Private Small-Group Cave Boat

Private Small-Group Cave Boat, rated 4.9 across 554 traveller reviews.

Overview

This is a boat trip along the coast at Polignano a Mare, run by Blue Wave, and it runs just under two hours from the harbour at San Vito. The stated duration is 1 hour 50 minutes, and the boat carries a maximum of 14 travellers. The core of the trip is the sea caves, including a pass by Grotta Palazzese, plus views of the coastline from the water, which one reviewer calls a must-do experience.

The rhythm is simple. You cruise along the cliffs, the crew points out caves and gives short stories about each one, and the trip finishes with a swim stop in the open sea. Drinks and snacks are served afterwards, and reviewers usually describe prosecco and taralli. Swimming inside the caves themselves is not allowed, as one reviewer was told it has been banned as too dangerous.

The trip suits travellers who want an easy outing on the water. You board at the waterfront near the restaurant La Veranda di Giselda, where the Blue Wave boat is moored, and there is an option to add a pickup upgrade from your accommodation rather than making your own way there. Most travellers can participate.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at Porto di San VitoThe departure point is Via S. Vito 330, San Vito, near the restaurant La Veranda di Giselda, where the boat Blue Wave is based. Pickup from your accommodation is available as a paid upgrade.
2. Cruise the Polignano coastThe boat runs along the cliffs, with the crew pointing out landmarks and giving backstories on the caves and sights as you go.
3. Grotta PalazzeseThe listed stop is 10 minutes, with free admission. You view the cave from the water.
4. Swim stopThe trip pauses for a swim in the open sea, outside the caves. One reviewer was told that swimming inside the caves has been outlawed as too dangerous.
5. Drinks and returnSnacks and drinks, often prosecco and taralli, are served before the boat heads back to the same meeting point where the tour ends.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points come up again and again in the reviews and in the tour details, and they shape how this trip feels.

• Where to sit. Shoes come off on board, so slip-ons are the practical choice. The wind from the boat's speed can also be chilly, so a light layer helps.
• Bring water anyway. Bottled water and alcoholic beverages are included, but one reviewer noted that only prosecco was offered on their trip and no water. Bringing your own bottle is a sensible backup, especially in summer.
• Wind and hearing. Reviewers mention that the wind from the boat's speed can be chilly, and that commentary is sometimes hard to hear over the engine and wind.
• The swim stop. The swim happens at the end, in open water, not inside the caves. On one trip only a couple of passengers out of the full boat got in, so it is entirely optional. Reviewers describe the water as warm and clear.
• Getting there. The harbour is in San Vito, not in Polignano's old town. Travellers can add the pickup upgrade, or use the parking and restaurants near the departure point, which one reviewer found convenient.
• Weather dependence. The trip requires good sea conditions, and the operator will contact you to move the date or time if wind or rough seas are forecast. Several reviewers described exactly this happening, with rebooking offered rather than a wasted journey.

Common issues. Weather is the main weak point. The trip is cancelled when the sea is rough, and although the operator usually contacts travellers to reschedule, one reviewer reported arriving at the meeting point after a cancellation message and finding nobody there. One reviewer described the trip as fairly basic, a look at a few caves with stories and a swim at the end. The boat is not wheelchair accessible and infants must sit on laps.

Common Questions