Montenegro's caves, from Lipa to the Durmitor ice cave

Montenegro is karst country, and beneath its mountains lies a world of passages, shafts and underground lakes. The national tourist board quotes some surprising figures for such a small place, like a 1,027 m pit, Željezna jama on Maganik, a 429 m vertical drop in the NYX cave on Trešten peak in the same massif, or a 17,500 m cave near Bijelo Polje. But there’s one thing to know before you go. Only one cave, Lipa, is open for organised tourist visits; all the others can only be entered with a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency, an experienced caving guide and as part of an expedition.

Lipa Cave, the one you can visit

Lipa Cave is 5 km from the centre of Cetinje. Nature took about six million years to shape it and it was discovered around 200 years ago, says the national tourist board. Its operator talks of 2.5 km of passages and chambers, with stalactites, stalagmites and other formations. The tour lasts 60 minutes and starts with a little tourist train to the entrance, and there’s an adventure version you book by email. The 2026 season runs from 1 April to 30 November, with tickets from €16.90 and departures at 10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 14:30 and 16:00, and they ask you to arrive half an hour early. There’s parking and it suits the whole family.

Đalovića, the longest

Đalovića cave, above Vražji firovi in the Đalovića gorge near Bijelo Polje, is the country’s longest at 17,500 m. Inside are Montenegro’s tallest stalagmite, Monolit, 18 m high or about six storeys, the Veliki Brat chamber at 100 by 40 m, the 220 m Dugo jezero lake, a channel of about 5 km and the 70 m Češki siphon. The national tourist board also mentions lakes crossed in small inflatable boats, chambers more than 30 m high and crystal roses, among other very rare formations. The gorge is a protected natural monument. This is a cave for very experienced cavers, not a tourist visit.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Cetinje before prices climb.

The Blue Cave, by sea

The Blue Cave lies on the Luštica coast across from Herceg Novi, and takes its name from the turquoise of the water when the sun shines in and bounces off the walls. You reach it by sea, and the whole point is to jump in for a swim.

Durmitor’s ice cave

High on Obla glava in Durmitor there’s a cave where the water stays frozen in midsummer, with ice formations as tall as a person all year round. You get down by rope or by sliding in feet first, and the best time is June to October. The national park has a trail from Black Lake to the cave via Lokvice, one of the routes in my guide to hiking in Montenegro.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Cetinje and choose by the reviews.

Other caves

Near Bar, Mikovića cave, south of Volujica, is 150 m long, has red stalactites and partly rises above the water; according to the Bar tourist board, those who’ve seen it rate it the country’s best cave for recreational diving. Near Nikšić, Crvena stijena is a prehistoric site 180,000 years old. In Petnjica, Jerina’s cave in the Radmanci gorge has a stone wall across its mouth and belongs to Turin, one of the country’s most important archaeological sites, which has yielded arrowheads, bronze coins, iron tools, pottery and a Bronze Age house just half a metre down. The finds, including a female figurine about 5,000 years old, are in the Polimlje Museum in Berane. And 28 km from Bijelo Polje lies Novakovića cave, easy going apart from the Kula, or Tower, a narrow squeeze with a 3 to 4 m drop at the end, and with chambers named the Hidden Chamber, the Enchanted City, Picasso and the Dado Đurić Gallery.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Cetinje before prices climb.