Blue Cave tour from Split
By far the most popular sea tour in the area of Split and Dalmatia is the tour to Blue Cave on the island of Bisevo. Although Blue Cave doesn't have a status of a national park it is one of the most beautiful natural wonders in Croatia, and its beauty equals the beauty of all Croatian national parks. Its size and the impossibility to name it a park simply keep it off that map. But the Blue Cave is protected as the geomorphologic monument of nature since 1951 and many people don’t know that the entire archipelago of the island of Vis is the UNESCO’s Geopark!
This Geopark includes: the island of Vis and the surrounding islands of Bisevo, Sveti Andrija, Brusnik, Jabuka and Palagruza. Blue Cave tours from Split will get you to Bisevo and Vis, as well as some other islands on the way, but Blue Cave is the top site of the day for sure. The Blue Cave tour is one of the most popular tours in Dalmatia because it combines boat ride, many beautiful sights, a day at the sea, swimming in some of the most beautiful beaches on the Adriatic, a visit to the town of Hvar on the popular island of Hvar – and of course, the enchanting Blue Cave on the island of Bisevo. The Blue Cave tour is not only a visit of a natural wonder on a remote island, but an adventurous day at the sea in combination with some of the most popular Croatian islands, a day at amazing island beaches where the sea is crystal clear and blue, and a walk around one of the most beautiful island towns – the town of Hvar on the island of Hvar. All this makes this tour really worth your try so don’t hesitate to book your Blue Cave tour from Split and see why everyone wants to go there. Our experienced guide will show you the sites, explain your exact location and give you the tour of your life.
Bisevo Island and the Blue Cave
Blue Cave is one of the many caves on Bisevo Island, famous for its blue light penetrating through the sea and painting cave walls. You can only spend several minutes inside the cave, but it is so worth it. You will obtain your ticket which is included in the tour price and get on a small boat which can enter through the very narrow passage and voila!- You are inside the Blue Cave. Once you are inside the cave, this small boat will make a tour around the cave. You will see the sunlight piercing through what it seems to be the floor of the cave, but is actually limestone opening on one side of the cave. This limestone hole allows the sunlight to enter the cave from below, thus reflecting the blue light of the sea onto the cave walls. This is why the cave appears to be painted blue. Blue Cave is also called Blue Grotto and in Croatian “Modra spilja”. The location of the cave is a bit remote, being 5 nautical miles from the island of Vis, as the only inhabited small island in Vis archipelago, but the tour to Blue Cave takes you to other interesting and beautiful places so it will really be a day packed with eye piercing beauty and some fun at the sea. Visiting some of the most beautiful Croatian beaches along the way is definitely a plus. The cave is just one of about 20 caves on the island of Bisevo, but is most popular by far, along with the Green Cave. The Blue Cave is located in the bay of Balun, it is 24 meters long and 14 meters high. It wasn’t accessible by boat before the end of the 19th century, when an artificial entrance has been made and is used ever since. You cannot enter on your own and you need to know the tides and times to get inside, so going there without a booked tour is impossible. The cave is entirely made of limestone, which is the most typical Mediterranean stone, wherein its beauty lies because it is the limestone that helped form this natural wonder.
Bisevo was as well as Vis completely separated from other islands and had a very limited contact with the rest of the country, especially with foreign influences and this is why both islands are now experiencing some sort of renaissance. Bisevo is still very remote and almost empty, but Vis has definitely realized how to attract and keep the attention of world travelers. There are also some beaches on the island of Bisevo where you cannot anchor, but people sometimes swim there from their boats and spend a day at the beach. The cliffs around the islands in Vis archipelago are mostly very high, so it is definitely best to see them from the seaside. This is also the reason why the Stiniva beach is so popular and unusual, especially on aerial images. You can reach it by foot, but due to its steep hike from the island it is definitely best to visit it from the sea by a boat.
UNESCO Geopark Vis Archipelago
The area of Vis Island and islands of Bisevo, Sveti Andrija, Brusnik, Jabuka and Palagruza form one of the most beautiful and wild Croatian island archipelagos, with its volcanic rocks and some of the oldest rocks on the Mediterranean. When you step on Vis and Bisevo don’t look simply for quaint streets and beautiful beaches, but try to see the unique wild beauty of these islands. Some of the most amazing sites of the archipelago are: Stiniva beach on the island of Vis, Green Cave on the island of Ravnik, Islet Brusnik and its geomorphologic wonders and the Monk Seal Cave with its tight vertical entrance, also known as the longest sea cave in the Adriatic (160m). Even the bravest sailors were very careful when going fishing to the island of Jabuka, rising from the sea by 97 meters and offering no bays or ports in case of storm. This entire archipelago has also been recognized as one of the 10 „last paradise oases of the Mediterranean“, so take care of it while you’re there and respect its intact nature. It is always important to protect the beautiful nature that surrounds, so that we may return some day and enjoy in its never changing beauty.
