Kotor: Boat Cruise with Blue Cave Swim and Submarine Base

The Bay of Kotor looks best from the water. I like the fast speedboat ride and the mix of swimming, island views, and wartime history. The tour also gives you a lot for $56, including transport, bottled water, and snorkeling gear. The main catch is that the Blue Cave can be crowded, so swimming may happen outside the cave rather than inside it.

You will see a lot in three hours, from Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks to Mamula Island and the old submarine tunnels. Guides such as Marko, Andre, Peter, and Marco have been praised for being friendly and helpful, but the ride is not ideal for wheelchair users or anyone who dislikes a brisk, open-water trip.

Kotor speedboat tour highlights

• The Blue Cave stop can include a quieter swim nearby, especially when several boats gather at the cave entrance.
• Mamula Island carries a sobering wartime story, with its fortress once used as a concentration camp by the Italians.
• The submarine tunnels are a quick but memorable sight, built into the coast by the Yugoslav Army.
• Our Lady of the Rocks offers more than a photo stop, with an optional church visit and 68 paintings by Perast artist Tripo Kokolja.
• The speedboat makes a wide itinerary possible, linking Kotor, Perast, Tivat, Herceg Novi, and the open waters beyond the bay.
• Small groups can make the ride feel personal, although boat capacity and group size vary by departure.

What the $56 price gets you on the water

At $56 per person, this is a strong-value half-day outing if you want several Kotor Bay sights without arranging separate transport. Your fare includes the boat, a bottle of water, a snorkeling mask, and life-saving equipment. You also get a live English-speaking guide, onboard Wi-Fi, a fridge, music, and the speed of a motorboat rather than a slow sightseeing vessel.

The value comes from the distances covered. Our Lady of the Rocks is close to Perast, while Mamula and the Blue Cave sit farther out toward the bay entrance. Seeing them all independently would take more planning, and you would need to arrange your own boat transport.

Still, this is not a quiet, lingering cruise. The boat moves quickly and the schedule gives you short stops. You get about 20 minutes at Our Lady of the Rocks, 10 minutes near Mamula, 25 minutes for swimming and snorkeling, and only five minutes at the submarine tunnel. I see that as a good trade for a first look at the bay, but not as a substitute for spending a full day at any one place.

Food and extra drinks are not included. Bring something small to eat if you need it, though the tour is short enough that most people can manage with breakfast beforehand and the supplied water.

Leaving Kotor and crossing the bay

You meet at the MontenegroGlobe office near Kamelija shopping center, a few minutes from Kotor’s old town and the Port of Kotor. That location is useful if you are staying inside the old town, since you can walk there rather than deal with city traffic.

Parking is a problem in Kotor, so I would not plan to arrive by car without allowing extra time. The old town area can be crowded, and a late arrival risks starting the tour in a rush.

Once aboard, the boat heads out for roughly 20 minutes. This opening section lets you settle in and take in the mountain walls around the bay. The speed adds fun, but it also means wind and spray. Sunglasses are useful, and a light coat is sensible outside the hottest summer weeks. One October departure was chilly even at midday, so pack more than swimwear if you are visiting in spring or autumn.

The boat has shade, and one particularly hot July trip found the spray and shaded seating welcome in temperatures around 35 degrees Celsius. Boat comfort appears to depend partly on the group size. One October group of eight had a boat designed for up to 22 people, leaving plenty of room. Other departures may feel fuller, so do not assume every ride will have the same amount of space.

Our Lady of the Rocks and the story of Perast

The first major stop is Our Lady of the Rocks, an artificial island near Perast. Local fishermen began building it in the 15th century, creating the island over time. That origin makes it more interesting than a simple scenic platform in the bay.

You have about 20 minutes here for photos and a short visit. The island gives you clear views back toward Perast, one of the most charming settlements in the bay, and it is an excellent place for pictures of the water, church, and surrounding mountains.

You can also pay 2 euros to enter the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks. The church contains 68 paintings by Tripo Kokolja, a 17th-century Baroque artist from Perast. The entry fee is modest, but the stop is brief, so decide quickly if you want to go inside. If you prefer architecture and art to swimming, this is the one stop where the optional extra cost adds real value.

