Herceg Novi — Luštica — Budva —
Tivat — Kotor — Herceg Novi

Yacht handover · Marina Lazure, Herceg Novi

Arrival day. Board Bavaria 51 Vera from 17:00 at Marina Lazure. Yacht orientation, captain's briefing, cabin assignment.

Grocery shopping for the entire voyage — supermarkets and a market in Herceg Novi are within walking distance from the marina. Dinner ashore: rest after the flight.

Herceg Novi — "the city of flowers and steps": medieval fortresses, subtropical vegetation and a view over the entire Bay of Kotor. A walk along the pedestrian Yaz Steps is a great way to stretch your legs after the journey.

Marina Lazure → Mirište → Bigova (Luštica Peninsula)

First day under sail. Departure from Marina Lazure and passage along the Luštica peninsula — an unspoiled corner of Montenegro with olive groves and secluded bays.

Swim stop in Mirište bay — a secluded cove with white pebbles shaded by pines and calm water.

We planned to spend the night at Luštica Bay marina, but there were no free berths. We moved on to Bigova — a fishing village deep in Trašta Bay — and picked up a buoy by the Grispolis fish restaurant.

Bigova → Budva

A short morning passage from Bigova along the coast to Budva. Afternoon on the beach.

Budva — the country's main resort with a medieval Old Town on a small peninsula surrounded by Venetian walls. In the evening — a walk through the Old Town and dinner.

Budva → Blue Cave → Stradioti Island (Bay of Tivat)

Return north along the coast. Stop at the Blue Cave on the western tip of Luštica — a picturesque grotto in the cliffs with a bluish glow of the water inside.

Then into the Bay of Kotor and through the Kumbor strait into the Bay of Tivat. Overnight at anchor off Stradioti island — opposite is the Vino Santo restaurant with its own yacht jetty.

Stradioti Island → Verige Strait → Perast → Miloš's Farm → Kotor (UNESCO)

Start from Stradioti island. Through the Verige Strait — the narrowest point of the Bay of Kotor, 340 metres. Ferries between Kamenari and Lepetane pass here regularly.

Past Perast to Miloš's farm. We picked up a buoy for lunch and tried sea urchins, oysters, mussels and fish. Then a swim.

Kotor — a medieval city under UNESCO protection. The fortification walls, 4.5 km long, rise 260 m. Maritime Museum, Cathedral of St. Tryphon (12th c.), a labyrinth of cobblestone streets. Overnight at the city marina right beside the walls.

Kotor · Exploring the city

A full day in Kotor. Climb the Fortress of St. John (260 m) — 1,355 steps along medieval walls and a panorama over the entire bay. Best to go in the morning before the heat.

Up Mount Lovćen by cable car — a bird's-eye panorama over the entire Bay of Kotor, one of the best in Montenegro. Also there — the Alpine Coaster: a mountain bobsled track, a descent on guided sleds down the slope.

The Maritime Museum in a baroque 18th-century palace — a must for any sailor. The seafaring history of the Bay of Kotor, charts, navigational instruments, ship models. Piazza delle Armi, the clock tower, Cathedral of St. Tryphon.

In the evening — a farewell dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants inside the fortress walls.

Kotor → Perast → Our Lady of the Rocks & St. George → Porto Montenegro → Submarine base → Marina Lazure

Departure from Kotor. We passed Perast at low speed and circled both islands: Our Lady of the Rocks (a man-made island with a 17th-century church, built by sailors since 1452) and St. George (a 12th-century monastery).

Refuelling at Porto Montenegro — a marina built on the site of Yugoslavia's former naval base.

Landing at the abandoned submarine base — a tunnel cut into the rock on the northern shore of Luštica near the village of Rose, one of former Yugoslavia's secret facilities.

Back to Marina Lazure. Return Bavaria 51 Vera on October 3 by 09:00.