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Blue Cave & Grama Bay Speedboat from Vlora

Would rather stay inside the bay on a calmer boat? See the sheltered Sazan and Karaburun day →

5.063 Google reviewsDeparts from Vlora Marina

The Blue Cave is on the outer, Ionian side of the Karaburun peninsula, past the point where most Sazan boats turn back. You enter through a low arch and the whole chamber lights up from underneath, because the only way in for the light is through the water. It is a real effect, not a marketing one, and it is strongest around midday.

Itinerary

For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.

  1. 09:00

    Vlora Marina

    Safety briefing, life jackets and dry bags, and out across the bay past Sazan.

  2. 10:00

    Round the peninsula

    South along the Karaburun cliffs and around the point onto the Ionian side, where the water changes colour.

  3. 11:00

    The Blue Cave

    In through the low arch, one at a time. Best light of the day around now, with the whole chamber glowing from underneath.

  4. 12:15

    Grama Bay

    Ashore on the pebbles. Two hours to swim, eat and walk the cliff base reading what sailors carved into it.

  5. 14:30

    Swim stops on the way back

    Two more anchorages along the peninsula, picked for shelter and water clarity.

  6. 16:30

    Back to Vlora

    Alongside at the marina around 16:30 to 17:00.

Experience & Highlights

  • The Blue Cave, lit from below through the water
  • Grama Bay and its 2,000-year-old sailors' inscriptions
  • The outer Ionian side of Karaburun
  • Fast RIB, so the distance is not spent sitting still
  • Several swim and snorkel stops

Full Description

Grama Bay is further south and is the reason this trip costs what it does. It is a white pebble bay under a limestone wall covered in inscriptions: Greek, Roman and Byzantine sailors carved their names, ships and prayers into the rock while sheltering here, some of them more than two thousand years ago. There is no road in, and there never has been.

We run it in a fast RIB rather than a day boat, because the distance is real and the swell on the outer coast is not a place to be slow. You get long stops and a lot of open water.

What's included

  • Eight hours on a fast RIB with skipper and guide
  • Marine national park permits
  • Light lunch and soft drinks
  • Snorkelling masks and life jackets
  • Dry bags for your things

Not included

  • Hotel pickup (available from Vlora hotels, €5)
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Towels

Good to know

  • The Blue Cave entrance is low and only passable in calm seas. If it is shut we extend Grama Bay and refund €15.
  • This is the outer coast and it can be bumpy. Not recommended if you get seasick badly or have back problems.
  • Grama Bay has no facilities of any kind. Everything you need comes on the boat.
  • Runs June through September. Cancelled in rough seas with a full refund.

Good questions, honest answers

Why does the Blue Cave glow blue?

The entrance is below the waterline as well as above it, so most of the light reaching the chamber has passed through seawater first, which filters out everything but the blue. The effect is strongest in the middle of the day when the sun is high enough to get underneath.

What are the carvings at Grama Bay?

Inscriptions cut into the limestone by Greek, Roman and Byzantine sailors sheltering in the bay, some dating back over two thousand years. Names, ships, prayers and dedications. It is an open-air archive and there is no road to it, which is why it survived.

Is the speedboat trip rough?

It can be. This is the outer Ionian side of Karaburun rather than the sheltered bay, and a RIB moves with the swell. It is fine for most people and uncomfortable for anyone with a bad back or serious seasickness. In real weather we cancel.

Plan the rest of your trip

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