What to bring

What should you bring on a Blue Cave tour from Split?

Cash for the cave, swimwear, a towel, a warm layer, sun protection, water shoes, water and snacks, in a small bag.

• Cash in EUR: for the cave ticket and coffee in Komiža. No card machine and no ATM on Biševo.
• Swimwear: wear it under your clothes. There are three or four swim stops.
• Towel: Valiant, Speed Line and Toto Travel list beach towels; on the others, bring one.
• A windbreaker or long sleeves: both Valiant and Speed Line recommend them for the morning ride outside July and August.
• Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses: on the water from morning to evening, with little shade.
• Water shoes: Day Trips lists them; pebbles and sea urchins explain why.
• Water and snacks: Speed Line asks you to bring snacks and drinks; Booker Travel a packed lunch.
• A small dry bag: for your phone, cash and cards on a wet, splashy boat.

Snorkel gear and towels on board, a captain who adapts the route, and a group of 12 at most.

★ 4.9 · 10.5 hours · from $90

Explore the Speed Line tour → Tour details

How much cash do you need for a Blue Cave tour?

EUR 24 per adult from 20 June to 10 September, EUR 18 otherwise, plus money for lunch and drinks. Children 6 to 12 pay half.

The cave ticket is the only fixed cash cost. A couple pays EUR 48 in high season and EUR 36 in spring and autumn; under-6s are free. Speed Line collects it on the boat, others at the hut at Mezuporat. On Day Trips it's already in the price. Rates by date are in the entrance fee guide.

On top of that, lunch in Hvar town is on you on most tours, and the Komiža stop is built around a coffee. Small notes help: the crew at Mezuporat isn't a currency exchange. One Speed Line guest suggests bringing cash for both the Blue Cave and the Budikovac stop.

What should you wear on the speedboat?

Swimwear under light clothes, with long sleeves or a windbreaker for the morning. Bring a cover-up for Hvar town.

The ride out leaves early and the boat moves fast, so the morning is chilly outside July and August even when the forecast says 25 °C. A light jacket weighs nothing and you'll want it on the run home too. Pick a hat that ties on or a cap you can hold.

For Hvar town, put clothes back on. The town has warned visitors of fines of up to EUR 600 for walking the streets in swimwear (Telegraf). Shorts and a T-shirt over your swimsuit are fine.

Do you need water shoes for a Blue Cave tour?

They help. Stiniva and Hvar have pebbles, and Budikovac has sea urchins near the beach.

Day Trips puts water shoes on its own packing list. At Budikovac, Medgulets advises sea shoes for wading because of urchins. Stiniva is a pebble cove. A cheap pair from any Split beach shop does the job and dries fast.

What do Blue Cave tours provide on board?

Snorkel gear on every tour. Towels on three. Food and drink varies a lot.

From each operator's listing:

Speed Line also lists luggage storage, but don't count on space for a suitcase. A small day backpack is what fits on these boats.

How do you avoid seasickness on the speedboat?

Sit in the middle of the boat, look at the horizon, skip a heavy breakfast and take tablets before you board.

The ride is two to four hours of fast travel, bumpy when there's wind, and the run home in the afternoon is often the roughest. The NHS advice works here: sit in the middle of the boat, keep your eyes on the horizon, don't read your phone, and avoid heavy meals and alcohol before and during the trip. Ginger helps some people.

If you need tablets, ask at a pharmacy (ljekarna) in Split about timing; hvar.com recommends taking them before departure, not once you feel ill. Anyone pregnant or with back problems should skip this trip: every full-day listing rules them out.

The classic five-island day in a small group, with the Blue Cave as the first stop of the day.

★ 5.0 · 10.5 hours · from $89

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Can you take your phone into the Blue Cave?

Yes. Keep it in your hand or on a strap inside the tender, and in a dry bag on the speedboat.

You sit in an open wooden tender for 5 to 15 minutes, so a phone is the easiest camera. The light is low and the boat moves, so take several shots and then put it away and look. On the speedboat, spray is constant; a dry bag or a zip-lock pouch saves you a ruined phone. For the photo that matters, the timing guide is in closures and the best time.

Frequently asked questions