With a thousand islands, along the coast of the Adriatic Sea beautiful bays and coves follows one another. One of the most beautiful among them is the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, or simply Boka, surrounded by two massifs of the Dinaric Alps, the Orjen mountains, and the Lovćen mountains.

Boka

In general, I love Montenegro. When I was little, I used to spend summers in Montenegro with my parents. The smell of the Adriatic Sea has remained in my memory. So, this trip was nothing I didn't expect. I knew it would be wonderful, and I was right.

footage from the satellite

Many people think Boka is a fjord. But, although it resembles a Norwegian fjord, glacial erosion didn't play a role in its creation. Actually strong tectonic movements have broken the basin of the former Bokelj river, leaving behind this beautiful bay, which consists of four smaller bays.

In Bay of Kotor, you can find well-preserved medieval towns of Kotor, Risan, Tivat, Perast, Prčanj and Herceg Novi. Along with their natural surroundings, these towns are major tourist attractions.

But, let's go back to the present and start :)

Igalo and Herceg Novi

Behind the mouth of the Sutomorina River, which water is radioactive and healing, is located Igalo - that was our initial destination.

Actually, the settlements in this part of the bay have merged into one. Igalo is connected to Herceg Novi with a promenade "Pet Danica". You walk from one city to another very fast, and you can come by a ride on a tourist train.

Igalo is actually a spa for the treatment of rheumatic diseases. We weren't sick, but anyhow we used medicinal mud that settled down to certain places in the shallow waters. Igalo has a beautiful beach, but Herceg Novi is more attractive and more interesting, so we used to walk to this rustic city very often.

Herceg Novi has a soul. The enjoyment is to wander the streets of this town that originated in the 14th century, especially with a company of the friend like this white dog who has been following us everywhere :)

You need to be in good shape to visit this town because there are a lot of stairs. But the ambience is so fascinating that you will feel tired only when your exploring is over. The Old Town is particularly charming. You can stroll along the cobbled streets next to the old buildings, churches, shops, and cafes; going through the beautiful squares and parks.

There are some perfect places with an unbelievable view:

In some parts of the city, you suddenly come across beautiful viewpoints.

The Forte Mare building, located in the far south of the Old Town, is a magnificent place to see. Located not far from the coast, it dominates the sea and its surrounding. The tower was built by the famous Bosnian King Tvrtko I, on the rocky cliff, in 1382. The fortress represents the beginning of a medieval city. It had been changing its appearance over the time due to the reign of various rulers. Today, the fortress is successfully restored and serves for different cultural events. It is an unusual and unique place with an amazing view.

Boat adventure - Zanjice, Blue cave, Mamula Island and Prevlaka Peninsula

We headed to the entrance of the Bay of Kotor by a tourist boat, at a symbolic price. A beautiful view of Herceg Novi from the sea had to be photographed.

At the entrance of the bay is the island of Mamula. Most of the island is below the fortress, built by Austro-Hungarian general Lazar Mamula in the middle of the 19th century. During the World Wars, the fort was used as a notorious prison that is known for its cruelty. We were cruising around the island by boat.

At the entrance to Boka Kotorska is the Prevlaka Peninsula. It has a very interesting shape. The Prevlaka is the subject of the border dispute between Montenegro and Croatia.

During our little boat trip, the real enjoyment was swimming in the emerald green sea of the Zanjice beach...

... and the magical blue water in the Blue Cave. This unusual blue color appears during the sunny days due to the reflection of the sun rays. The ship can freely enter the cave. We jumped into this beautiful water from the boat, and we enjoyed the colors and scenes.

Kotor

One day of our vacation, we decided to go to Kotor. We had a crazy idea, which we successfully implemented. We didn't travel by car or by bus. We hitchhiked. :) It was a real adventure. We met some interesting people. The most interesting part was driving in the van with construction workers who were returning from the work.

We got to Kotor quickly. I love rustic and old towns with a tradition, so the stroll through Kotor was such a pleasure.

The old Mediterranean port of Kotor, surrounded by the city walls, is very well preserved and protected by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage. From 1420 to 1797, Kotor with its surrounding belonged to Venice, so the Venetian influence left a mark on the architecture of the town.

The biggest challenge for us was the old Kotor’s ramparts - Hill of St. Ivan, known to the people as San Giovanni. At the entrance, you are welcomed by a staircase system and ramps for pulling guns. Fortress and ramparts, as the fortification complex, were created gradually over the centuries. The beginning of the construction of the city walls is associated with the Roman Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, while today's appearance and form were obtained during the 17th and 18th centuries.

If you are not ready for going forwards, do not force yourself because the peak is at 260 meters above the sea level, and it has about 1,200m in length to hike over 1,350 stairs. The average angle of ascent of the hill is 20%. Not easy at all.One of the projects that has been announced long time ago is the construction of the elevator to the top. This will certainly ease the way to the beautiful viewpoint.

We were ambitious to get to the top, but unfortunately, it was too hot, so we have almost reached half of the way. That was just enough to enjoy the view of this part of the spectacular Boka Bay.

I wrote so much!
I can say even more. :)

Anyway, if you like the spirit of the Mediterranean, Boka is the right place for you.

I guarantee you!