. Beyond the mouth of the bay the open sea has the last word: if the waves are up, Boris will tell you before you set off.
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Tivat
You board on the Tivat promenade, Šetalište Kapetana Iva Vizina — a few minutes from Tivat Airport. Wear your swimsuit: water, towels and life jackets are already on board.
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Submarine tunnel
First west, across the Bay of Tivat to the Kumbor Strait. In the cliffs of Luštica, behind curtains of old camouflage netting, are the tunnels the Yugoslav Navy cut for its submarines — about a hundred metres into the rock — and the boat glides right in.
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Mamula
Out of the bay past the fishing village of Rose, to the round island fortress at its mouth. Austria built it in 1853; in the Second World War the island held a prison camp. It is private today, so Boris takes you round it from the sea.
The story of the fortress -
Fort Arza
Across from Mamula, on the tip of Luštica, stands its twin: Fort Arza, raised at the same time to close the entrance to Boka. Round the cape, the coast turns into the pale limestone cliffs of the open sea.
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Blue Cave
The highlight: a sea cave where sunlight enters under the water and lights it electric blue. Since 2026 motor boats may not go inside, so Boris stops at the entrance — photos from the boat, then a short swim in. Two smaller, half-open caves in the same cliffs come next.
Why the cave glows -
Tivat
Back past Mamula and Rose, through the Kumbor Strait and across the bay to the promenade — about three hours after you set off.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
On board
Travel light — the rest is on board.
Fuel, your skipper, water and towels are part of every tour. For the swim, bring a few small things of your own.
Included
- Fuel for the whole route
- Your licensed local skipper
- Drinking water
- Towels
- Life jackets on board
Bring
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
- Your swimsuit — wear it under your clothes
- A mask or goggles, if you have them: the blue is even brighter underwater
- A waterproof pouch for your phone
- Your camera — and your playlist
No tickets, no fees
- The Blue Cave and the two caves are free to swim in
- Mamula and Fort Arza are seen from the sea, so there is no landing fee
- Lunch by the sea fits into a Custom Tour of six hours or more
- Swimming
- Under the new rules, motor boats may not enter the cave, so the boat waits outside and you swim the last stretch. Not a confident swimmer? There are life jackets on board — and the view from the deck is lovely too.
- Best light
- The cave glows brightest when the sun is high, roughly from 10:00 to 15:00. In July and August that’s also its busiest time — ask Boris about setting off early.
- Sea & weather
- The cave faces the open sea, so it all depends on the waves. If the sea isn’t calm enough, Boris will suggest another time or a sheltered route inside the bay.
- Going ashore
- This tour is made for swimming, so there are no stops ashore. For Our Lady of the Rocks and Perast as well, choose Boka Bay + Blue Cave — or the Boka Bay Tour for the sights of the bay alone.
- Children & groups
- Children are welcome from the age of two — tell Boris their ages when you book. Up to 8 guests sail on Antonija, up to 14 on Negroni: see our boats.
“Best day in Tivat! The boat trip was wonderful, with music and drinks.”
“He even took us into an old submarine bunker…”
More tours
Three more ways to fall for Boka.
3 hours
4 hours
Best of both
Bay & open sea
Boka Bay + Blue Cave
The bay’s greatest hits in one unhurried loop: the submarine tunnel and Mamula, a swim in the Blue Cave, then back into the bay to Our Lady of the Rocks and Perast.
5–8 hours
Your route, your rhythm
Custom Tour
Five hours or more, your way. Pick the stops — Kotor’s old town, a hidden beach, an island church, the Blue Cave — and Boris will shape the route around you.