The beautiful Bay of Kotor is a fjord-like bay and is ranked as one of the world’s most beautiful bays! The 17 miles long bay is surrounded by historical, medieval towns and rocky, high mountains. The best way to explore the bay is either on a boat or by driving the beautiful coastal road, known as one of the most picturesque roads in the world!
The bay is surrounded by lots of lovely, little coastal towns. As lovely as it would have been, we do not have a chance to stop at every little place along the bay. Here are the three which we did have time to see:
Kotor
Kotor is a fortified town on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast. It is located near the limestone cliffs of Mount Lovćen. Kotor is a beautiful town, full of winding streets, squares, Romanesque churches, and a Cathedral. It is a great town to get lost in and a popular place for cruise liners to dock. If there is one place to stop along the Bay of Kotor, this is the place!
Perast
Perast is an old town, located on the Bay of Kotor. The town may be small, however, it still has 16 churches and has the spirit of Venice in it.
If you are arriving by car, you will need to park your car at one of the car parks, located at either end of the town. They are trying to make Perast, a car-free zone. Car parking at the time we visited, cost €5 for a day ticket and €15 for 24 hours.
One of the most famous things to do in Perast is to visit the Lady of the Rocks. The tale behind the Lady of the Rocks:
‘Two fishermen brothers, returning from fishing, saw a light on a small ridge. As they approached, they saw an icon of the Mother of God and took it to the church. The icon disappeared the same night, and the following day it was found again, unscathed, on the ridge from where it was taken. Then the people of Perast decided to build a church there. Every time a ship sailed out from Perast, each sailor would throw a rock at the ridge to ask the lady for a safe trip. This is how the island was made.’
Quoted from Visit Montenegro.
Visiting The Lady of the Rocks
To visit the Lady of the Rocks, you have to catch a boat. There are loads of trips to choose from. You can choose a private charter, a water taxi, or a boat trip that not only takes you to the Lady of the Rocks but also takes you around the Bay of Kotor. When we visited in September, we did not need to book ahead of time. There were plenty of different boat companies to choose from when we arrived. A boat trip at the time we visited to the island, cost between €3 to €5.
If you are wanting to go inside the Catholic church on the island, ladies must cover up! Unfortunately, before my visit, I did know this. Therefore, when I arrived in my little summer dress, I found out I was not allowed in.
If you happen to be in Perast for lunch, I highly recommend you try this lovely restaurant, the Caffe Pizzeria. It is located on the main street that runs through Perast. The restaurant offers a great view of Kotor Bay, while you sit back and enjoy your food and drink. With a wide choice of food to choose from, I enjoyed a bit of home comfort, Spaghetti Bolognese, or ‘Spag Bol’ as we know it back at home. It was very tasty and very reasonably priced!
Tivat
Tivat was my least favourite town to visit on the Bay of Kotor! It’s got a very different vibe from anywhere else along the bay!
Tivat is a very modern-looking town. A town full of expensive restaurants, retail shops, and a large marine, called Porto Montenegro. If you enjoy looking around big, posh yachts, then this is certainly the place to visit!
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Further Reading
My book, How I Tamed the Wolf, Living with Lupus is available on Amazon via this link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09M73X2JQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MWAF58981F0VVMNRV1WN
Enjoyed this blog and want to know what else there is to do in Montenegro? Head over to: Montenegro
