10 things we have enjoyed from Villa Ljuta
Perast: Visit the Lady of the Rock
Perast is a UNESCO village about 7 miles from Kotor. It is very pretty with lots of old stone houses round the waterfront, and a few cafes/restaurants. There are 2 man made islands just off Perast – one has a small church and museum, the other is private. Taxi boats will take you out to the island you can visit.
Kotor – walk the battlements
The battlements round Kotor provide spectacular views over the town and bay. The entrance to the walk is near the Bastion restaurant – it is moderately rough walking so good shoes or boots are best, and it’s a long way up.
Waterfront Dining – Forza Mare Hotel Dobrota
Our favourite restaurant – about a 50 minute walk on the small coastal road towards Kotor. This small luxury hotel has a stone quay with dining right on the sea. It is expensive by Montenegro standards but has good food, and a fantastic view. Best to book : tel + 382 32 333 500
Sv Stephan
The iconic island hotel that you see in all the photographs of Montenegro. It is about a 1 hr drive from Kotor, and is on the coast beyond Budva. If you park in one of the car parks by the beach, there is a very pleasant walk in the direction of Budva. It goes past another delightful hotel (Milocer) with its own private bay, and then into a small village on the sea with a few cafes etc.
Mt Lovcen
Directly behind Kotor is Mt Lovćen (1749m, pronounced ‘lov·chen’), the black mountain that gave Crna Gora (Montenegro) its name (crna/negro means ‘black’, gora/monte means ‘mountain’ in Montenegrin and Italian respectively).The views are spectacular, but the drive is not for the faint hearted – narrow roads with steep drops and minimal safety barriers.
Lustica Peninsular
If you drive through the tunnel towards Budva, and then go straight over the first roundabout you get to the Lustica peninsula. This has a number of pretty bays/beaches, and is largely unspoilt. The village of Rose at the far end is worth a visit.
Porto Montenegro
This is a modern mega marina, which has only been open 4 years. It can berth the super yachts so attracts an interesting crowd. There are numerous bars and restaurants as well as the normal yachtie shops. We like to go for a couple of drinks or lunchtime meal and do a bit of people watching. Its in Tivat – so about 20 mins from Kotor.
Lake Skadar
This is a huge lake about 1.5 hrs from Kotor. They do offer boat trips on the lake and there is small village called Virpazar when you first reach the lake. We spent an afternoon exploring the small roads beyond Virpazar and came across a completely deserted fishing village.
Cetinje
The old capital of Montenegro – about a 1hr 15 min drive from Kotor. Its very different to the coastal parts – and has loads of museums and old embassy buildings etc. We went to the house of the last king of Montenegro – an insight into some history and links to the other royal families of Europe pre World War I.
Visit the deserted village of Gornji Stoliv
Stoliv is in the bay of Kotor, and only about 5 miles from Kotor. You can see the old church of Gornji Stoliv half way up the hill. It is a bit tricky to find the start of the road/track that leads up to the village, but it gives great views over the bay and Perast. The link below gives details about the walk. (The website has lots of other interesting stuff in the area – see the archives)
http://montenegro-for.me/2013/03/gornji-stoliv-a-walking-tour-through-chestnut-woods/