Edited on August 24, 2026

I may not be able to climb stairs like I used to or walk long distances, but if there’s one physical activity I love when traveling, it’s swimming. I could spend hours in the water as it feels amazing on my achy joints. I’ve snorkeled the Caribbean, swum in the Pacific, and floated my way around the Atlantic. With this in mind, I was eager to jump in the water at the Blue Cave Dubrovnik.

The Blue Cave in Dubrovnik is one of the more popular sights, and the tour, while not wheelchair accessible, claimed to be accessible to those who could swim. “That’s me!” I thought. I got this. What better way to spend the day than on a speedboat touring the coast of Croatia, island hopping, and getting a glimpse inside the famous Blue Cave? Surely this would be the highlight of my vacation. Oh, how very wrong I was.

This is one of those stories like the time I crashed into a tree while zip lining, where it started with the best of intentions and ended with the worst of bruises. If you’re considering taking the Blue Cave Dubrovnik tour, I suggest you read my honest review and have a come-to-Jesus moment where you seriously evaluate your actual swimming abilities.

The Blue Cave Dubrovnik Tour

I arranged my small group tour through Dubrovnik Islands Tours. The description did mention that we would NOT be entering the caves by boat and that essential swimming skills were required. Cool. Check. I could float, resurface, control my breathing, turn, and move to safety in the water. I was not captain of the swim team by any means, but I knew a few strokes and had swum in the ocean many times before.

I was also traveling with my twenty-two year old neice who was slightly less sure of her swimming abilities but still had the essentials down and was confident she could visit the caves with the assistance of the lifejacket, which was to be provided on request. Supposedly.

The Blue Cave

After a twenty-minute speedboat ride, we arrived at the main attraction, the Blue Cave. We were given twenty minutes to swim to the cave, explore, take photos, and return to the boat. With the clock ticking, I eagerly jumped into the cold water. My niece followed. Both of us noticed immediately that the waves were quite a bit larger and rougher than we anticipated. My niece requested a life jacket, but was instead thrown a pool noodle by our guide. As we were slammed with waves and struggled to keep our heads above water, she decided she would skip the cave.

But I persisted. I didn’t come all this way not to get a glimpse of the wonders that lay inside that cave. I was a woman on a quest, bound and determined to make it inside that damn cave. It took me about ten minutes to fight my way to the cave entrance. This gave me approximately no minutes to get inside and get photos before returning to the boat.

To get inside the small entrance, you had to swim underwater and emerge inside the cave. At this point, I was nearly out of breath. I took a gulp of air, and with the clock ticking, I swam inside.

It was beautiful, yes. But after being tossed around by the water, I was exhausted, and all I could do was desperately cling to the cave wall as I tried to snap a few photos with my iPhone in its trusty plastic pouch.

Worried our trusty vessel would leave without me, I caught my breath and began my fight back to the boat. If you’ve never been in the Mediterranean, it’s important to note it’s quite a bit saltier than the ocean. You really notice this when water is forcing itself up your nose and mouth. The cave entrance was now cluttered with boats filled with tourists. Each of them creating a nice wake as they sped in and out. Desperate to get out of the water, I finally reached our little speedboat. It was at this point that I realized I lacked the strength to pull myself out of the water and up the ladder.

While getting slammed with waves, my legs repeatedly hit the metal ladder, and they floundered around like loose noodles. The boat was now filled with tourists who were sipping tepid beer and looked completely shaken by their experience trying to get to the cave. I finally hoisted myself up the ladder and threw myself into the boat with all the grace of a caught tuna.

It was at this point that my helpful guide looked at my legs and noted, “holy shit, you’re bleeding.” I don’t know if it was clinging to the rock walls or slamming my legs into the boat’s ladder, but I was now covered in scrapes that were indeed dripping blood down my legs. I tried to press my towel into my legs to stop the flow. But I was bruised. Both my legs and my ego.

The Green Caves

By the time we got to the Green Caves, half the boat refused to get in the water. We were all traumatized and not looking to relive the experience, no matter what the color was inside those rocks. My niece hopped off the boat because the guide assured her the water here was much more peaceful and easy to navigate. I chose to stay onboard with the others and sip my free lukewarm Heineken.

My niece swam to the “easy” cave and confirmed that the water here was far less rough. It didn’t matter to me. I was over the experience and just looking to get back on land and find some Band-Aids.

Sunj Beach

Our last stop was Sunj Beach on Lopud Island. For this stop, we would pull up in water shallow enough to walk to shore and enjoy Sunj Beach. Praise be! Visitors on the boat tour were guaranteed a beach chair with the purchase of food or beverage. My niece and I drowned our sorrows in a couple of smoothies and did a little snorkeling. This was actually the highlight of the tour. This was relaxation at its finest. After going through the wringer, we could finally enjoy some peaceful waters. We had an hour and a half here, which was the perfect amount of time to relax and reset before heading back.

The Boat Ride Back To Dubrovnik

At this point, it’s important to note that if you don’t like going very fast in a speedboat and getting sprayed with water as you slam up and down on the waves, this trip is not for you. There was a miserable-looking seasick Polish family who clung to the side of the boat as we bounced up and down. No matter which side of the boat this poor family sat on, the water seemed to find them. They were completely soaked, as was their bag of personal possessions. Fortunately, I had the good sense to bring a waterproof bag and the personal fortitude not to get seasick.

Final Thoughts On The Blue Cave Dubrovnik Tour

Would I do it again? Absolutely not. And honestly, I was shocked there was no age restriction on this tour. I don’t have kids, but if I did, I would never have allowed them to hop in the water at the Blue Cave. You really have to have excellent swimming abilities, not just an ability to tread water and float. I like to think I’m a pretty good swimmer, and even I faced a world of hurt at the Blue Cave. Also, don’t count on your tour guide to save you. At best, you’ll get tossed a pool noodle.

Inside the cave is very pretty, but it isn’t worth risking your life. After taking this tour, I honestly can’t believe more people haven’t been seriously injured. So if you ask me, I’d sit this one out. If you’re looking for a more peaceful day at sea, take the ferry to Lokrum Island. You’ll thank me later.

Oh, and if you’d like to see the damage, here’s a pic of my legs…