Do not expect a long visit. The tour gives you enough time to see the island and consider the church, but not enough for a slow inspection of every detail. If the church is your main reason for booking, plan a separate visit or choose an excursion with more time there.

Mamula Island and its difficult past

The boat then heads toward Mamula Island, usually for about 30 minutes. This is one of the more striking stretches of the ride, with the open water replacing the tight inner bay and the coast spreading out around you.

Mamula’s round fortress dates from the 19th century, but its darkest chapter came during World War II. The Italians converted it into a concentration camp. Your local skipper explains this history from the boat, giving context to the stone walls rather than presenting the island as just another photogenic stop.

The scheduled visit lasts about 10 minutes and is mainly a photo stop. That matters because you will not be walking through the fortress or touring its rooms. You see the island from the water and hear the story, then continue onward.

I appreciate this inclusion because it keeps the cruise from becoming a string of pretty views with no substance. At the same time, the short stop means the historical discussion may be brief. If wartime sites are a major interest for you, treat Mamula as an introduction, not a full historical visit.

The Blue Cave, blue light, and swimming conditions

The Blue Cave is the tour’s headline attraction. After about 10 minutes of travel from Mamula, the boat reaches the cave area for roughly 25 minutes of swimming and snorkeling.

Sunlight entering through the water gives the cave its blue glow, with the color reflected across the rocks and sea. The effect is strongest when the light is right, and it makes the cave a natural photo stop as much as a swimming location.

Here is the important practical detail: the tour description presents this as a Blue Cave swim, but conditions can change. Several boats may gather at the entrance in summer, and the cave can become too crowded for a proper swim. In that case, the skipper may take you to a quieter nearby cove or swimming area instead.

That adjustment is not necessarily a disappointment. One group found the quieter water outside the cave better for swimming, with clear water and fish visible through the provided masks. Another captain changed the order of the swimming stop and cave visit, allowing the group to enter when the cave was less crowded. A good skipper may make this sort of decision to improve the experience.

You should expect to swim in the Blue Cave area, but do not book this trip on the assumption that you will spend the whole swimming period inside the cave. If you are not a confident swimmer, life jackets are available, and guides have helped nervous swimmers get back aboard. You still need to be comfortable entering the water from a boat.

Bring swimwear and a towel. The snorkeling mask is provided, but you may want your own goggles if you have a preferred fit. Sun protection is also important because even a short ride can mean a lot of exposure.

The Yugoslav submarine tunnels

After the swimming stop, the boat travels for about 15 minutes to the former submarine tunnels. The stop itself lasts only around five minutes, but the sight is unusual and easy to remember.

The tunnels were built by the Yugoslav Army and cut into the coast so submarines could hide from view. From the boat, you look toward the dark entrances and hear how the site worked. You do not enter the tunnels, so this is another photo stop rather than a walk-through visit.

The short timing makes sense. The attraction is viewed from the water, and the speedboat can pull close enough for photos before moving on. I would keep your camera ready and listen closely while the skipper explains the site. If you wait until the final seconds, you may miss the best angle.

This stop also adds a useful contrast to the Blue Cave. One is shaped by nature and light; the other is a piece of military engineering. Together with Mamula, they give the trip more weight than a standard beach cruise.

Views of Tivat, Porto Montenegro, Herceg Novi, and Perast

Much of the pleasure comes between the official stops. The boat passes coastal towns and waterfront areas including Perast, Tivat, Porto Montenegro, and Herceg Novi. You see the bay from a moving viewpoint, with changing angles on the settlements and steep mountains.

This is where the speedboat format earns its keep. You cover more water and get a sense of how the bay connects its towns. Music plays onboard, and the ride can feel lively rather than formal. Some captains add jokes and personal commentary, while others focus more on history and safety.

The guide quality seems to make a real difference. Marko has been praised for combining historical detail with practical help, Andre for looking after nervous swimmers, and Peter for explaining each stop clearly. Names and crew can change, of course, but the skipper is central to the experience because the schedule is too tight for a guide to give a long talk at every location.

