The sea capital of Montenegro amazes with its magical views and medieval architecture. Find out how tourists rate Kotor: which beaches, hotels and restaurants are considered the best.
Resort appearance
Montenegrins call the unique Bay of Kotor "Boka Kotorska". The resort town on the shores of the insanely beautiful bay. Kotor traces its history back to ancient times, and for hundreds of years it has absorbed the culture of the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Serbs. The historical part of the resort is protected by UNESCO.
Many tourists are brought to Kotor by buses and cruise ships, so you can see large ships and expensive yachts in the port. Although rich people like to relax here, prices are not overpriced.
The impression of tourists from the resort
During the day, tourists relax on the beaches, swim in the sea, explore the Old Town and go on excursions, and in the evenings they make a promenade along the embankment. At night in Kotor, they turn on beautiful lighting, and the city becomes very lively. Restaurants, cafes and bars are full of people, music and cheerful laughter are heard from everywhere.
Kamilia: "Wonderful view: the bay framed by the city, boats, yachts, and everything surrounded by mountains! The color of the water is simply magical! Be sure to climb the mountain along the wall of the old fortress to see this miracle."
j_voronina: "A soothing boat trip along an extraordinarily picturesque bay surrounded by beautiful nature. Wonderful small towns stretch out along the shores. Red tiles surrounded by greenery."
Best hotels
Accommodation in Kotor is available both for budget travelers and for those who do not care how much hotel amenities cost. The prestigious "five" are located on the first line, 3-4 km from the historic center. If you want to plunge headlong into the Middle Ages, choose 3-4 * hotels in the Old Town. The most affordable accommodation - apartments and guest houses - welcomes guests in Kotor itself and in the vicinity of the resort. Look for accommodation in Kotor on Hotelluk.
The best hotels in Kotor, according to reviews and ratings of tourists:
S&I 3 * - a cozy guest house overlooking the sea, 200 m from the Clock Tower of Kotor. In high season, a double room costs from 30 €.
Marija 3 * - comfortable housing within the historic buildings. Picturesque streets and cobbled pavements are visible from the windows. A double room with breakfast costs from 70 €.
Monte Cristo 4 * - a romantic hotel in a renovated building of the XIII century in the Old Town. Appreciate the luxury of the house where the first bishop of Kotor once lived! Double room with breakfast costs from 63 €.
Vardar 4 * is an excellent hotel on the main square of the city. Tourists love the elegantly decorated apartments and the state-of-the-art wellness center. A double room with breakfast costs from 82 €.
Boutique Hotel Astoria 5 * is a wonderful opportunity to live in a 13th century palace protected by UNESCO, in the very heart of Kotor. The hotel's luxurious interiors combine antique stone elements with modern design. Double room costs from 102 €.
Blue Kotor Bay Premium Spa Resort 5 * is an elite resort hotel for adults on the first line from the sea. Guests are greeted by a private beach, wellness center, outdoor pool, stylish lounge and café bar. A double room with breakfast costs from 206 €.
Beaches of Kotor
Beach holidays are not the strongest side of the Montenegrin resort. In Kotor, there are only 30-60 m long pebble beaches and concrete platforms with ladders for descending into the water.
Near the ferry pier there is a city beach with cafes, kiosks with food, drinks and sun lounger rentals. Due to the port and the active movement of ships, the water is not very clean.
If you want to swim in the clear sea, go to the suburb of Kotor - Dobrota. You can walk there from the Old Town in 15 minutes. The concrete and pebble beaches of Dobrota stretch for several kilometers. There are parking lots for cars, cafes, bars and playgrounds for kids.
Find out which resort in Montenegro to choose.
Cafes and restaurants
They cook delicious food in the port city! The menus of Kotor restaurants offer traditional Balkan meat dishes and Mediterranean fish cuisine. We advise you to try shrimp carpaccio, carp baked in sour cream, black risotto, cutlet pleskavitsa, rich soup chorba, hot chops hanger and pork kebab raznichi.
A complex lunch in a cafe costs 6-8 €. The most expensive restaurants are located in the Old Town, and a beautiful view of the bay opens from the establishments on the waterfront.
Find out what to try in Montenegro.
Marina: "Konoba Bonaca is the first restaurant in Montenegro, which my husband and I visited and were completely delighted. Everything is at the highest level."
KateLeksa: "The Tanjga restaurant was found on the reviews. There were 2 times, very tasty meat. The assorted is above all praise. The blanks for sausages and everything else, apparently, are prepared by themselves. We took two assorted for two for 12 €".
What to see
Connoisseurs of excursion tourism feel like a fish in water in Kotor! There are many historical monuments in the resort - the well-preserved Old Town, fortified walls, palaces of noble families, the Catholic Cathedral of St. Tryphon, the Orthodox Church of St. Luke and the citadel of St. John.
According to reviews, excursions to Montenegrin canyons, Skadar Lake, Ostrov Monastery, Dubrovnik, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and rafting on the Tara River are popular from Kotor.
Karakulova: "To get to the fortress of St. John, you need to go 1350 steps. At first we were enthusiastically overcoming the obstacle, but already in the middle we realized that this was not an easy task. The view of the city, the bay and the sea is simply extraordinary. The torment is worth it."
Kamilla S: "The old town of Kotor is a must-see. Come to wander the streets and breathe in the atmosphere! Better on your own, as the couple of hours that are usually spent on the excursion will not be enough for you."
Vacation with children
Kotor cannot be called an ideal resort for families with children. The main reason is entering the sea. It is inconvenient to descend into the water from stairs with a child.
With older children, it is interesting to visit the Old Town and go on a boat trip along the picturesque bay. There is a small Cat Museum in Kotor. Go with the whole family to look at photos, coins and prints depicting tailed creatures! For entertainment you will have to go to Budva, Igalo and "Adventure Park" on the slopes of Mount Lovcen.
Find out about holidays in Montenegro with children.
Silent_Den: "The Cats Museum is a very atmospheric and cozy place. There are antique objects depicting cats, but there are also small meowing, living specimens, we liked the museum."
When is the best time to go
Kotor has a mild, warm Mediterranean climate. The beach season starts in May and ends in early October. The Montenegrin resort is surrounded by mountains, so there are no strong winds.
In summer, it rarely rains, 2-3 times a month. In July and August, the air warms up to + 31 ... + 33 ° С, and sea water up to + 24 ... + 25 ° С. According to reviews, the best time to stay in Kotor is September, when the heat subsides and there are fewer tourists in the city.
Find out when to vacation in Montenegro.
Natalya: "We arrived in Boka-Kotorska Bay for a week on July 27. The first couple of days it was not hot at all, as it rained. Then the weather returned to normal: in the daytime up to + 32 ° C. There is almost no wind, because there are mountains around."
Eramov E: "The water in the bay is clean, in the second decade of October the water temperature was + 22 ° C. We swam every day."
Is it worth going
The city on the shores of the Boka Kotorska Bay is good for exploring the history and culture of Montenegrins, boat trips, interesting excursions and gastronomic tourism. As beautiful as Kotor is, beach holidays in this resort are not the best in Montenegro. Concrete piers with ladders are inconvenient for children and elderly tourists.
