The Bay of Kotor in five days
The Bay of Kotor is the only bay of its shape on the Adriatic: three basins joined by narrow straits, mountains straight out of the water, and legs that rarely take more than two hours. It is a route for those with less than a week or sailing with family: no need to go far, there is always shelter, and every evening you are in a town with a history.
Day by day
Tivat
- Tivat42.434, 18.689
Boat handover at Porto Montenegro, provisioning in town. If there is time left — a short hop out to anchor in the bay opposite.
Tivat → Herceg Novi
- Herceg Novi42.451, 18.535
Down towards the mouth of the bay past Kamenari. Herceg Novi is a staircase of a town on the hillside, with an old fortress above the waterfront.
Herceg Novi → Žanjice
- Žanjice42.400, 18.566
A bay right at the entrance to the gulf, opposite the fortress island of Mamula. The water here is noticeably clearer than deep inside the Boka.
Žanjice → Perast
- Perast42.486, 18.698
Back into the bay through the Verige strait. Opposite Perast — the man-made islet of Our Lady of the Rocks with its church.
Perast → Kotor → Tivat
- Kotor42.425, 18.768
- Tivat42.434, 18.689
Kotor at the head of the bay: an old town under the fortress walls, a UNESCO site. Back to Tivat by evening and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- The bay is enclosed: almost no swell, and the wind only picks up in the straits. The season is longer than at sea — the Boka is sailable from April to October.
- Legs are short, 1–2 hours, so the route fits into five days. The remaining days usually go on the climb to Kotor fortress and on the Luštica peninsula.
- Formalities: entering Croatia from the Boka needs separate border clearance — on a short route it rarely makes sense.
When to go and what it costs in Montenegro
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Montenegro
All boats in Montenegro
How long is the Tivat — Kotor route and where do you stay overnight?
5 days and about 62 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Tivat. Overnight stops in order: Tivat, Herceg Novi, Žanjice, Perast. The longest leg is day 4, 16 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Tivat — Kotor route?
Montenegro's season runs May to October. July and August are the peak; in June and September the sea is warm and the weather settled; May and October are the shoulder months, with cheaper boats. The cruising area is compact, so a week works at either end of the season too. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is December: a median of €230 per berth per week. The most expensive is October, at €253. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 10%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Montenegro for a week starts from €1,263 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Montenegro”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
