Private Speed Boat Tour to Blue Cave & Pakleni islands

The Blue Cave is the headline, but this private speedboat trip gives you a full day of island stops: Green Cave, Stiniva Cove, a choice of places on Vis, and two beaches in the Pakleni islands. You can swim, snorkel, or simply enjoy the ride between them.

I like two things in particular: your group has the boat to itself, and local skippers can shape the optional Vis stop around your interests. There is also time set aside for lunch at Palmizana, rather than a quick shore stop.

One practical caution: the boat may feel smaller than you expect, and the tour price does not include cave tickets. The published score is 4.7 from just three ratings, so treat it as a small sample; one passenger found the boat smaller than expected but said the trip worked out fine.

What makes this boat trip worth considering

• Blue Cave is the main event: You get about 90 minutes at the cave stop, including time to buy a ticket and wait for your queue number.
• The Vis stop is your choice: Options include Komiza, Vis town, Monk Seals Cave and Green Lagoon on Budikovac.
• Swimming is built into the day: Green Cave, Stiniva Cove and Mlini are among the places to get in the water.
• Lunch has breathing room: Palmizana gets about 90 minutes, enough for a meal, coffee, a drink or a walk through its botanical garden.
• The base price covers a private group: The $967.60 rate is for up to 10 people, not each person. Cave admission costs extra.
• Expect a long outing: Plan on roughly five to eight hours, depending on the day’s route and pace.

A private speedboat day from Hvar

This tour starts at 10am from HvarBoats Riva, on Šetalište put Križa 3, and returns to the same meeting point. Pickup is offered, but check the details when booking so you know exactly where your group will meet.

The private format matters most if you value flexibility. You are not sharing the boat with another booking, and the Vis stop is optional, so your group can decide which place to visit there. The tour is still an organized route with a Blue Cave stop and time on the Pakleni islands, but the choice of Vis stop gives the day some room to suit your group.

The boat has a Bluetooth stereo, an icebox, bottled water and snorkeling equipment. Snorkel masks and an underwater GoPro camera are available on request, so ask ahead if you want them. The boat’s size is worth considering: one passenger expected a larger craft, though found it worked out fine. If you are picturing a spacious yacht, adjust your expectations. This is a speedboat outing, where the appeal is reaching several islands in one day.

The company is described as one of Hvar’s oldest still-active boating operators, and its skippers are local. That can add useful context as you move around their home waters. One passenger specifically appreciated a friendly driver who knew the area well. There are no guide names provided, so you cannot request a particular skipper based on the available details.

Green Cave: swim, snorkel or watch from the boat

The first listed stop is Green Cave, with about 30 minutes there. You can take photos, swim, snorkel or, if you are comfortable with it, jump from nearby cliffs. That range makes the stop work for different energy levels: you do not need to jump to enjoy the setting.

There is an admission charge to enter the cave, listed at €12 per person. The stop itself is short, and the entry fee is separate from the tour price, so budget for it if you want to go inside. The tour includes snorkeling equipment, but masks and the underwater camera are on request, so confirm what you need before departure.

A 30-minute stop is enough for a quick swim or look around, but it is not a leisurely beach afternoon. If you want to spend longer in the water, keep that in mind when deciding how much you value each scheduled stop.

Stiniva Cove: dramatic cliffs and a narrow sea entrance

Stiniva Cove is known for its steep cliffs and narrow opening from the sea to a pebble beach. The contrast between the enclosed cove and open water is the point: from the boat, you see how the rock walls frame the small beach.

The tour allows about 30 minutes here, with no admission fee listed. This is a short visit, not a long stay on shore. It suits a swim and a look at the cove, but if you want extended time on the beach, the schedule may feel brisk.

Stiniva was voted Europe’s most beautiful beach in 2016. Awards are a blunt tool for choosing a beach, but the distinctive shape of the cove explains the attention better than a slogan can. Bring what you need for a brief stop, and be ready to get back aboard when it is time to move on.

Blue Cave: allow for the ticket queue

The Blue Cave is the tour’s main attraction, and the stop is allotted about an hour and a half. The boat takes you to a dock near the cave, where you can buy an admission ticket and receive a queue number. That wait is part of the visit, so the 90 minutes should not be understood as 90 minutes inside the cave.

Admission is listed at €24 per person. The ticket is not included in the $967.60 group price, and the cost adds up for a larger party. For two people, the tour’s per-person cost is already high; for a group of eight or ten, the shared boat price works out far better, though everyone still pays their own cave entry.

The cave’s blue light is the payoff, but your time there is shaped by the queue and the ticket process. The tour gives you a generous block compared with the 30-minute stops elsewhere, but do not expect to control the timing once you are in the admission line. This is one reason the private boat format can be useful: it keeps the rest of the outing exclusive to your group, even though cave access itself has its own process.

