Bay of Kotor and Budva
Montenegro · a week from Porto Montenegro · about 83 nautical miles
The narrated video for Bay of Kotor and Budva is being recorded
It will appear here shortly. Everything you need for the week is below: the route, ports, mooring and weather.
Montenegro packs a lot into a short stretch of coast. The Bay of Kotor winds deep into the mountains, with the walled town of Kotor at its head and the island churches of Perast in the middle. Outside the bay, the Budva Riviera has beaches, old towns and the island village of Sveti Stefan. Distances are short, the inner bay is sheltered, and this week never leaves Montenegrin waters.
Where the charter boats are
Most charter companies in Montenegro are based in Tivat, at Porto Montenegro and the other marinas around the town, about ten minutes from Tivat airport. This week starts at Porto Montenegro, a large marina in a former naval base, with shops and restaurants along the waterfront.
Main bases: Porto Montenegro. Marinas: Marina Kalimanj, Tivat · Portonovi, Kumbor
When to go
- The season runs from April to October.
- May, June and September are the best months, with warm water, steady breezes and quieter harbours.
- July and August are hot and busy, with cruise ships in Kotor most days, so book marina berths ahead.
- April and October are quieter, but the bura and the jugo blow more often and rain is more likely.
Weather
Summer is warm and mostly settled, with a sea breeze most afternoons and flat water inside the bay. Two winds change plans: the bura and the jugo.
Maestral
from the north-west
Afternoon sea breeze on the open coast, usually force 3 to 4. Inside the bay it is lighter and bends with the mountains.
Bura
from the north-east
Cold, dry and violently gusty, dropping off the mountains in strong squalls, especially inside the bay. Stay in harbour or shelter close under the north-east shore.
Jugo
from the south-east
Warm and humid, building over a day or two with rain and a big swell on the open coast. Budva and Petrovac become uncomfortable, so move into the bay.
Forecasts
- Montenegro's Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology marine forecasts.
- Croatian Meteorological Service (DHMZ) marine forecasts at meteo.hr, which cover the southern Adriatic in English.
- Your charter company's check-in briefing for the week ahead.
Sea temperature: Around 18 to 19 °C in May, 24 to 26 °C in July and August, 23 °C in late September. The inner bay can be cooler where mountain springs run in.
Where you moor
marina
Stern-to with lazy lines in Porto Montenegro, Kotor, Budva and Herceg Novi. Book ahead in July and August.
town quay
Small quays in Perast and Rose, some run by restaurants for their guests. Ask before you tie up and check the depth.
buoy
A few bays and restaurants lay mooring buoys for visiting yachts. Expect to eat ashore or pay a fee.
anchor
The inner bay is deep almost to the shore, so anchor where it shelves and carry plenty of chain. On the open coast, anchor in sand off the beaches, clear of the swimming areas.
Filling up: water, power and fuel
| Port | Type | Water | Power | Fuel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porto Montenegro | Marina | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Charter base: start and finish. Fuel dock in the marina, open all year. |
| Perast | Anchorage | – | – | – | Deep water close in; anchor where it shelves or ask about the small quay. No fuel. |
| Kotor | Marina | ✓ | ✓ | – | Town marina below the walls; busy when cruise ships are in. Refuel in Porto Montenegro or Budva. |
| Budva | Marina | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Dukley Marina beside the old town, with a fuel dock. Open to the south in a jugo. |
| Petrovac | Anchorage | – | – | – | Open bay off the beach; settled weather only. No fuel: refuel in Budva. |
| Rose | Town quay | – | – | – | Small quay and restaurant buoys at the mouth of the bay. No fuel. |
| Herceg Novi | Marina | ✓ | ✓ | – | Town marina below the old town. Portonovi, a short way up the bay, has a fuel station. |
| Portonovi | Marina | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Marina in Kumbor with a fuel station, on the way back to Tivat. |
A sample week
Saturday: Saturday is check-in day. Boats are usually ready from late afternoon: do the paperwork and the boat briefing, stow the shopping and spend the first night in the marina. The Tivat waterfront and its restaurants are a short walk away.
Sunday · about 6 nm
Porto Montenegro → Perast
A short first sail north through the narrow strait where the car ferry crosses, into the inner bay under the mountains.
On the way: Slow down off Perast to circle Our Lady of the Rocks, a church built on a reef of stones and sunken ships, and the cypress-covered island of Saint George.
