Visit Kotor, a popular cruise destination in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is also one of the most beautiful, due to the dramatic fjord like scenery, which you cannot fail to admire as you cruise through the bay of Kotor, passing Our Lady of the Rocks, to reach this historic coastal town in Montenegro.
The Old Town
A short walk from the cruise port is the main attractions in Kotor; its well-preserved Old Town, or Stari Grad. It is surrounded by medieval walls which stretch up the hillside. The Old Town is a maze of narrow streets, squares, and picturesque buildings, including churches, palaces, and museums.
The small, fortified town is easy to reach from the port and walking time is 5 minutes. The narrow streets are delightful to wander with many a souvenir shop as well as an abundance of cafes and restaurants. On arrival in the town, we started by walking around the lower part of the walls. This gave good views of the town. Due to the timing of our boat trip we did not have time to embark on the steep uphill hike(which takes 1.5 hours) which climbs along the fortified walls to reach St Johns fortress. Here you get beautiful views of Kotor and the bay.
Cats of Kotor
Kotor has a large population of cats, which have become a city symbol. The cats have become an integral part of the town’s charm and character. There are several cat stores, a cat museum, as well as Cats’ Square (Trg od mačaka) where water and food is left for them.
Our Lady of the Rocks
On arrival in Kotor, as you walk towards the old town there are plenty of people trying to sell you various trips and excursions. We had already booked a boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks before our visit.
Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela) is a small man-made island located in the Bay of Kotor, near the town of Perast. According to legend, Our Lady of the Rocks dates back to the 15th century. It is said that on July 22, 1452, two local sailors discovered an icon of the Virgin Mary on a small rock in the bay. They considered it a miraculous occurrence and pledged to build a church in honour of the Virgin Mary on the spot.
Over the centuries, the tradition of adding stones to the site grew among sailors and fishermen. Following each successful voyage or safe return, they would throw rocks into the sea. This slowly expanded the island’s surface area. The Church of Our Lady of the Rocks was constructed on the artificial island and is the site’s focal point.
Access to the island is by boat, and there are a number of ways this can be done. Take a bus, or alternatively the open-top tourist bus to Perast where there are boats to take you to the island. From Kotor, there is a larger boat which goes across to the island, as well as a number of smaller tourist boats as well as speed boats. We booked a speed boat with Montenegro submarine and speed boat tours through getyourguide. It is a stunning trip and we reached the island in 30 minutes. We then had 30 minutes (which is plenty), to view the Church and island. It is an extra 2 euros to go into the church.
Perast
We then left the island and the boat continued to Perast. We had another 30-minute stop here. Perast is a small town with restaurants and beautiful views across the water. It is also the perfect place to have a long lunch. To do this you need to take a bus, but the highlight of our trip was the speed boat across bay.
Other suggestions around Kotor
We enjoyed our few hours in Kotor and would definitely return. We researched a number of options for further trips in the area. These include extending your trip to Our Lady of the Rocks, to enjoy the Blue Cave. Also consider a visit to the seaside town of Budva. This trip is along the mountain road with its views of Kotor bay, to the village of Njegusi.
Kotor left us wanting to return and to discover more of Montenegro. You cannot beat arriving on a cruise ship, through the bay of Kotor in the early morning as the sun is rising. It is a beautiful introduction to this stunning town and country. The short walk from the port to the fortified historic town made this pretty town with its stunning bay an ideal place to spend the day. I look forward to returning!
If you would like to know anymore about our visit to Kotor then please contact us.