While exploring Montenegro, we hired a private boat for 5–6 hours and set off along the coast.
Boat cruises are one of the best ways to explore Kotor Bay. You can rent a boat at numerous locations along the coast; we booked ours through the hotel. Here’s a selection of places you can visit.
1. Our Lady of the Rocks and St George islands
There are two small islets in front of the ancient town of Perast. Tourists can visit only Our Lady of the Rocks, but you can clearly see the other one, St George’s Island (Sveti Đorđe), from the water. Sveti Đorđe is a natural island covered in lush greenery and home to a Benedictine monastery.
Our Lady of the Rocks, by contrast, is an artificial island. Legend says that sailors kept finding an image of the Virgin Mary in this area (it returned every time it was taken away) in the 15th century, and they eventually decided to build a church on the site.
Now you can explore the church and its small museum – be sure to spot a gorgeous image decorated with gold thread. We were told that a woman has been stitching it for 50 years while waiting for her husband to return from the sea.
Originally the islet was built by locals who brought stones and ship remains; this event is still celebrated at the annual fašinada festival. There’s also a small tourist shop and toilets on the island.
2. Perast
One of the most popular spots in Kotor bay is Perast, a tiny picturesque town adorned with beautiful architecture and flowers.
Spend some time here – and if you arrive by boat as we did, you’ll have a majestic entrance onto the promenade by the main square.
Perast’s marina may be tiny, but it looks fantastic, and you can easily spend an hour here just sipping a coffee or walking around the narrow streets.
There are many cafés in Baroque buildings along the promenade and boats and yachts moored in crystal-clear water. Make sure to try Peraška torta (Perast cake) with almonds and Kotorske krempite (Kotor cake) with custard cream, these are local delicacies.
Don’t miss the gorgeous palaces in Perast, such as Bujović Palace, Smekja Palace and the Zmajević Palace. You can also visit the Perast Museum if you have time (it’s closed on Mondays, so unfortunately we didn’t manage to go).
And of course, pop inside the 17th-century Saint Nicholas Church: it was erected in 1616 on a site of a church dating to 1564. Can you imagine that the church was never fully completed?
Its impressive 55-metre-high clock tower is well seen from the water and it’s open to visitors! It was designed by a Venetian architect called Giuseppe Beati.
3. Mamula Island
From Perast you can head out toward the open sea and the border with Croatia to Mamula Island. It used to be a strategic defensive spot and an Italian fascist prison/concentration camp during WWII. Recently it was converted into a luxury hotel by Banyan Tree. Would you stay there?
You can also spot another fortresses on the shores nearby.
4. Blue Cave
The Blue Cave, located on the Luštica Peninsula on the Adriatic side, is one of the natural wonders of Kotor Bay. You can visit it only by boat. No filters – just look at that color! The light reflects in such a way here that the water appears to glow with blue light from within.
Our captain warned that it’s not safe to swim inside the cave because many large boats visit and could push swimmers aside, so we swam just outside in a nearby cove.
5. Submarine tunnel
This is an abandoned submarine tunnel: the Yugoslav navy built several tunnels like this to hide its submarines.
The entrances were camouflaged by rock and reinforced with concrete. Locals say this tunnel has a 007 vibe because Casino Royale’s script partly takes place in Montenegro – though in reality it wasn’t filmed here. A few tunnels exist, and one of them is now accessible by boat for tourists.
Read more about Europe and European travels here.
Hope you enjoyed my blog,
Yours, Anna
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