It wouldn’t be a trip to Croatia without spending some time on the water. If you find yourself with extra time in Split or Trogir, you shouldn’t think twice about booking a tour to Croatia’s Blue Cave. This waterlogged sea cave located on the island of Biševo is known for a trick of light that produces glowing blue water. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Croatia’s Blue Cave from Split.
What is the Blue Cave?
The Blue Cave is a cave on the island of Biševo that can only be accessed by boat. Biševo only has about 20 people living on it, so the Blue Cave is the main attraction! The bright blue appearance of the water is due to an opening in the ceiling of the cave that allows sunlight to reflect off the bottom, creating an iridescent, glowing effect. The phenomenon in Croatia’s Blue Cave is similar to the Blue Grotto in Capri, Italy.
How Far is the Blue Cave from Split?
It takes about an hour and a half to get to Biševo from Split. Once you have your ticket for the tour, it’s a five-minute rowboat ride to the cave. The tour itself only lasts about ten minutes. Given the distance to get to Biševo and the short length of the tour, the Blue Cave is commonly added as part of a full-day tour of other islands and caves near Split.
How Do I Book a Tour to the Blue Cave from Split?
There are endless choices of tours that include the Blue Cave. I ended up choosing this tour from Waterworld Croatia. You can read my full review here.
The tour covers a lot of ground since they use RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) speedboats to get around quickly. I definitely recommend choosing a tour with multiple stops because three hours roundtrip is kind of a lot just to see the Blue Cave. Why not check out some other caves and islands while you’re out there! I also recommend booking a tour where the first stop is the Blue Cave. We were one of the first boats to arrive and still had to wait 20 minutes to get tickets and begin the tour. It only gets more crowded as the day goes on. The peak effect in the Blue Cave is around noon, but it’s really difficult to time it right. With such large crowds, you can’t be sure how long you’ll have to wait.
What is the Blue Cave Tour Like?
As I mentioned, our group was one of the first to arrive at Biševo. Our tour guide bought tickets for the group. Once we had our tickets, we lined up to wait for the next available boat tour to the cave.
The opening of the cave is so low that only the small boats driven by Blue Cave tour guides are allowed in. On the way in and out of the cave, you’ll have to duck to avoid hitting your head!
Once inside the cave, the tour guide brought us around and explained more about the phenomenon. The blue water gets even brighter the deeper you go.
After the tour, it was back to Biševo where our tour guide picked us up on the speedboat for our next stop. Here’s a video clip from the tour.
Is it Worth Visiting the Blue Cave in Croatia?
Absolutely. I’ve never seen a natural phenomenon quite like this. I was afraid the Blue Cave would be a tourist trap, but it’s popular for a reason.
Final Thoughts
The Blue Cave was something I came across as I started planning our Croatia itinerary, and I wasn’t sure if it was worth spending an extra day in Split just to fit it in. I’m glad I did because it ended up being one of my favorites days of the trip. If you have time, definitely visit the Blue Cave from Split or any other nearby spot.
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