From our base in Dubrovnik, Iván and I decided to spend a day exploring Montenegro. Google Maps was a perfect companion on that day, unlike on our trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Though we had planned to visit three villages, the shortened November days meant we could only squeeze in two: Perast and Kotor. I would recommend both villages to visitors, but each had its own drawbacks as tourist destinations often do. Here are my thoughts!
Perast
Getting to the fishing village of Perast was quite straight forward, as it lies on the Bay of Kotor and there is a paved road that runs around the bay. Arriving at the village, we were unsure where we would be able to park as Perast has only one main street running along the water’s edge. We decided on the first parking lot we found, just before the village but within easy walking distance. We were quickly approached by a young man who spoke to us in English. He told us we would have to pay for parking, or we could take a boat ride to one of the islands and park for free. We opted for the boat ride (10 Euros each – very much overpriced when we considered it later!). Just a side note, Montenegro uses the Euro. It is not part of the European Union yet, but perhaps in 2025. The young man also asked where we were from and when we told him Bilbao he instantly recognized it for Bilbao’s soccer team.
Our Lady of the Rocks and St. George
Easily accessible by boat from Perast, there are two islands in the bay. Our Lady of the Rocks is a man-made island. Local legend tells that after seamen found a Madonna and Child on a rock, they began throwing rocks into the bay for each successful voyage made to sea. Eventually, the island was formed, upon which there are now a church and museum. The church was renovated in 1722. We were given some time to explore the island before our boatman returned to pick us up.
The other island in the bay is called St. George, but it is not possible to visit it. Unlike Our Lady of the Rocks, it is a natural island on which are located St. George Benedictine Monastery, built in the 12th century, and a graveyard for the area’s nobility. We did a quick tour around the island in the boat and were quickly on our way back to Perast.
A Brief Chat with a Cuban in Montenegro
Upon arriving back in Perast, we decided to take a leisurely stroll through the village. There were plenty of other visitors, but it wasn’t crowded as I imagine it would be in the summer. No cruise ships can dock here, but some medium-sized buses did stop to let people out while we were walking along Perast’s one street for vehicles. Though small, Perast is truly lovely, clean, and provides a relaxed atmosphere in which to explore this tiny village. Prior to returning to the car, we sat on a terrace for a mid-morning refresher. The server noticed we were speaking Spanish and joined our conversation. He told us he was from Cuba, but now lived and worked in Montenegro. He asked us how we liked it and we told him it was beautiful, but we were surprised by the prices because Perast is not on the main European tourist circuit. He informed us that the high prices were limited to the touristy villages and should we venture further into Montenegro we would find that life was quite inexpensive. We were intrigued, but simply did not have the time to take a detour. Next time!
Kotor
Kotor was the main destination on my list, as it is a beautiful World Heritage Site. To get to Kotor, we continued on the same road that ran along the bay. While driving, I noticed mussels being harvested and made up my mind to have some for lunch. We had to stop in a large parking lot and walk to the old town of Kotor, because vehicles are not allowed in the historic centre. As soon as we entered the city walls, while gaping at the entrance to the medieval town, we were approached by some German tourists. They wanted to know if we would be going to Croatia and we said that we would. They had forgotten to mail their postcards with Croatian stamps while in Croatia and would not be returning. We were entrusted with the stack of postcards (which we did remember to mail) and we continued on to explore Kotor.
Cruise Ships - Bane of the Tourism World
You will have to take my word that Kotor’s old town is stunning because I don’t have a single decent photograph of it. Unfortunately, our visit was less than idyllic, as a cruise ship had just deposited its hundreds or thousands of passengers into the minute old town (all of Kotor, including the new part, has a population of 13k). We simply could not escape the cruise tour groups, no matter which way we turned. What could have been a peaceful visit, as we had experienced in Perast, was frustrating and anxiety-inducing. We decided to have lunch, and despite our best efforts to find an out-of-the-way restaurant that wasn’t too touristy, it just wasn’t possible. We settled for a crowded terrace. I anticipated we couldn’t go wrong with mussels, as I had just seen the harvesting operations. I was wrong. The mussels were small and tough, and not worth what we paid for them. I was entirely disappointed.
St. John's Fortress
After lunch, we decided to climb part way up to St. John’s Fortress because we hoped to get a view over the old town and escape the cruise passengers who would not have the time to climb up to the fortress. We began our ascent and arriving at the ticket booth for the stairs to the fortress, we had a decision to make. Ultimately, we realized we did not have time to get to the third village on the list and opted to climb the 1350 steps to the fortress. It wasn’t easy for me, but I’m so glad we did! (I swear Basque people are mountain goats reincarnate, so Iván had no problem.) The fortress is 280 m above sea level and was built between the 9th and 15th centuries.
Part way up to the fortress is the church of Our Lady of Remedy built in 1518. The church is a good resting point, but it should be noted that the views are spectacular all along the steps leading to the fortress. This is the best way to see the Bay of Kotor and appreciate how similar it is in appearance to a fjord, though it is not classified as such. The sun had already begun to dip when we reached the fortress, which is now in a semi-ruinous state. However, we agreed we had made the right decision, as our favourite part of Kotor was the incomparable view over the bay.
Though I had mixed feelings about Kotor and its tourism boom since the early 2000s, I would still recommend Perast and Kotor as places to visit. However, one should be prepared for the cruise ship crowds that populate every street in the old town. My advice in Kotor would be to climb up to the fortress for the views and spend little time touring the old town before moving on to another, less touristy destination. Perast, in November, was still pleasant in terms of crowds but I have no doubt that Montenegro has much more to offer than just these two villages and hope to return to see more of this tiny country on the Adriatic.