Choose your Vis stop to match your group

After the Blue Cave, the route includes an optional stop on Vis, with several choices. You can opt for Komiza or Vis town, visit Monk Seals Cave, or head to Green Lagoon on Budikovac. The listed options also include the smallest beach on Vis, though the full name is not provided.

This is the day’s most useful decision point. A town stop offers a change of pace from swimming and cliffs; a lagoon or beach keeps the focus on the water. The tour allows about 30 minutes for this stop, so it is best to choose one place rather than expect a broad tour of the island.

Ask the skipper about the day’s options and what fits your group. The operator describes its skippers as local, and the experience is designed to let you choose a Vis stop rather than follow one fixed itinerary there. That flexibility is valuable, but it does not mean you should try to fit every option into a half-hour.

Palmizana: a proper pause for lunch

Palmizana, on the Pakleni islands, gets about 90 minutes. It is described as the most popular beach on the islands and a good place for lunch, coffee or cocktails. You can also take a simple walk through the botanical garden.

This is the longest planned stop besides the Blue Cave visit, and it gives the day a needed pause. After several short visits and boat rides, you have time to sit down rather than eat in a hurry. Food and drinks are not listed as included, so plan to pay separately at the restaurants.

If your group prefers a quiet swim to a restaurant meal, Palmizana still offers a chance to wander or relax. Its popularity may mean the stop feels more like a well-used beach area than a secluded cove. That is the tradeoff: convenient places to eat and drink, with less of the empty-island feel.

Mlini Beach and the Pakleni waters

The route also includes Mlini beach, described as one of the most beautiful beaches on the Pakleni islands. Its appeal is the striking water color, especially in the afternoon. No stop length is specified, so treat this as an additional beach visit rather than plan your day around a fixed amount of time there.

Together, Palmizana and Mlini give the final part of the trip a different character from the Vis stops. You have more opportunity to slow down, swim or enjoy the coast, rather than move straight from one cave or cove to another. If beach time matters more to you than town sightseeing, the Pakleni portion may be a highlight.

The total trip is about five to eight hours. The range is wide, and the individual stop estimates do not include all time spent travelling between islands. Ask the operator how long the planned version of the route is on your date, especially if you have plans later that day.

Does the $967.60 group price make sense?

The tour costs $967.60 for a private group of up to 10. That works out to about $97 per person if all 10 places are filled, or about $242 per person for a group of four. The price is harder to justify for a couple, but more appealing for a larger family or group of friends who want the boat to themselves.

The fee includes bottled water, an icebox and snorkeling equipment. It does not include the Blue Cave ticket at €24 per person or Green Cave admission at €12 per person. Food and drinks at Palmizana are also not listed as included. Add these costs before comparing the tour with a shared boat trip.

For the price, you are buying a private outing, a local skipper and a route that links Vis with the Pakleni islands in one day. The value is strongest when you have a full group and care about choosing the Vis stop. It is weaker if you are travelling as a pair, want a larger boat, or would rather spend the day at one beach.

Who will enjoy this route most?

I would consider this tour if you are a group of friends or family who want a full day on the water and can split the base price. It also suits people who want a mix of swimming, caves, a beach lunch and a choice of island stop, rather than a simple transfer or single-site visit.

It may be less suitable if you want a spacious boat, a slow day with long stretches at each beach, or a fixed low per-person price. The Blue Cave and Green Cave fees are extra, and some stops are short. You should also be comfortable with a speedboat outing and the possibility of a long day, since the duration is given as five to eight hours.

The tour requires good weather. If poor conditions cause cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time; changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted.

Should you book this Hvar speedboat tour?

Book it if you have a group large enough to share the cost, want a private boat and like having a say in the Vis stop. The strongest case is the combination: Blue Cave, Stiniva, swimming options and time for lunch at Palmizana, all in one outing with a local skipper.

Think twice if you are a small party focused on keeping costs down, or if you expect a roomy boat and long, unhurried beach stays. Before booking, confirm pickup details, ask about the boat size, request any snorkeling masks or underwater camera you need, and budget for cave tickets and lunch. With those expectations set, this is a practical way to see several of the islands around Hvar in a single day.

FAQ

Where does the tour start and end?

It starts at HvarBoats Riva, Šetalište put Križa 3, in Hvar, and ends back at the meeting point. Pickup is offered.

What time does the tour start?

The stated start time is 10am.

How long does the trip take?

The approximate duration is five to eight hours.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $967.60 per group, for up to 10 people.

Are cave admission tickets included?

No. Blue Cave admission is listed at €24 per person and Green Cave admission at €12 per person.

Which places can I choose for the optional stop on Vis?

Options include Komiza, Vis town, Monk Seals Cave, Green Lagoon on Budikovac and the smallest beach on Vis.

What is included on the boat?

Bottled water, use of an icebox and snorkeling equipment are included. Snorkeling masks and an underwater GoPro camera are available on request.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If the tour is canceled due to poor weather, you will be offered a different date or a full refund.