How To Visit The Blue Lagoon in Croatia (+ Why You Should!)

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Last Updated on May 20, 2022 by Ella

Of all the bucket list destinations in Croatia, the Blue Lagoon is surely one of the most beautiful! As I arrived at the lagoon on my speedboat tour, I could hardly believe my eyes. The water was the clearest and bluest I had ever seen! With the summer sun beating down on us, the thought of taking a dip to cool off was unbelievably inviting. 

Although there are a few different ‘blue lagoons’ in Croatia, the Blue Lagoon everybody knows is in between the Dalmatian islands of Veliki and Krknjasi. 

Going for a swim or a snorkel here is a must-do for any visitors to Croatia. The issue is, it can be tricky to work out how to even get to the Blue Lagoon. Since the Blue Lagoon is a shallow patch of water in between two remote islands, it’s hardly as simple as catching the train! 

I loved my visit to the Blue Lagoon – in fact, I loved it that much that I went there twice! I firmly believe it’s a must-visit if you’re in Split, Croatia.

So, here’s everything you need to know to plan a trip to the Blue Lagoon for yourself!

Where Is the Blue Lagoon in Croatia?

The Blue Lagoon is the name given to Krknjasi Bay, which lies off the east coast of the island Veli Drvenik. Its calm blue waters are sheltered by the neighbouring islands of Veliki and Krknjasi. These islands are very remote, so if you want to visit the Blue Lagoon, the best place to stay in Croatia is the city of Split. 

From Split, the Blue Lagoon is about a 30-minute journey by speedboat. 

Read: My Essential Packing List For Croatia

Why You Need to Visit

I mean

The pictures kind of say it all.

You need to visit the Blue Lagoon because it’s just so darn gorgeous! 

With water so clear it could be glass, and its gorgeous blue hue (it’s the blue lagoon for a reason), it’d be impossible to label the Blue Lagoon anything other than a paradise. You’ll feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of Split!

The main reason you should visit the Blue Lagoon is to swim and snorkel. The sandy ocean floor (unusual for Croatia!) and shallow crystal clear waters make this the perfect spot to snorkel and see what sea life you can find. 

The Blue Lagoon is one of the most popular places to visit on an island hopping tour from Split. This means you’ll very rarely be the only visitors there. I didn’t find that affected my experience, though, as the Lagoon has plenty of space for visitors to spread out and the different boats don’t get too near to each other.

Some boats moor on the island, whereas others drop anchor further out so that it’s deep enough to jump into the lagoon from the boat.

My favourite thing to do at the Blue Lagoon was to jump off the back of our speedboat and plunge into the cold water. It’s something that never gets old! Given how hot Croatia gets in the summer, the water was surprisingly cold when I jumped in. It was unbelievably refreshing, and the perfect way to cool off and relax.

It’s super important to choose the right Blue Lagoon tour (something I’ll help with at the end of this post) as some tours are far better than others!

For example, the tour I went on had a sun lounging area on the back of our speedboat. This meant we could lounge and dry off under the sun on the back of the boat. It was a fun way to add a bit of luxury to the trip!

If your boat doesn’t have a sun lounging area, you can still swim to the island for a bit of sunbathing. The beaches are pebble beaches though, so it might be pretty uncomfortable. There is a bar on the beach, though. If you want to toast your visit to the Blue Lagoon with a beer in the sun I definitely won’t blame you!

You’ll usually have between 1 hour and 90 minutes to spend at the Blue Lagoon on your tour. This is the perfect amount of time to do some swimming, sunbathing and snorkelling without feeling rushed.

Most tours to the Blue Lagoon include snorkel gear hire, so you won’t miss exploring its underwater world. Snorkelling is one of the highlights of any trip here! 

What Is the Best Way to Get to the Blue Lagoon?

Unless you hire a boat and navigate the way there yourself (something I don’t recommend) travelling to the Blue Lagoon independently isn’t possible. For this reason, you’ll have to take a tour.

From Split, there are two different tours which make stops at the Blue Lagoon. These are the 3 islands tour and the 5 islands tour. The 3 islands tour is a half-day tour, and the 5-islands tour is a full-day tour.

I first went on the 5 islands tour, as it seemed like better value for money and you get to see more islands. I loved the tour so much that I actually booked onto the 3 islands tour too so that I could continue my Croatian Island Hopping love affair! This meant I was able to visit the Blue Lagoon twice. Lucky me!

In case you’re undecided here is a comparison of the two tours:

After taking both tours, I highly recommend taking the 5 islands tour. It’s about a million times better. You can read my full review about it here!

The islands you visit on the 5 islands tour are much more interesting and varied. It also includes visiting Hvar, my favourite island!). In addition, the 5 islands tour includes a visit to the Blue Cave, one of Croatia’s most popular tourist destinations.

As if you needed more persuading, the 5 islands tour is longer, meaning you spend more time on the open waves island hopping. Who wouldn’t want that?

If you’re travelling through Croatia or just on a trip to Split, you absolutely have to jump on a tour to get to the Blue Lagoon! It’s one of the best experiences Croatia has to offer, and getting there is also part of the fabulous experience!

If you have any questions about visiting the Blue Lagoon in Croatia please feel free to drop them in the comments. For more of my Croatia posts, click here!

Until next time!

Ella