On Montenegro coast, between Croatia and Albania, the Kotor Bay, also known as Boka, forms a 30 kilometer long fjord, which is not really a fjord because it is actually a river canyon that in this case has collapsed and has been submerged by the Adriatic Sea. This very deep and almost closed bay consists of six bays and two channels and is dominated by mountains, some of which are over 1,200 meters high. These amazing places are perfect to discover by renting a boat in Montenegro! Especially after the 1979 earthquake, Kotor Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A combination of an exceptional natural heritage...
You will find a landscape of fjords, whether arriving from the mainland or sailing by sea, renting a sailboat in Bar, renting a sailboat in Kotor or with boat rental in Budua. The climate and water temperature will help you to understand that you are not cruising to a Norwegian fjord or on the shore of an Alpine lake, but in the Mediterranean. Pierre Loti describesdPasquala Ivanovitch's colours: "The changing blue of the mountains, the rough blue of the sea, the emerald green of the myrtles that cover the rocks, the red of the pomegranates, the dark green of the olive trees and the stone peaks stand out against the sky, the light ash grey, the white colour of the lava". And this not counting the pink of its laurels, the green of its olive trees and the white of its jasmine. It is a particularly great feeling and you feel very small when you are on the water in front of these high mountains that descend to the sea and that make these bays naturally protected sites. On the slopes of these mountains there are many historical villages with Italian influences and you can easily switch from a phantasmagorical atmosphere when the weather is bad or at sunset to an enchanting scenery of postcard landscape.
... and a breathtaking cultural heritage
Herceg Novi, Risan (Perast), Kotor and Tivat are towns and villages that lie between the mountains and the sea and that will be much easier to reach by sea if you rent a boat rather than coming from the mainland, still along a magnificent winding road. Herceg Novi will be the first village on your way from Croatia, for example, and you will immediately immerse yourself in Balkan life. Kotor has the charm of a medieval town, but the disadvantages of a cruise ship stop, so you will have to calculate the time to get there, especially if you are sailing. Kotor combines Catholic culture with its Romanesque and Venetian churches and Byzantine and Orthodox architecture. You can easily get off your boat and get lost in its pedestrian streets and discover the Clock Tower, the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon and then the medieval fortifications and visit the Château Saint Jean. The highlight of the Bay of Kotor is the village of Perast, the oldest village in the region, with its beautiful Baroque architecture. In front of this village an islet was built, one stone above the other, in the fifteenth century by sailors who transported the material by boat. The fascinating church of Notre Dame des Rochers is also worth a visit by boat.
Bay of Kotor deserves more than one detour and you can spend a few days on the boat without being disappointed. A dive into the nature that reigns supreme and an authentic Balkan culture in the heart of the Mediterranean, this is the winning combination for a successful holiday!