The Best Things To See and Do in Montenegro's Bay of Kotor

Floating off Perast’s shore, Our Lady of the Rocks is one of the Bay of Kotor’s top attractions. The island church is built on a man-made island that was founded over 500 years ago. Legend has it two brothers found an icon of the Madonna on a rock here and decided to build a church. The island was built with local rocks and scuttled ships and eventually a church was built on top. A small fee gets visitors a guided tour of the church and attached museum, which houses fascinating local artifacts from the area.

Risan’s Roman mosaics are the remains of a Roman villa that was built in the 2nd century. The villa’s remains and exquisitely detailed mosaic floors were uncovered in 1930 and depict cultural themes of the day — namely wine grape vines, the sea and weapons. The reason these mosaics are so special is the mosaic on the bedroom floor. The beautifully-wrought artwork is a tribute to Hypnos, or Somnus as he was called in Roman mythology, the Greek God of Dreams. This is the only mosaic rendition of Hypnos ever found.

A decade ago, Tivat was a fairly unremarkable town in the Bay of Kotor. And then came Porto Montenegro. Porto Montenegro was a retired army shipyard that had languished in disrepair. Along came Canadian gold magnate Peter Munk with his vision of turning the shipyard into the world’s greatest superyacht marina. Now, Porto Montenegro is the only Platinum-rated marina in the world and is home to some of the world’s biggest and best luxury yachts. Far from being an exclusive destination, Porto Montenegro invites visitors to walk along Jetty One and admire these magnificent boats. The village has stores with luxury brands, and the outdoor pool is an indulgent daytime destination. The village’s restaurants offer everything from pizza and pasta to sushi and Lebanese cuisine, and there’s five-star dining at Hotel Regent Porto Montenegro, which has incredible views of the marina beside Venetian Square.

Not just a restaurant, Ćatovica Mlini is a destination in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hamlet of Morinj. Tucked away just off the seaside road, visiting Ćatovica Mlini is a magical experience. The entrance is a pretty, but not overly impressive, bamboo tunnel. Then you hear the running water, and finally the bamboo walls give way to a lush vista that’s like something from a fairy tale. Ducks and geese swim in the streams, peacocks roam across the manicured lawns and paths and bridges lead visitors around the grounds. The restaurant serves excellent Kotor Bay-style seafood, and visitors are also welcome to stop for coffee. Don’t miss the photo wall inside featuring photos of celebrities who have been here.