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Rimmed by rugged limestone mountains and sleepy waterside villages, Kotor Bay is a 28-kilometer-long meandering inlet. We are sometimes referred to as Europe’s southernmost fjord, though it is a submerged river valley. We took a Sailing Kotor Bay, Montenegro trip to find out more.
Kotor Bay | Porto Montenegro marina in Tivat
We set sail from Porto Montenegro, a 450-berth super-yacht marina in Tivat. Besides the moorings, it’s home to the Regent Porto Montenegro hotel, chic boutiques, and a magnificent 64-meter infinity pool. There’s also a tiny Maritime Heritage Museum, where you can look inside a submarine.
Luštica peninsular
From here, most visitors head straight for Unesco-listed Kotor Town, protected by medieval fortifications deep inside the bay. But we wanted to explore the less-visited waters around Luštica peninsular. Historically, Luštica’s fertile olive groves supplied olive oil to Venice. Under Yugoslavia (1945-2003), it was a Yugoslav military base, so tourism never developed here. But that is changing fast, as several luxury resorts are now planned.
Mamula Fortress
We sailed out of Kotor Bay into the glistening blue Adriatic. The mouth of the bay is guarded by three sturdy 19th-century fortresses built by Austro-Hungary. Arza on Luštica, Oštro on Prevlaka, and between them, on a tiny islet, Mamula, which is currently under renovation. With its unique location, Mamula Fortress is being turned into a 23-room boutique hotel with a spa, heliport, and casino.
Dobreč Bay
Luštica’s south coast gives onto open waters dotted with several peaceful little coves. The first you come to is Dobreč. Indeed it has a pebble beach, accessible only by boat, and the Dobreč restaurant is backed by trees hung with hammocks. Here we dropped anchor to swim in a translucent turquoise sea.
Blue Cave
But we couldn’t stop long. We wanted to reach the Blue Cave around noon when the sun was at its peak. It’s hidden at the foot of rocky cliffs; it can be accessed via two openings. In the dinghy, we passed through the larger entrance, some 3 meters high and 15 meters wide. Initially, it seemed dark, but as our eyes adjusted, we found ourselves in a domed space bathed in turquoise light. It was an extraordinary experience to snorkel in this magical cavern.
Mirišta beach
We backtracked to Mirišta beach, where we moored up for lunch at Mirišta restaurant. Garlicky Spaghetti with clams, followed by grilled seabream and salad. Nearby, Ribarsko Selo is also very popular with yachters, but you must reserve well in advance.
Savina winery
Sailing back into Kotor Bay, we stopped in the little port below the town of Herceg Novi. We took a taxi up to the Serbian Orthodox Savina Monastery. It has a medieval and a larger 18th-century Baroque church; both hung with golden icons. Then we visited the Savina Winery to tour their vineyards and wine tasting. We bought two bottles to bring home – their white Chardonnay (2019) and red Merlot (2016). Both were prize winners at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2021. We arrived back at Porto Montenegro marina just before sunset.
Combine Sailing Kotor Bay, Montenegro, with a Croatia Yacht Charter.
