Best Anchorages in the Bay of Kotor

Bigova is the standout pre-Bora refuge for the entire Bay of Kotor region — a compact, sheltered cove tucked into the SE Montenegrin coast, approximately 5nm SE of the Tivat entrance channel, and therefore technically outside the main bay.

Zelenika is the primary port of entry on the NW shore of Herceg Novi Bay — the first proper anchorage encountered when arriving from Croatia and Dubrovnik, approximately 3nm W of Herceg Novi town.

Rose (also shown as Roso on older charts) is a small traditional village on the NE shore of Herceg Novi Bay — quiet, off the tourist circuit, and consistently underrated by the charter fleet that heads straight for Herceg Novi town.

Herceg Novi is the main town on the outer bay — a steeply terraced city of gardens, Venetian and Ottoman fortress walls, baroque churches, and flowering bougainvillea that tumbles down from the upper town to the seafront Šetalište.

Tivat Bay is the logistical hub of the Bay of Kotor — a well-sheltered, all-weather anchorage that doubles as the best provisioning base in Montenegro.

Morinj is the most important Bora refuge inside the Bay of Kotor — a sheltered cove at the W end of the main Kotor Bay channel, just before the junction where the forbidden Bay of Risan branches NW.

Perast is the most photographed anchorage in the Bay of Kotor and arguably one of the most atmospheric in the entire Adriatic.

Orahovac is the quiet alternative to the celebrated but hectic Perast anchorage, situated on the W side of Kotor Bay approximately 1.

Ljuta is a small cove on the W shore of Kotor Bay between Perast and Kotor, centred on the delta where the Ljuta river meets the sea.

Kotor is the crown jewel of the Bay of Kotor — a perfectly preserved medieval walled city that has been a centre of Adriatic commerce, culture, and maritime power since Roman times.

Prčanj is the hidden gem of the inner Kotor Bay — a small, handsome town on the E shore of the bay, 2.