Montenegro's open coast: Luštica, Budva, Petrovac
The Bay of Kotor is only half of Montenegro's sea: beyond the mouth of the bay the open coast begins, with Budva, Sveti Stefan and Petrovac. The loop from Tivat is about 70 nm: the bays of Luštica, four nights on the open coast and a return into the Boka through the Verige strait to Perast. Legs are 8–18 nm, one to three hours — this week is more about old towns and swimming than about sailing.
Day by day
Tivat (Porto Montenegro)
- Tivat (Porto Montenegro)42.433, 18.690
Handover after 17:00 at Porto Montenegro, ten minutes from Tivat airport. Provisioning in town and a first evening on the marina waterfront; the open sea is about two hours away in the morning.
Tivat → Luštica (Žanjice)
- Žanjice42.398, 18.572
Through the Kumbor strait to the mouth of the bay and along the Luštica peninsula: the Blue Cave by dinghy, the fortress island of Mamula off the point. Night in Žanjice, the last sheltered bay before the open sea.
Žanjice → Budva
- Budva42.278, 18.840
Round Cape Platamuni and south-east along the cliffs to Budva, the first town of the open coast. The walled old town sits on its own peninsula below the citadel; the marina is right outside the gate, with beaches on either side.
Budva → Sveti Stefan → Petrovac
- Sveti Stefan42.256, 18.892
- Petrovac42.205, 18.942
The shortest leg: a morning at anchor off Sveti Stefan, the fortified fishing village on its islet that became a hotel, then on to Petrovac, a small resort with a Venetian fort on the quay and Roman mosaics behind the beach.
Petrovac → Bigova
- Bigova42.357, 18.701
Back north-west past Sveti Stefan and Budva, lunch under the cliffs off Jaz beach, and on to Bigova in Trašte bay: a fishing hamlet, a few restaurants and the clearest water of the week.
Bigova → Perast
- Perast42.487, 18.700
Round Luštica and back into the bay through Verige, the narrowest point of the Boka, to Perast. The dinghy runs across to Our Lady of the Rocks, a man-made islet with a church; in the evening a taxi takes you to Kotor for the walls.
Perast → Tivat
- Tivat (Porto Montenegro)42.433, 18.690
Back out through Verige with a swim stop off Stoliv, and into Porto Montenegro: refuelling and handover, and the evening on the Tivat waterfront.
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
- Wind: inside the Boka there is almost no swell, and the open coast is the only exposed part of the route. In a southerly swell the week is turned inside the bay — Herceg Novi, Rose, Perast, Kotor — and Budva becomes a day trip by road from Tivat, about 40 minutes. The best months are May, June, September and October.
- Berths: the only marina on the open coast is in Budva. Petrovac has a small harbour, and the night there is at anchor off the beach — only on a calm forecast; Žanjice and Bigova are better sheltered. Sveti Stefan is a private hotel island: you see it from the water, and only guests go ashore.
- Formalities: Montenegro is not in the EU, so entering Croatia means border clearance — this route has no need for it. The cruising fee for Montenegrin waters is usually already paid on charter boats; check at handover.
- Logistics: Tivat airport is 4 km from the marina, a transfer of about 10 minutes. In summer some flights land in Podgorica, about an hour and a half by road from Tivat.
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 — Budva route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 70 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Tivat. Overnight stops in order: Tivat (Porto Montenegro), Žanjice, Budva, Petrovac, Bigova, Perast. The longest leg is day 6, 18 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Tivat — Budva 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).