- Take the water taxi out to Our Lady of the Rocks
- Climb the bell tower of Saint Nicholas for the view
- Eat on the waterfront as the lights come on
Overnight: Perast has no marina: anchor off the village where it shelves, or ask about a place on the small quay.
Monday · about 5 nm
Perast → Kotor
Deep into the bay to Kotor, under town walls that zigzag up the mountain behind the old town.
On the way: Morning swim from the boat off one of the quiet stone villages on the way.
- Get lost in the lanes and squares of the old town
- Climb the walls to the fortress of Saint John at sunset
- Look out for the famous old town cats
Overnight: Marina berth on the Kotor waterfront, below the old town walls. Cruise ships share the harbour, so book ahead.
Tuesday · about 25 nm
Kotor → Budva
The longest day of the week. Back out through the bay, past the island fortress of Mamula at the entrance, and south-east along the open coast to Budva.
On the way: Lunch at anchor in a bay on the outer coast of the Luštica peninsula.
- Walk the walls of the old town
- Swim at Mogren beach just round the headland
- Take an evening stroll along the busy seafront
Overnight: Marina berth at Dukley Marina, right beside the old town of Budva.
Wednesday · about 10 nm
Budva → Petrovac
A short coastal hop past Sveti Stefan, the island village joined to the shore by a sandbar, to the small resort town of Petrovac.
On the way: Lunch at anchor off the beaches near Sveti Stefan.
- Photograph Sveti Stefan from the water
- Swim at the beaches either side of Petrovac
- Have dinner on the seafront promenade
Overnight: Anchor off the beach in Petrovac bay in settled weather. It is open to the south, so watch the forecast.
Thursday · about 25 nm
Petrovac → Rose, Luštica
Back north-west along the coast and round the Luštica peninsula to Rose, a quiet old fishing village at the mouth of the bay.
On the way: Stop at the Blue Cave on the outer coast of Luštica and swim in its glowing blue water.
- Snorkel in the coves of the Luštica peninsula
- Stroll the tiny waterfront at Rose
- Enjoy a seafood dinner by the water
Overnight: Moor on the small quay or a restaurant buoy at Rose, or anchor off in settled weather.
Friday · about 12 nm
Rose → Porto Montenegro
A short crossing to Herceg Novi for a last walk ashore, then back up the bay to Tivat.
On the way: Morning stop in Herceg Novi, the town of steps, with a fortress above the old harbour.
- Walk up through the old town of Herceg Novi
- Refuel in Porto Montenegro before the Friday queue
- Have a last dinner on the Tivat waterfront
Overnight: Back in Porto Montenegro by Friday evening for the check-in inspection.
Friday evening and Saturday: Be back in Porto Montenegro by Friday evening, refuelled at the marina's fuel dock, for the check-in inspection. Saturday morning is check-out, usually by nine.
Navigation and mooring
- The strait where the car ferries cross between Kamenari and Lepetane is only a few hundred metres wide. Keep a lookout, give the ferries room and expect strong gusts there in a bura.
- Cruise ships, ferries and superyachts use the bay all summer. Keep clear of the cruise ship berths and anchorages off Kotor.
- The inner bay is deep almost to the shore. Anchor where it shelves, carry plenty of chain and expect sudden squalls off the mountains.
- Stay in Montenegrin waters. The border with Croatia is at the mouth of the bay, by the Prevlaka peninsula, and crossing it means clearing out and back in.
- Budva, Petrovac and the open coast are exposed to the south. If a jugo or a southerly swell is forecast, spend the night inside the bay.
Provisioning
- Supermarkets in Tivat, a short walk or taxi from Porto Montenegro, for the big shop before you leave.
- Kotor's market by the old town walls for fruit, vegetables, cheese and smoked ham; bakeries and small shops in every town.
- Montenegro uses the euro. Cards are widely accepted in towns, but carry some cash for small villages, quays and buoys.
Rules and fees
- Every boat needs a valid Montenegro vignette, the cruising permit, and tourist tax is paid for everyone aboard. Ask your charter company whether they arrange both, and check the current fees.
- Charter companies usually need the crew list in advance. Skippers need a recognised licence and a VHF radio certificate. Add a skipper if nobody aboard has them.
- Stay in Montenegrin waters: entering Croatia, even for a day, means clearing out and back in through official ports of entry with passports and boat papers.
A planning guide, not a navigational publication. Maps are simplified and distances approximate (Coastline: GSHHG, Wessel and Smith, LGPL). Always use official charts, the current pilot book, local notices and the latest forecast, and follow your charter company's briefing.