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Of all the bucket list destinations in Croatia, the Blue Lagoon is surely one of the most beautiful!
As I arrived at the Blue Lagoon on my tour from Split, 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 numerous ‘blue lagoons’ in Croatia, the Blue Lagoon everybody knows is actually called Krknjasi Bay, and it’s between the Dalmatian islands of Veliki and Krknjasi.
Going for a swim or a snorkel at the Blue Lagoon is a must-do for any visitors to Croatia. The issue is, it can be tricky to work out how to even get there. 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 Croatia – in fact, I loved it that much that I went there twice! I firmly believe that a quick trip to the Blue Lagoon from Split is a must-do whilst you’re in Croatia.
So, here’s everything you need to know to plan a trip to the Blue Lagoon for yourself!
Top tip: Can I use Euros in Croatia? Yep! As of 1 January 2023 the currency in Croatia is now the Euro. All prices in this post are listed in Euros.
Table of Contents
Where Is the Blue Lagoon in Croatia?
The Blue Lagoon is the name given to Krknjasi Bay, or the Krknjasi Lagoon, 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.
The Blue Lagoon is around 14 miles southwest of Split, which is a 30-minute journey by speedboat. If you’re heading to the Blue Lagoon from outside of Split, it’s six miles southwest of Trogir.
Pretty much every tour that takes you to the Blue Lagoon from Split also has an option for you to depart from Trogir, but it’s worth double checking to be sure!
How to Get to the Blue Lagoon From Split or Trogir
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 a few different boat tours which make stops at the Blue Lagoon. Two of 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 this 5 islands tour, as it seemed like better value for money and you get to see more islands. This is the best Blue Lagoon tour. I loved the tour so much that I actually went on this 3 islands tour too so that I could continue my Croatian Island Hopping love affair!
This meant I visited the Blue Lagoon twice. Lucky me!
In case you’re undecided here is a comparison of the two tours:
Tour | Duration | Destinations | Price | Where to book |
5 Islands Tour | 10 hours | Blue Cave, Komiža island, Stiniva Cove, Blue Lagoon, Hvar | € 115 | Click here |
3 Islands Tour | 5.5 hours | Trogir, Blue Lagoon and Šolta | € 59 | Click here |
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!
Still fancy the 3 island tour? I got you – check out my review 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 and Stiniva Beach, two 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?
Private Boat Trips to the Blue Lagoon
Don’t want to share your day with a bunch of strangers? I’ve got you. If you’re travelling in a group, with friends or family, it often works out cheaper to go on a private boat tour.
Private boat tours from Split to the Blue Lagoon typically follow the same itineraries as the group tours, but you’ll get more flexibility with timings and stops. Here are your options!
- Private 5-Island Tour from Split (including Blue Cave, Blue Lagoon & Hvar)
- Private 3-Island Tour from Split
Why You Need to Visit The Blue Lagoon
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 near 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 Blue Lagoon boat trips 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.
You don’t need to pack anything special to visit the Blue Lagoon that I haven’t already mentioned in my Croatia packing list.
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. There’s no doubt about it – the Blue Lagoon is one of the best places to snorkel in Croatia!
Best Time of Day to Visit Blue Lagoon
The best time of day to take a trip to the Blue Lagoon from Split (or Trogir!) is in the morning, before the heat gets too intense and before all the people who hired their own boat for the day get there too.
Many 5 Island and 3 Island tours depart early in the morning and make the Blue Lagoon one of their first stops for this very reason. On my 3 Islands tour I arrived at the Blue Lagoon at around 10am, and it was delightfully quiet.
On my 5 Islands tour, we arrived at the Blue Lagoon at around 1pm, and it was fairly busy by then, but luckily our boat captain managed to find a relatively peaceful area for us to stop off at.
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!
Until next time!
Ella
2 comments
Hi Ella, I want to visit both the Blue Cave and Blue Lagoon from Hvar. Do you know of any boat tours offering these stops from Hvar?
I appreciate your posts.
Steve
Hi Steven, thanks for your comment! The 5 island tour goes to both of those places, and it’s amazing! You can read more about it here: https://manymoremaps.com/5-island-tour-from-split-croatia/
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