You may also get small personal touches. One guide offered a sweatshirt to a cold passenger, and another provided raincoats when a storm moved through. These details cannot be guaranteed, but they show why a considerate skipper matters on an open-water tour.

How the three-hour schedule feels

The advertised duration is three hours, with the return to MontenegroGlobe after the submarine tunnel stop. That is a useful length for a morning or afternoon plan. You can still have lunch in Kotor, explore the old town, or catch onward transport afterward.

The pace is brisk but not unreasonable. The route includes long stretches of travel, yet the speedboat cuts down the time between sights. You get a taste of several locations rather than a deep visit to one.

The schedule may also be adjusted for weather or crowd levels. A captain might reverse the order of the cave and swim, seek a calmer bay, or shelter from a sudden storm. That flexibility is valuable, but it means the exact sequence should not be treated as fixed.

Poor weather can cancel the tour, and the operator may also cancel if too few people book. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before departure, and you can reserve now and pay later. Those terms help if your Kotor schedule is still taking shape.

Who will enjoy this Kotor boat trip?

I would choose this tour if you want a compact overview of the bay with a good balance of scenery, history, and water time. It suits couples, solo visitors, families with older children, and anyone who enjoys being out on a fast boat.

Solo visitors can also find the shared format social. One person traveling alone met an Australian family during the trip, which is a nice benefit of joining a small group rather than hiring a private boat.

This is less suitable if you need step-free access, dislike speed, or want a slow cultural tour. It is not suitable for wheelchair users, and people over 95 are excluded. The boat can be comfortable, but the ride still involves boarding, moving around the vessel, and getting in and out of the water.

Non-swimmers are not automatically left out. Life jackets can make the water stop possible, and guides may offer extra help. Still, you should tell the crew if you are nervous and understand that the main swimming stop remains optional.

What to bring and how to prepare

Pack the basics:

• Swimwear and a towel
• Sunglasses
• A camera or phone in a waterproof case
• A light layer outside the warmest months
• Extra food if you need more than a bottle of water

Wear something that can handle spray. Keep your phone secure while the boat is moving, especially during the faster sections.

Arrive at the MontenegroGlobe office near Kamelija shopping center with enough time to check in. The meeting point is close to Kotor’s old town and port, but parking is notoriously difficult. If you are coming from outside Kotor, a hotel pickup may sometimes be arranged, but do not assume it is included in the standard meeting-point service.

Should you book the Blue Cave and submarine tunnel cruise?

Book it if you want maximum variety in three hours. For $56, you get a fast ride, several major sights, a historical story at Mamula, an unusual military site, a church option, and time in clear water with a mask provided.

Go in with realistic expectations. The Blue Cave may be crowded, the swim may take place nearby, and the stops at Mamula and the submarine tunnels are short. Those limits are easy to accept if your goal is to see the wider Kotor Bay area rather than study one site in detail.

I would especially recommend it on a clear summer morning or afternoon, when the water and mountain views are at their best. In October or other cooler months, choose the warmest available departure and bring a coat. If you want a lively, active introduction to Kotor’s coast, this is money well spent.

FAQ

Where does the Kotor boat tour meet?

You meet at the MontenegroGlobe agency near Kamelija shopping center, a few minutes from Kotor’s old town and the Port of Kotor.

How long does the boat cruise last?

The cruise lasts three hours, including the speedboat rides, sightseeing stops, the swimming period, and the return to Kotor.

Is swimming inside the Blue Cave guaranteed?

No. The tour includes swimming and snorkeling in the Blue Cave area, but the cave may be crowded. The captain may take you to a quieter nearby swimming spot instead.

Is snorkeling equipment provided?

Yes. A snorkeling mask and life-saving equipment are included, along with a bottle of water.

How much does it cost to enter the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks?

Entry to the church costs 2 euros per person and is not included in the tour price.

Can the tour be cancelled?

Yes. Poor weather or an insufficient number of participants can lead to cancellation. You can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.