Somewhere along the Ionian coast

And Then Things Got a Little Sketchy

After around 30 minutes, we started getting close.

And then the waves picked up.

It got rougher than I expected, right as we approached the entrance.

There were boats getting thrown around near the rocks, and suddenly getting into this beautiful blue cave didn’t seem quite as straightforward as Instagram had made it look.

For a second, I wasn’t even sure we’d be able to get in.

Eventually, we found our way toward the entrance.

And that’s when everything changed.

The Photos Were Actually True

The second we got inside, the water started glowing.

And I mean actually glowing. Electric aqua underneath us with the darker cave walls surrounding it.

It was one of those places where your camera almost makes it look fake even though that’s genuinely what you’re looking at.

So Why Does the Water Glow Blue?

The color isn’t an Instagram filter.

The effect happens when sunlight enters through the incredibly clear seawater around the cave. Water absorbs the warmer red and yellow wavelengths of visible light more strongly, while blue wavelengths travel farther through the water. Inside the darker cave, that remaining blue light becomes much more noticeable.

Basically, the ocean becomes the light source.

And when the conditions line up, the entire cave can look like it’s being illuminated from underneath.

Sunlight

↓

Clear seawater

↓

Blue light

↓

Cave glows

Yes, You Might Have to Swim

This was probably my favorite part.

Our boat couldn’t simply pull all the way into every spot, so we ended up getting into the water and swimming. Which sounds great until you realize you’re holding a phone that costs more than your flight to Albania.

Swimming in, and trying very hard not to think about my phone.

We didn’t bring waterproof cases.

So there I was swimming toward this insane cave while trying to keep my phone alive.

You could see straight through it.

It survived.

But I wouldn’t do that again.

Bring a waterproof case.

Which Boat Tour Should You Book?

This is worth checking before you reserve, because Himara Beach Hopping Tours offers multiple routes and the stops aren’t all the same.

At the time this article was prepared, the company listed experiences including:

• Pirate’s Cave Tour

• Porto Palermo Tour

• Coastline Tour

• Gramma Bay Tour

• Sunset Tour

If you’re trying to recreate exactly what I did, don’t book based solely on the tour name. Contact them first and send them my video or a screenshot of the cave. Ask which current route includes the cave from the Ki’s Archive Albania video.

That is the easiest way to make sure you’re booking the right experience.

Is It Actually Worth Doing?

100%.

But surprisingly, not just because of the cave.

I originally booked the boat because I wanted to know whether this ridiculous glowing-blue cave I’d seen online was actually real.

It was.

But some of my favorite moments ended up being everything around it.

Flying along the Albanian coastline.

Finding beaches we couldn’t reach by road.

Swimming from the boat.

Watching the waves nearly ruin our plans.

And eventually getting inside and realizing the water actually looked like that.

Albania was already one of the biggest surprises of this trip.

This made it even better.