Travel & Adventures: The Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

It's become a thing for me that I take a pile of jewellery whenever I go on a family holiday, because the photographic opportunities are too good to miss :)  I have had a few messages and lots of questions about this trip so thought I would share what I've learnt. 

We visited The Bay of Kotor and flew to Tivat airport.  It's very small and not for the faint-hearted!...so do consider driving over from one of the neighbouring countries.  Dubrovnik (Croatia) isn't that far.  

Many parts of The Bay of Kotor are part of the protected UNESCO heritage site, are beautifully well preserved and absolutely stunning.  I particularly recommend:

A visit to Perast where there are lots of gorgeous places to eat and drink and it's a good base from which to catch a water taxi over to the small island, Our Lady of the Rocks.  This is also the most cost effective way to get there.

A walk around the square of the Old Town in the centre of Kotor soaking up the atmosphere and taking in the views.  

A boat trip to the Blue Caves - BUT do your research.  The largest blue cave is packed with boats and tourists and yet most will stop there and encourage you to swim.  The company we used took us to a quieter and safer cave to swim and on a longer and more thoughtful trip.  We went inside the submarine bunkers and past the stunning Mamula island. 

Risan is less picturesque than Kotor or Perast, but the Roman Mosaics are worth a visit.  Here you will also find friendly restaurants serving local dishes away from the main tourist trail.  It is relaxed and affordable - and has a few quieter beaches.

While the Bay sometimes feels more like a lake, the advantage of it being the sea is that there are a lot of Dolphins.  We were delighted to be sat in a local bar as we spotted one in the water pretty close to shore.  

Hiring a car was definitely the best way to explore for us, as everything is spread out around the Bay.  But a word for the cautious, you need a confident driver as  the mountainous roads can be narrow and steep.

I would have also had a look at the Cable Car trip up the mountains - which looked incredible - and the climb on foot up to the top of the Ladder of Kotor if we had more time and it not been so hot!