Back in April, I read a blog that said Kotor in Montenegro had the most beautiful scenery the writer had seen since New Zealand. New Zealand. I knew we had to go.
So we flew from London to Dubrovnik and jumped in a transfer car to spend five days in the old town of Kotor, a walled city protected by UNESCO. It felt like Italy, warrens of old passageway opening out into squares each with its own illuminated church, wine bars and restaurants.
You’ll find yacht-owning billionaires alongside backpackers here, attracted to the beauty of the town and the cheap food and wine. Here are a few things we’d recommend doing while in Montenegro…
1. Climb Kotor’s Castle of San Giovanni
You can’t miss the castle. It towers over the old town of Kotor, perched high above in the mountains. It’s 1,350 steps to the ruins at top, guaranteed to get you sweating. En route, you’ll find a tiny gilded chapel, a sketchy looking bridge and amazing views down the valley across the water. Go late in the afternoon/evening to avoid getting caught in the blazing heat.
2. Visit Sveti Stefan
You’ve probably seen photos of Sveti Stefan before. It’s your archetypal Mediterranean island, originally a fishing village dotted with stone cottages and winding streets. While it still holds the look of a fishing village from afar, up close we discovered it’s now a luxury hotel. Apparently Djokovic got married there a few weeks earlier.
You can only visit the island by appointment or if you have a reservation in one of the hotel restaurants. They have their own beach outside which you can only sit on if you pay €50 per person (!) for a sun lounger.
We ended up getting a hotel reservation and sitting on the leafy terrace outside watching the sun set. The food was delicious – seafood spaghetti with puttanesca sauce – expensive by Montenegrin standards but not far off what you’d pay for an average meal in London.
3. Take a boat ride to Our Lady Of The Rocks
Our hostel owner organised a private boat ride for us around the bay, stopping off to swim and drink sweet, dark Montenegrin coffee. We also dropped by Our Lady Of The Rocks, a unique church built on an island in the middle of the water.
Legend has it, the local people created the island by dropping rocks in the same spot year after year. Eventually they stacked up to make the island the church stands on today. Every year on 22 July, people still go and drop rocks in the same spot as tradition.
The present church was built in 1632 with a strange mosque-like dome. Apparently it was a deliberate attempt by the architect to fool Muslim invaders into thinking the Christian building was a mosque!
4. Hire kayaks
Another great way to explore the Bay of Kotor is by kayak. We paid €14 for two hours rental and easily paddled up to the bend in the valley before stopping to sunbathe on one of the pebble beaches nearby.
5. Go canyoning
This was the one activity we didn’t get a chance to do – but I’ve heard great things about canyoning near Kotor. It basically involves climbing through canyons, jumping off cliffs, abseiling down waterfalls and swimming through the rivers. It’s a full day excursion and costs around €70 including transportation to the site. Definitely on my list for next time.
HOW TO GET THERE: We flew with easyJet to Dubrovnik and got a transfer with a taxi company, Intravel(recommended on a TripAdvisor message board). They were very reliable and €220 for five people for a return 100 minute journey. We thought this was pretty well priced in comparison to the bus, which would have taken twice as long.
STAY: Old Town Hostel in Kotor. Big modern rooms and communal area in the lobby was decked out with magazines, good WiFi and a pinboard filled with thank you letters from previous guests. Plus it’s super cheap!
EAT: Grab breakfast from the bakery just inside the main gates and eat a giant bowl of pasta with red wine at Bocalibre for dinner.
WHEN TO GO: May to September. We went in July and it was HOT!