FACTS AND FIGURES
- 100 nautical miles
- 185 km
- 14 days in Montenegro
- 0 days in port
- 14 days at anchor
OUR EXPERIENCE IN MONTENEGRO
After almost a month of exploring Croatia, we felt ready to discover a new country on the Adriatic Sea: Montenegro.
After declaring our departure in the historic city of Dubrovnik, our last stop on the Croatian coast, we headed for Zelenika, the first port in Montenegro where we had to report our arrival at the port authorities and police office.
Montenegro is famous for its stunning coastline, the sheltered Bay of Kotor and its majestic mountains. As the country has a relatively short coastline for sailing, we opted for a one-week sailing permit for our sailboat. After anchoring in Kotor for two days and still not wanting to leave, we decided to extend our stay for another 7 days. It was the first time since our departure in April that we had such a sheltered and quiet anchorage. This allowed us to enjoy the culture and gastronomy of the country as well as to discover other places outside the bay of Kotor.
These are the places where we anchored in Montenegro:
- Zelenika
- Tivat – Porto Montenegro
- Kotor
- Herzeg Novi
- Sveti Stefan
- Bar
Our first stop was Zelenika, as it is the first option for entering the country by boat from Croatia. We arrived in the early afternoon and a very friendly customs policeman examined our documents. A few metres further on was the port office, where we were able to obtain the sailing permit for the boat. As it was already very late, we decided to moor at one of the free buoys next to the customs jetty. As we visited the village and walked along the main road, we immediately realised the authenticity and simplicity of the country. We were fascinated and immediately felt transported back to our past stay in Indonesia in 2016.
The next stop on the route was Tivat, an extreme contrast to Zelenika. In Tivat, the luxurious harbour of Porto Montenegro immediately catches the eye, a place that combines modernity and exclusivity. On the quayside you can admire the most luxurious yachts and people “competing” to wear the best clothes or the most expensive fashion accessories. Even the second largest sailing yacht in the world is moored there. As soon as you get away from the streets of the harbour, Porto Montenegro shows its most original side. It is certainly a place of contrasts.
In Kotor, we found a place to anchor next to some other boats. There we took our first big sailing break. We spent five days exploring the bay of Kotor. Although the influence of tourism was already clearly noticeable, we were able to enjoy quiet days surrounded by nature and fresh mountain air. The medieval architecture, the stone alleys and the old walls surrounding the old town took us back in time. For the first time, we went for a morning run and cycled to Perast at the other end of the bay.
One of the special excursions was the hike up to the fortress of St. John. Although the path has many steps, the panoramic view from the top was worth all the effort. The view of the beautiful bay of Kotor is fascinating.
Herzeg Novi is one of the youngest towns on the Adriatic and has a long promenade and a terraced old town. We strolled through the streets and visited the fortress of Kandi Kula. There we learned more about the history of the city and its conquests.
In Sveti Stefan, we made a short stop for the night. The old part of the peninsula was closed. Unfortunately, the anchorage was not at all protected from the big waves, which made for our rockiest night to date. The next morning we got off the boat as soon as possible and went for a walk along the beach promenade, which belongs to a hotel, but is open to the public. It is a lovely place, but only recommended without waves.
From there we went directly to Bar, where we declared our departure before sailing to Albania. At a brief stop at anchor in front of the harbour, we explored the town on foot. It was a very authentic place full of local people and little tourism.
As we sailed towards Albania, we kept remembering about our stay in the bay of Kotor. The friendliness of the people and the breathtaking landscape will remain in our memories. It is certainly a country we would like to visit again, especially to explore the hinterland.