The Bay of Kotor in five days
5 days · 62 nm · starts in Tivat · Montenegro
Tivat
Boat handover at Porto Montenegro, provisioning in town. If there is time left — a short hop out to anchor in the bay opposite.
Tivat → Herceg Novi
Down towards the mouth of the bay past Kamenari. Herceg Novi is a staircase of a town on the hillside, with an old fortress above the waterfront.
Herceg Novi → Žanjice
A bay right at the entrance to the gulf, opposite the fortress island of Mamula. The water here is noticeably clearer than deep inside the Boka.
Žanjice → Perast
Back into the bay through the Verige strait. Opposite Perast — the man-made islet of Our Lady of the Rocks with its church.
Perast → Kotor → Tivat
Kotor at the head of the bay: an old town under the fortress walls, a UNESCO site. Back to Tivat by evening and handover.
The Bay of Kotor is the only bay of its shape on the Adriatic: three basins joined by narrow straits, mountains straight out of the water, and legs that rarely take more than two hours. It is a route for those with less than a week or sailing with family: no need to go far, there is always shelter, and every evening you are in a town with a history.
Practicalities
- The bay is enclosed: almost no swell, and the wind only picks up in the straits. The season is longer than at sea — the Boka is sailable from April to October.
- Legs are short, 1–2 hours, so the route fits into five days. The remaining days usually go on the climb to Kotor fortress and on the Luštica peninsula.
- Formalities: entering Croatia from the Boka needs separate border clearance — on a short route it rarely makes sense.
When to go and what it costs
Montenegro is a small fleet: right now 21 discounted boats in the listings, at most −31%, a week from €1,942. Discounts here are shallower than in Turkey and Greece, but boats also go more slowly — it pays to look for last-minute deals closer to the date.
Figures are from the current RYC Rentals listings, rebuilt weekly · boats in Montenegro