The island of Vis
The island of Vis is always a part of Blue Cave tour, because it is the closest inhabited island and it would be such a shame to be so close to it and not visit it. The island of Vis has a very interesting history, largely due to the political agenda of Yugoslavia and its president Tito, but its rich history expands all the way to the 4th century BC, so it was always clear that Vis had been destined for great things. The island of Vis was actually the first Greek colony on the Adriatic and is the origin of Greek influence on the Adriatic coast, because the Greeks settling here in the colony Issa founded some of the towns on the mainland. Remnants of this Greek colonisation can be found along the Croatian coast on the island of Korcula and the towns such as Trogir and Stobrec. Today Vis is one of the most attractive islands in the archipelago of Split and Dalmatia because it has kept its wild nature, simple way of life, but still offers great accommodation and party scene. Some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe are located on the island of Vis, Stiniva being the most popular one, even elected as the most beautiful beach in Europe in 2016. Vis is a rather small island with 90 square meters surface and only about 3,500 inhabitants. Its two biggest settlements are the towns of Vis and Komiza. Other places on Vis include Milna, Podspilje, Zena Glava, Rukavac… Besides Stiniva, amazing beaches on Vis Island include Stoncica and Srebrena.
Due to its position in the Adriatic, during centuries some of the most famous nautical battles took place around Vis, this is also the reason why diving around Vis is so popular, where you can dive and see boat and plane wreckages. Vis had a very important role for British Navy in the Second World War and there are several buildings across the island that still witness this historical episode of Vis. The most popular one is Fort George, once a military fortress and now a popular wedding venue. Tourists especially love visiting tunnels built to hide military vessels, which can be visible also from a boat ride around the island, so keep your eyes open. Since it had been prohibited to enter Vis for so long, the island was almost frozen in time for so long that it finally relishes in its newfound glory and freedom by becoming one of top Croatian islands both for Croatian people and foreign tourists. Everybody appreciates this synergy of wild nature, great food and wine, with some of the hottest restaurants and bars on the Adriatic. Vis will never reach the level of islands such as Hvar but it doesn’t need to, and thanks to its special charm it will surely attract people who know how to appreciate it and save it for the generations to come.
Blue Cave tour sites
The boat ride from Split to Blue Cave and back includes far more than just the Blue Cave, no matter how mesmerizing it is. The entire boat ride offers amazing views and sites which include: the city of Split from the sea, passage between the islands of Solta and Brac, archipelago of Paklinski islands, the island of Hvar, the island of Vis, the islands of Bisevo, Budikovac and Ravnik. Although this is a tour which lasts only a day, thanks to the safe speedboat and closeness of all these islands you will get the most for your money and really spend an adventure packed day with us. First and foremost, you will leave the port of Split and enjoy in the view of this beautiful Mediterranean city from the sea, which is perfect for some postcard-quality photos of Split. By passing the city port and hill Marjan you will be well on your way to the Blue Cave. Your first islands on the way there are islands of Brac and Solta. Brac will be to your left and Solta to the right. From the speedboat you will see small places on Brac such as Milna and Bobovisca. You will continue your journey to the Blue Cave on Bisevo Island because it is important you get there early in the morning, in order to be able to enter the Blue Cave through its narrow entrance before the tide rises and closes it. If the weather turns bad and it gets very windy, for people’s safety they prohibit the entrance to the cave, but the tour still includes other amazing sites and places. Besides the island of Vis and other small islands around Vis, the most popular part of the tour includes a stop on the island of Hvar, where you have enough time to drink coffee on its exquisite square, have something to eat in a quaint restaurant on a small street or climb the fortress of Spanjola above the town of Hvar.
Boat tours and safety
It is always very important to understand that boat tours such as Blue Cave tour can last a bit longer than other tours and include specific means of transportation, so that everyone is fully prepared for the trip. The speedboats that take people to the Blue Cave are all very safe and equipped for everyone’s comfort, but of course you cannot expect not to bump on few waves and get some sun and salt in your hair. A very experienced skipper is always at hand, keeping an eye on everything, so feel free to ask him anything you need and he will happily oblige. The speedboats are not only a safe way to get to the very remote Blue Cave, but also the fastest. If you would take a ferry to the island of Vis it would last a couple of hours and then you would probably need to sleep over on Vis because it is best to start a Blue Cave tour early in the morning so that you may enter the cave before the tide or waves. It is always very important to be aware that Blue Cave is after all a natural wonder so other natural elements play its role in the presentation of the cave as well as the safety of the entrance. If for some reason the people who manage entrance to the Blue Cave decide that it is not safe to enter it due to the tide or the weather, be prepared for the rest of your boat tour, because thankfully there are other lovely sites nearby. Don’t forget to wear your bathing suit because the Blue Cave boat tour includes a swim on some of the most amazing beaches on the Adriatic.
Other boat tours from Split
If you think that the Blue Cave tour might be too exhausting or too far for your liking, but you still want to visit the islands in the archipelago of Split-Dalmatia County, we have other tours ready for you. Our other tours last either an entire day or half a day so you may see what suits you best. These tours include: Blue Lagoon tour of the Krknjasi bay on the island of Veli Drvenik; the island of Brac Golden Horn tour, a day cruise to the islands of Brac and Solta near Split, a tour to Pakleni islands near the island of Hvar – and a two hour boat trip around Split so that you may enjoy seeing Split from all sides at the sea.
The Blue Cave tour is so popular not only because it takes you to the famous Blue Cave on the island of Bisevo, but also because it includes almost all these islands and sites in one tour. Not to mention again the exquisite island of Vis - always a part of every Blue Cave tour from Split. Some people like to do these tours mixed with other fellow tourists, meet new people or make new friends, but it is also possible to do our tours as private tours, especially if you are a larger group. It really depends on the size of the boat available and your special preferences.
If you simply want to spend a day at the sea, swim whenever you want, have lunch as long as you want, check out off-tour sites – we can always arrange specially tailored tours just for you and your family or friends. Simply let us know what you want to see and do; how you envision your perfect day at the sea and we will make it happen.
