Things To Do in Kotor

We recently visited Montenegro for the first time and absolutely fell in love with Kotor – we’re already planning our next visit! Kotor is one of the most breathtaking places we’ve ever visited. Everywhere you look is just clear water, blue skies, and beautiful mountain scenery. Here’s a list of some of our favourite ways to spend your time in Kotor.

Explore Old Town

In the heart of Kotor is the medieval old town which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town is not very big, but there’s plenty of things to do and see if you’ve got a few hours to spend here. Kotor Old Town is surrounded by fortified stone walls which you can climb up to (there are stairs on the North side of town) and walk along the top of, around the perimeter of the town.

There are lots of great souvenir shops in Kotor Old Town, as well as some fantastic places to eat. Our favourites were the street food shops selling pizza by the slice, and La Catedral Pasta Bar which does the best pasta in Montenegro! So good that there’s usually a short wait to be seated, so keep that in mind if you pay them a visit.

And for any cat lovers out there, Kotor Old Town is the place to be – there are cats EVERYWHERE! Most of the cats are friendly and very used to people. We spoke to a shop owner who explained that, whilst the cats belong to the town, many of the business owners have specific cats that they look out for and keep fed and watered. There’s even a Cat Museum in Kotor Old Town dedicated to their feline residents!

Climb to Kotor Fortress

One of the most popular things to do in Kotor is to do the climb the 1,350 steps up to Kotor Fortress for the breathtaking panoramic views of the bay. It is a tiring climb, but it’s definitely worth it to get what ended up being one of our favourite pictures taken in Montenegro!

Starting in the Kotor Old Town, it takes about 1 hour to walk up the hilltop to Kotor Fortress, passing the Church of Our Lady of Remedy along the way. Be sure to take plenty of water with you and wear comfortable footwear with a good grip, as some of the steps can be quite slippery.

Take a Boat Trip to Perast

All along the bay of Kotor there are people promoting the different boat tours on offer, including trips to the Blue Cave, Our Lady of the Rocks, and Boka Bay. I would definitely reccomend taking a boat trip to the neighbouring town of Perast to take in the sites, which might be included in some boat tours to Our Lady of the Rocks. The boat to Perast takes about 30 minutes, or alternatively you can get a taxi to Perast which takes about 15 - 20 minutes.

Perast a beautiful town which is a little bit quieter than Kotor, but still has several shops, restaurants, and cafes to enjoy. You can climb up to the bell tower in Perast to take in the views over the bay or take a boat trip to Our Lady of the Rock, which is a manmade island with a beautiful church and museum on it. Perast is a great day out for some relaxing site seeing, and taking in more of the stunning views Montenegro has to offer.

Explore the Waterfront

Take a stroll along the waterfront and soak up the stunning views of the mountains. Kotor has a small, pebbly beach for sun-bathing and swimming in the clear waters. There’s plenty of restaurants dotted along the bay to stop for food and drinks with a view. One of our favourite restaurants just in from the waterfront is BBQ Tanjga which do an incredible mixed grill!