Montenegro yacht charter
A deep, sheltered inlet under mountains
Montenegro's best part is the Bay of Kotor, a deep, sheltered inlet under mountains, usually reached from Dubrovnik at the end of a Croatian week. June and September are the best months. It suits couples most.
Montenegro's coast is short, and its best part is the Bay of Kotor. This is a deep, winding inlet with mountains straight out of the water and old stone towns at their feet. Most people come by yacht from Dubrovnik, an hour or two to the north, and the bay makes one of the finest ends to an Adriatic week.
Why go, and whom it suits
Couples and honeymoons
The bay is calm and dramatic. Perast, a baroque village on the water, and the island church of Our Lady of the Rocks are beautiful in the evening, after the day visitors leave.
Families
The water inside the bay is sheltered, and the distances are tiny. Kotor's old town and its walls make a good half-day with older children. The open coast south of the bay has longer beaches.
Friends and celebrations
Tivat's marina and Budva have the restaurants and the nightlife. The bay gives quieter days in between.
Less suited to a full week on its own if you want many islands. Montenegro has almost none, so most people pair it with Croatia.
The areas
- The Bay of Kotor (page to follow). Herceg Novi at the mouth; Perast and its two islands; Kotor at the far end, with its walled old town; and Tivat, with its large marina, on the other arm. The whole bay is a sheltered cruising ground of a few hours from end to end.
- The Budva Riviera. South of the bay: Budva's old town, the island village of Sveti Stefan, and a coast of sandy and pebble beaches.
- The south. Bar and Ulcinj, near the Albanian border. Ulcinj's Long Beach (Velika plaža) runs for 13 km; the national tourist board calls it the longest sandy beach on the Adriatic. It is a longer passage and less visited by yachts.
Montenegro sits on the Adriatic between Croatia and Albania; for the rest of the sea, see the Mediterranean by yacht.
When to go
- May to October is the season, with July and August the hottest and the busiest, and May and October the quietest.
- June and September are the best months for most people. The bay is quieter, and the heat inside it, between the mountains, is easier.
- Kotor is a cruise-ship port. A good captain plans the old town for early morning or evening.
- Winds. The bay itself is sheltered. The open coast feels the summer north-westerly, and occasionally the bura or the jugo, as in Croatia.
Month | Heat and sea | Crowds | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
May | Milder than June | The quietest of the season | The start of the season |
June | The heat inside the bay is easier | The bay is quieter | One of the best months for most people |
July and August | The hottest months | The busiest months | Weekly rates are higher |
September | The heat inside the bay is easier | The bay is quieter | One of the best months for most people |
October | Milder than September | The quietest of the season | The end of the season |
The open coast feels the summer north-westerly all season; the bay itself is sheltered.
The seasonThe busiestCalmer
What a week costs here
The charter fee is each yacht's own weekly rate. Her page shows it "from", which is her lowest season; July and August cost more.
- Tax. Montenegro is not in the EU but uses the euro. Tax on a charter starting there is added at the rate that applies, and each yacht's quote shows what it includes.
- APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, is paid with the balance. It is money held by the captain for fuel, food, drinks, berths and similar costs, spent on your instructions and accounted for at the end; anything unspent is returned. Budget up to 40% of the charter fee for it.
- A one-way week from Croatia can add a delivery fee for the yacht's return.
For what a crewed charter costs, line by line, see our guide.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
Dubrovnik to the Bay of Kotor
This is a one-way week from Croatia, the way most people see Montenegro. The yacht and the weather decide the real route.
- Day 1: Dubrovnik. Board in the afternoon. A first swim off Lokrum, and dinner in the old harbour or on board.
- Day 2: Koločep and Lopud. Two of the Elaphite islands, car-free and quiet.
- Day 3: Cavtat. A slow morning, then clear out of Croatia for the short passage south.
- Day 4: Herceg Novi and the mouth of the bay. Into Montenegro and the bay's first reaches.
- Day 5: Perast. Anchor off the village, take the tender to Our Lady of the Rocks, and have dinner on the waterfront.
- Day 6: Kotor. Walk the old town early, and climb the walls to Kotor's fortress, part of the UNESCO-listed Kotor region, if you are up for it. Night in the bay.
- Day 7: Tivat. Disembark at the marina; Tivat airport is close by.
The same week can run the other way, or as a round trip from Tivat with a day on the Budva coast.
The yachts that cruise here
Most of the yachts we show in Montenegro are motor yachts, many of them over 40 metres, for 11 or more guests. Nearly all of them also cruise Croatia, which is why a two-country week is easy to arrange.
The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Chartering in Montenegro
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Can we start in Croatia and end in Montenegro?
Yes, and it is the most common way to come. You clear out of Croatia and into Montenegro on the way, and the yacht's return can add a delivery fee.
Which airport should we use?
Tivat is closest to the bay. Podgorica is the capital's airport, further by road. Dubrovnik is across the border, and is often the easier choice for flights.
Is Montenegro in the EU, and do we need a visa?
It is not in the EU, but it uses the euro. Visa rules depend on your passport; check your government's travel advice before you go.
Is a week in Montenegro alone enough?
It can be, as a slow week in the bay with a day on the coast. But the coast is short, and most people prefer to combine it with Croatia's islands.
Is the bay crowded?
Kotor's old town can be, when cruise ships are in. Perast and the quieter shores are calm, and a crewed yacht can time the town for early or late.
Is it good for children?
Yes. The water in the bay is calm, the distances are tiny, and Kotor's walls and the island church are good outings.
Are there beaches?
Small ones inside the bay. Longer ones on the open coast around Budva and, much further south, Ulcinj.
Can we visit Albania from Montenegro?
Some yachts go on south to the Albanian Riviera, though it is a longer passage. See Albania.
What is there to eat?
Fish and mussels in the bay, smoked ham and cheese from the mountains, and local wine. The crew knows the good places on the water.
If you are also weighing Croatia
Montenegro is not a rival to Croatia so much as its last chapter. Croatia has the islands; Montenegro has the bay. A one-way week from Dubrovnik, or a fortnight from Split ending in Kotor, gives you both. See Croatia and Dubrovnik and the south.
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the week is for: a family summer, a honeymoon, a birthday with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
Montenegro.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.