My Montenegro Travel Notes Part 2 - Perast, Sveti Stefan and the Hidden Gems of the Coast

Hello my friends. As we continued our Montenegro trip, we wandered through the historic streets of Kotor, visited an artificial island to hear its incredible story on site and experienced unforgettable moments in Sveti Stefan, the pearl of the Adriatic. In today’s post I want to share all of this with you. We went down to the old town, after watching the cool views of the Bay of Kotor from above. Before us stood St. Luke’s Church, one of the oldest buildings to remain unchanged since the twelfth century. This church was originally built as a Catholic church. Later an Orthodox altar was added inside. And it has survived as an Orthodox church until today. It is interesting that Kotor experienced two major and devastating earthquakes in 1667 and 1979. But this building has been completely preserved, with all its stones and its twelfth century structure.

Kotor gave me the feeling of an Italian city. We could sense this by looking at the shutters, windows and the overall architecture. Even small details, like the anchor irons that connect floors or buildings, supported this atmosphere. You can see similar irons in Amsterdam, where they are used to prevent buildings from sliding. Here there are beautiful examples that were installed about five hundred years ago.

There is one thing you should know about Kotor: every traveler should visit this place. Start with about half an hour of random walking, then shape your route according to your interests. Since Kotor has always been closely connected to maritime trade, it has always had the wealth to build luxurious structures. To examine Romanesque and Renaissance examples, history lovers will want to stay here for a long time. If you like hiking, I suggest climbing the one thousand steps to the fortress at 260 meters.

To me, the best thing to do in Kotor is to sit at a cafe and enjoy the bay, the mountains and the Venetian architecture. After that I recommend going to Perast, another jewel of the bay, just like we did.

Perast is a tiny town with an incredibly photogenic location.It sits right at the bay's narrowest point, surrounded by endless water. There are two fascinating islands just 500 meters offshore. One of them hosts a Benedictine monastery that was founded more than a thousand years ago. It has been influenced by many powers, such as the Ottomans, Venetians, French and Austrians, as well as by earthquakes throughout its history.

The islands story is even more interesting. On St. George Island, people have been praying to God for centuries, while on the neighboring island, people spent two hundred years creating an artificial island on a small reef with their own hands. Seriously, this island is completely man-made. For 200 years old ships and stones were sunk here. There was even a rule that every passing ship had to throw a stone into the sea. And a 3000 square meter plateau was formed as a result.

I compare this place to Lake Como in Italy like many people. The similarities are striking: wonderful views, old villages and Venetian heritage. But in my opinion, Lake Como is more about millionaires, luxury weddings and villas. This bay feels more like Lake Iseo, where Italians go for their own holidays. It is calmer and more sincere, just like here.

We were on the road again on the third day. We left our panoramic hotel and drove towards Budva. The roads were empty since we were traveling off-season. Locals say that traffic is completely paralyzed between June and August. Budva is definitely among the must-see places, like Kotor and Porto Montenegro. Walking along the beach, exploring the Old Town and maybe even swimming in the sea is a great idea.

Next we visited Rafailovici, just outside Budva. It looked very promising for investment about 20 years ago. But unfortunately, over time it did not become a well-maintained resort.

And our main destination was the charming Sveti Stefan, a little further on. It is important to understand that this place is not just an island surrounded by deep blue waters. We visited Milocer Park, which used to be a royal residence. With its lush greenery, palace, and three nearby beaches, including Sveti Stefa— it was once a retreat for the elite.

Sveti Stefan was once a fishing village. But it began to empty out in the mid-twentieth century. Later it was transformed into a luxury hotel complex, while preserving its historical character. It hosted famous names such as Sophia Loren and Sylvester Stallone. In 2007 the neglected island was leased to the Aman group. Major investments were made and world famous stars, like Djokovic and the Beckham family, started visiting again.

But then things became complicated with the pandemic and political changes. Local people started protesting against the hotel’s restriction of access to two beaches, especially the Royal Beach with a 120 euro entrance fee. The barriers were torn down and the government opened the beaches to the public, as a result of the protests. The hotel concerned about security and closed its doors, filed a 100 million dollar lawsuit at an arbitration court in London. The hotel is still closed and its future is uncertain.

Access to all beaches is free now. It is even possible to tour the hotel grounds by paying 25 euros. In Montenegro, the main currency is the Euro and although cash is accepted, having an international bank card is a big advantage for hotel reservations and card payments.

After spending time in Sveti Stefan, we left our hearts there and turned our route toward the north of Montenegro. I will share the adventures we had there in my posts next month. See you soon, my friends.