Route in Boka Kotor Bay

The route along the Boka Kotor: ancient cities, beaches, small villages and cheese dairies, an interesting trip by car.

Montenegro Although a small country, Montenegro has so much beauty that large countries may envy its diversity and compact location. Just an hour’s drive from the crowded Budva is a unique natural phenomenon – the Boka Kotor Bay. It is also called the southernmost fjord in Europe.

Indeed, the slopes of the mountains that line the bay resemble fjords, although they are not. The name of the bay comes from the Italian word bocca – lips. If you look at the map of Boca, you will immediately see open mouths filled with sea water.

I recommend you to read: Where is the best place to relax in Montenegro

It is easier for yacht owners to enter the bay from the sea and admire its beauty from the water. But most often, the bay is seen from the land. Anyone who dares to drive the Kotor-Negushi serpentine road leading to Mount Lovcen will get the maximum wow effect – the pass will offer a gorgeous panorama of the entire bay.

In addition to its beauty, the bay hides many beautiful towns that await the curious traveler: villages lost among the mountain peaks, small towns with tiled red roofs, craft cheese shops, and even its own“Great Wall” running down a canyon beyond the mountains.

When is the best time to go on vacation to Boka Kotor?

In case you don’t know, all seasons in Montenegro are a little late – this is a feature of the local weather. That is, summer begins not on June 1, but on June 15, and autumn, respectively, on September 15. This should be taken into account when planning a trip to the country.

Summer and early fall are the perfect time to visit this part of Montenegro. If you’re not a fan of crowds and don’t want to overpay for accommodation, May, June, and September are your months. But in May the water is still cold, and it starts warming up in the bay in mid-June. We were there in early September – it was still warm as in summer, but there were much fewer tourists and prices were lower.

For those who are not tied to seaside vacations but want to live in Boka Kotor, all months except winter are suitable. Because the bay is colder than the cities of the Budva Riviera and others on the coast. There is a lot of shade, little sun, and it will be quite cool in apartments without heating.

Beaches of Boka Kotor Bay

There are beaches in the bay, but the water is not as wonderfully clear as on the Adriatic coast. Most of the beaches are pebbly, or there are pantones with stairs leading into the water.

The city beach in Kotor is pebble, but the water is renewed twice a year. In Perast, instead of a beach, there are concrete slabs with stairs to the sea. Therefore, if you are planning a beach vacation in the bay, it is best to go to Herzig Novi beach, which is located close to the exit of the bay, the water here is constantly renewed by currents from the sea.

Or even better, after traveling through the Boka Kotorska Bay, go on a beach vacation to one of the cities of the Budva Riviera. The beaches here are very different, from sandy to pebbly, so you can choose which one you like.

I recommend reading it: Beaches of the Budva Riviera

Route around Boka Kotor Bay

To thoroughly explore the bay, I suggest rent a car and drive around it, stopping in iconic towns. This is how you can truly experience this place: visit the islands, enjoy the scenery, climb the mountains, and even treat yourself with healing air and mud.

The following documents are required to rent a car:

Foreign passport
Driver’s license
Driver’s credit bank card (some local rental companies offer rental even without a card – cash deposit).

Kotor is the main city of the Boka Kotor Bay

Among the ancient walls of Kotor beats the heart of the Old Town, where the narrow cobblestone streets have a medieval feel. Kotor’s cafes and restaurants are designed more for tourists – the prices bite, but it’s still nice to have a coffee sitting where history began more than 2000 years ago.

Kotor leans against the rocks that surround the bay. It is here that the very fortress wall that surrounds the city on the slopes of the Lovcen mountain range is located. Anyone can try to climb its 1400 steps by paying a couple of euros. And to climb to the top of the fortress of St. John. Not everyone’s health will allow it, but it’s worth a try. It offers a stunning panoramic view of the city, port and Kotor Bay.

Lovers of antiquity will love Old Kotor and walks through its narrow streets along the historic buildings. By the way, the narrowest street in the world is located here, called Let Me Through. And one of the churches of the twelfth century has a remarkable feature: it has two friendly altars at once, one Catholic and one Orthodox.

Kotor is also the center of Montenegro’s festival life. In February, Kotor hosts a colorful Carnival similar to the Venetian one. In the middle of summer, Kotor gathers rock fans for the Sea Rock festival. And in August, the traditional Bokeljska Noche, a special spectacle, takes place, when a solemn procession of decorated boats marches from the waterfront in the village of Muo to the port of Kotor.

Where to stay in Kotor:

Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort≫ – is a new magnificent hotel in a great location – Kotor Bay. Beautiful design, delicious breakfasts, has its own pool, so there is no dependence on the presence of the moon on a small beach.
Casa Nuova≫ – is a very clean small hotel with beautiful views of the bay.
J&P Apartments Orahovac≫ is an apartment hotel with clean rooms and necessary amenities, such as washing machines and dishwashers. The rooms have sea and mountain views, are very cozy and have everything you need to stay.

Perast is a haven for pirates

The town of Perast is a 25-minute drive from Kotor. It is believed that pirates lived here for a long time until the Venetians captured the city in 1420. They are to be thanked for the numerous Baroque palaces and architectural elements inherited by Perast.

