Bar Harbour Anchorage Guide

Anchoring Zones

Bar Harbour has 2 distinct anchoring zones, each with different depth, holding, and exposure characteristics.

Setting Your Anchor

The bottom at Bar Harbour is primarily mud with reliable holding when properly set.

1. Check the Albanian border position before anchoring in the S part of this coast — the boundary runs through the Bojana River delta. Confirm your GPS position is in Montenegrin waters.
2. Approach slowly and check your depth sounder. At 3–6m, deploy minimum 7:1 scope (42m chain at 6m depth).
3. Drop into the wind and pay out chain steadily as the boat drifts back.
4. Set firmly in reverse — 30–60 seconds at moderate throttle. Check the evening Jugo forecast before going below. Use the scope calculator to confirm adequate chain.

Recommended anchor types: Rocna, Mantus, Spade, Delta.

Overnight Anchoring & Anchor Alarm

Overnight stays at Bar Harbour are excellent — all-round protection means minimal boat movement.

Set your GPS anchor alarm to 50m radius before going below. 50m in the marina is appropriate for a marina berth environment where the boat is on lines rather than purely on anchor. For the outer basin free anchorage, use 70m. Bar is a commercial port and the primary consideration here is not anchor drag but the requirement to clear customs and harbour master. All foreign yachts arriving from outside Montenegro must enter at Bar Harbour (or another designated port of entry) before proceeding anywhere else in Montenegrin waters. This is a legal requirement and the harbour master patrol enforces it. The ACI Marina monitors VHF Ch 17 and the port authority on Ch 10.

Bar Harbour is a year-round port of entry — the commercial facilities operate 12 months. As a cruising destination, the marina is busiest May–September. The practical value — customs clearance, fuel, provisioning, and mechanics — makes Bar a mandatory stop regardless of season for incoming yachts. October and November are used by boats departing the season or making the autumn transit south toward Greece.

Navigation Hazards

• Commercial ferry traffic: the Bar-Bari overnight ferry manoeuvres in the harbour late evening (~22:00); the wash and the ferry's movements create significant disturbance in the outer basin; marina berths inside ACI are well shielded from this
• Cargo vessel movements: Bar is an active commercial port with regular cargo ship arrivals and departures; anchor only in designated yacht areas and maintain a watch when cargo vessels are manoeuvring nearby
• Port authority patrol: the harbour is patrolled and foreign yachts that attempt to bypass the customs and harbour master process are intercepted; complete entry formalities immediately on arrival — the authorities are professional and the process is straightforward
• Outer basin exposure to NW: the outer basin anchorage has a small NW gap in its breakwater protection — in NW weather, some swell enters; the marina inner basin is fully sheltered
• Ferry wake at night: the Bar-Bari ferry departure creates a significant wake that reaches the outer basin around 22:30; ensure the anchor is well set and prepare for a brief but notable surge

Rules & Regulations

• Montenegro cruising permit (vignette): Mandatory for all foreign yachts. From ~€89/month. Purchase at first port of entry — Bar is the primary port of entry for arrivals from the south.
• Anchoring fee: ACI Marina Bar: €40–90/night (varies by boat length and season). Outer basin anchoring: free but port authority clearance required.
• Maximum stay: 14 days
• Restrictions: MANDATORY PORT OF ENTRY: All foreign yachts arriving in Montenegro from outside Montenegrin waters must enter at Bar (or another designated port of entry) and clear customs before proceeding. Failure to clear customs is an offence under Montenegrin maritime law. Keep clear of the Bar-Bari ferry approach lane (marked on charts) and the commercial cargo vessel berths. Port authority patrol active 24 hours.
• Tourist tax: ~€1–2 per person per night, paid within 24 hours of arrival.

For a full overview, see our overnight anchoring rules by region guide.

Facilities

• Fresh water: Available
• Fuel: Available
• Restaurant: Multiple restaurants, cafes, and konobas in Bar town (5–15 minute walk from the marina). Large supermarkets within 500m of the marina entrance — Voli, Idea, and others; well stocked for passage provisioning. Chandlery adjacent to ACI Marina. Fuel dock within ACI Marina — diesel and petrol. Marine mechanics and engineers available in Bar.
• Provisions: Available

Skipper's Tips

1. Call Bar Port Authority on VHF Ch 10 before entry — announce vessel name, flag, and numbers of persons on board; they will direct you to the customs quay for entry formalities; the process typically takes 1–2 hours
2. The ACI Marina Bar fuel dock is the best fuel stop between Budva and Ulcinj — fill tanks here before departing south toward the shallower anchorages at Ada Bojana where fuel is unavailable
3. Bar's large supermarkets (Voli is the best stocked) are excellent for passage provisioning — stock up here for the southern coast where shops are limited; Montenegrin food prices are noticeably lower than Croatian equivalents
4. The chandlery adjacent to ACI Marina Bar is one of the best-stocked on the Montenegrin coast — spare parts, ropes, and marine equipment are available here that cannot be found further south
5. Stari Bar (the ruined old city, 4km inland) is one of the most impressive historical sites in Montenegro — a walled Ottoman-era town abandoned in 1979 after an earthquake; accessible by taxi in 10 minutes and worth a half-day visit