Boat trips
The Blue Grotto and the beach below Lubenice
A sea cave on the west coast of Cres that you enter by swimming, and a pebble beach below the village of Lubenice that is easiest to reach by boat.
- Duration
- Half day
- Cres (NM)
- 10
Lubenice is a village on a cliff almost four hundred metres above the sea. Below it are white pebble beaches, reached from the land by a steep path, half an hour down and at least an hour back up, so most visitors come by boat. In Žanja bay, not far from the beach, is the Blue Grotto (Plava grota).
The cave is about twenty metres long, with a small pebble beach inside. Sunlight coming in below the surface lights it blue, at its best in summer later in the afternoon. The coast here is steep and without shelter, so the trip is possible only when the sea is calm.
What to see
- The blue light in the cave in the late afternoon
- The beach in Žanja bay and Sveti Ivan beach
- The view from the sea of Lubenice high on its cliff
- Martinšćica and Valun on the way back
Departure points
| Departure point | Distance | By speedboat | By sailboat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cres Boat rental: Cres | approx. 10 NM | 24 min | 1.7 h |
| Mali Lošinj Boat rental: Mali Lošinj | approx. 24 NM | 58 min | 4 h |
Distance one way. Travel time is calculated at about 25 knots for a speedboat and about 6 knots for a sailboat, without stops.
With your own or a rented boat
No permit or ticket is needed. You stop the boat off the pebble beach in Žanja bay and enter the cave by swimming or in a small rowing boat.
Good to know
- The beach has no shade and no facilities of any kind: bring water and sun protection.
- The shortest way is from Martinšćica, from where water taxis also run. From Mali Lošinj it is a full-day trip.
- The west coast of Cres is open to westerly and southerly winds, and there is no safe shelter nearby.
Boat trips
Other trips
The Blue Cave on Biševo
The best-known sea cave on the Adriatic, five miles from Komiža. Around noon the sun fills it with blue light through an underwater opening.
Open tripThe Blue Lagoon at Drvenik Veli
The shallow turquoise bay of Krknjaši between Drvenik Veli and two islets, six miles from Trogir: the most popular half-day trip in central Dalmatia.
Open tripThe Pakleni islands off Hvar
A chain of some twenty islets just off Hvar harbour: turquoise bays, Palmižana and Vinogradišće, restaurants under the pines and swimming from spring to autumn.
Open tripSafety
Emergency at sea
Croatia's national maritime search and rescue coordination centre (MRCC Rijeka) is on watch 24 hours a day. Save the number before you set off.
- 195Maritime search and rescue
- VHF 16Distress and safety calls
- 112Single emergency number
Before you call, have ready the boat's position (coordinates or the nearest headland, island or bay), the number of people on board and a description of the problem. A call to 112 is put through to the maritime rescue centre.
Get out on the water yourself
Find a boat directly from its owner and arrange the rental with no commission.
The information is for guidance only and does not replace official nautical charts, pilot books or forecasts. Check the current conditions and regulations before you set off.