The small town is literally built into a rock, with only one single street, which is also a promenade. It is also part of the route around the Boka Kotor Bay. In the summer, it is closed to vehicular traffic, so everyone leaves their cars in the parking lot at the entrance to the city and then walks or bikes.

Better yet, take a boat ride to the neighboring islands: St. George ‘s and Gospa odŠkrpela (Madonna on the Reef), which is the only man-made island in the Adriatic. For 300 years, townspeople and sailors built up the reef jutting out of the sea depths, where two fishermen once found an icon of the Mother of God.

Perast residents still follow the tradition of sailing to the island and throwing stones into the water. When the island mound was ready, a church of the same name was built on it. And next door is the natural St. George‘s Island, which is adorned with a functioning Benedictine abbey.

Rumor has it that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones bought a house in Perast. It’s easy to understand them – the places here are stunning and the vacation is inexpensive, despite the fact that prices are higher than average, as Perast is considered a resort for the bohemians.

Where to stay in Perast:

Casa Vita Nova≫ – rooms with fantastic views of the bay, a Mediterranean terraced garden and interiors designed to a very high standard. This hotel is the perfect place for a relaxing and/or romantic vacation in Perast.
Apartments Admiral≫ – Very cozy apartments with picturesque views from the balcony. The apartment has everything you need for a comfortable stay. The hotel restaurant offers delicious cuisine and friendly staff.
Villa & Apartments Perasto≫ – The villa has a private house with a terrace, sun loungers and incredible views, and has a parking lot from the hotel, where you can park your car for free.

Herceg Novi – interesting things outside

The last or first city of the bay (depending on where you start your journey) is Herceg Novi. It was founded at the end of the 13th century by Bosnian King Tvrtk I and originally consisted of a single fortress that has survived to this day. Today it is a tourist town with clean beaches, most of which are equipped with concrete pontoons. Along the seaside, there is a seven-kilometer promenade called theFive Morning Stars(PetDanica), dotted with restaurants and souvenir shops – all for tourists!

In Herceg Novi, you should first of all go to the Old Town, located between two fortresses – Spanjola and ForteMare. The central square is home to the Herceg Stiepan ( Clock Tower), where tourists love to take photos as a souvenir. But if you stay in Herceg Novi for at least a couple of days, you will discover its main treasures around the city. From the local waterfront, you can take a pleasure boat to several interesting places: Blue Cave and Mamula Island.

The Blue Cave is a grotto with high vaults and a depth of up to 5 meters, which is located in the coastal cliff on the open sea side. This grotto is visited by pleasure boats, and tourists can swim right in the cave from the ship. In sunny weather, thanks to the sandy bottom and the special refraction of sunlight, the water here really seems bright blue.

And Mamula Island is a real Montenegrin Fort Bayard, a circular Austrian fortress of the mid-nineteenth century, which was a terrible prison during the First and Second World Wars. Despite the fact that the fortress is now almost completely forgotten and abandoned, the headquarters tower, bakery, rainwater tank for several thousand liters, spiral staircase, and loopholes are perfectly preserved.

Where to stay in Herceg Novi:

Radic Rooms≫ – The rooms are located just a minute’s drive from the sea and the beach. The terrace with sea views is a nice highlight of this accommodation.
Stanica B&B≫ – This is a small bed and breakfast with rooms accessible by stairs. It has a great location – not far from the seafront promenade. There is a city paid parking lot in the vicinity of the hotel.
Panorama Apartments≫ – is a beautifully renovated apartment with all the necessary amenities. Perfect views of the sea and Kotor Bay from the terrace. Pedestrian access to the waterfront, old town, shops and restaurants.

Small villages are lost pieces of paradise

Those who seek peace and quiet will find plenty of places for seclusion on the shores of Boka Kotor Bay. He will also be able to improve his health. If you drive from Perast along a picturesque road along the clear waters of the bay, you can get to the city of Risan, which was once the capital and main fortress of the Illyrian state. Nowadays, those who need to improve their health and get rid of problems with the musculoskeletal system prefer to rest here. Not far from Herceg Novi is the resort town of Igalo, where you can not only relax but also get treatment at theIgalo MudSpa.

There are farms along the entire coast and in small towns: Risan, Morin, Donji Stoliv, Kostanitsa, Kamenari, there are farms where shells and oysters are grown. Oysters in Montenegro are called kamjanica, and it is here that gourmets should go to taste them the freshest. And you can write a separate book about Montenegrin fish cuisine – it’s no less delicious here than in Croatia, where we also gorged ourselves on seafood. Although Montenegrins love and know how to cook meat. Their famous Nigusky prshut is worth a mention, a cured pork ham that is as good as Italian prosciutto.

Of course, each of these cities deserves to be admired from the inside, not just looked at from the window of a tourist bus. Therefore, you should plan your vacation, and at the same time explore the Boka Kotor Bay, as a separate adventure.

Useful articles and links:

Find train tickets in Europe conveniently on Trainline
Travel Medical Insurance – online on the EKTA
Booking of hotels and apartments – Booking.com

Boka Kotor Bay – vacation on the Montenegrin fjord

When is the best time to go on vacation to Boka Kotor?

Beaches of Boka Kotor Bay

Route around Boka Kotor Bay