Visiting Kotor: The Bow-Tie Bay

“When I look at a map, I call Montenegro small. But when huffing up mountains and paddling over bays and ferreting out a thousand secret activities, I think “small” is an illusion and luxery of our times.” – Old Sean

Grand Little Land

After leaving Croatia, I headed into a small country that I’ve admittedly never heard of before: Montenegro.

I’m not sure how I missed it. It’s on every map of Europe I’ve ever seen. But for some reason, the tiny, coastal nation never stuck in my head.

Montenegro towns are usually dense, pale, stone buildings staggered between three or four stories with narrow streets and firm walls enclosing the old town.  The compact towns of the compact country are quaint, solid and pretty.

I’m specifically visiting Kotor for this leg of the trip. Montenegro is my final stop before I head to Albania, where I’ll have a whopping four days off. But in the meantime, I have one more surge of stuttering energy to keep my momentum up.

Shade-Side Greetings

After a hour or so on the bus leaving Dubrovnik, I got off at a stop at Škaljari and walked north until I reached Kotor. Despite it being relatively early in the afternoon, the city was dark, sequestered in the long shadow of the nearby mountains. Calm, deep bay-waters lapped the shore as I pressed forward, eventually reaching the walled city.

Kotor and the nearby cities are all part of a driving route following the bow-tie-shaped Bay of Kotor, a completely-enclosed waterway connected to the Mediterranean.

With the first couple hours of my arrival, I got myself a pair of snacks, felt my energy plumet and fell into a doze. I opted to do all my explorations and interviews the following day. Within two hours of checking into my small hostel, I shuttered the open window facing a small plaza area and fell asleep.

Visiting Kotor and Heights

I woke up early the next morning and spent the first hour of my day observing my route while enjoying a light breakfast.

Kotor is one of many small cities along the large, salty bay cradled by the grey-stoned mountains. It’s walking paths are steep and rugged, requiring a lot of uphill energy to reach the more impressive overlooks.

I decided to try the more challenging, uphill hikes early in my day.

The mountain Fortifications of Kotor are worth the climb, with old ruins and daunting overlooks of the bay. The shortest path up had a man requiring a fee for the hike, but I found a free route around. I walked West outside the city and took the back trail up to the ridge. The route was long, but the views were increasingly splendid.

I returned from my extended hike just before noon and began exploring the walled-city portion of Kotor. The urban fortifications are splendid and very enjoyable to walk around. There’s a museum dedicated to cats within the city walls. There’s also an additional park where a few dozen cats and kittens are constantly snoozing on sunbeam-bathed benches.

I stopped at an unassuming sandwich shop simply called “Kotor’s” that didn’t appear on my map. The sign’s title is followed by “Sandwiches, Coffee to go, Wines, and Fresh Juices.” It was an excellent meal for just a couple of Euros. I spent another hour browsing the small shops hidden in various nooks around the city.

In the central space, the city is a well-fitted tapestry of churches and chapels. I passed by this area several times, stopping inside some of the buildings when crowds seemed sparce.

Fortunately, Kotor is so tiny, it’s virtually impossible to get lost. by the time the sun was still high in the sky, I had crossed the city three or four times.

Day in the Bay

One of the best features to experience while visiting Kotor is the wonderful bay. The waters are a gorgeous light blue with hidden caves pocketed across the region. After I had my fill of the city, I took a short trip into the waters by boat.

I first visited Our Lady of the Rocks. This is an interesting island created by sinking elderly vessels full of stones to the bottom of the bay. As the ships and stones compounded, an artificial island eventually formed. The narrow island was paved over and a small, idyllic church was constructed on top.

The entire item is tiny, requiring only about 20 minutes to enjoy the full experience.

After my time on the island, I rented a kayak and began exploring the numerous caves which existed further out. Admittedly, the caves were hard to find, even with the waterproof map I was given.

But once inside the crystal-blue waters, I was able to tie my kayak to a wall and go for a long, shady swim in the bay caverns.

Wrap Up Day

Eventually, with a slight sunburn blushing my cheeks, I returned back to the shores. I returned my kayak to the man at the desk in Perast, another bay-side, stone town. Then, wearied and pleased, I settled down for an early, seaside dinner.

Eventually, I finished my meal and caught a short boat ride back to Kotor. There, I finished my targeted itinerary for the city. I breifly stopped at Aquarium Boka, Kotor Beach, the Shopping Centre Kamelija, Kotor’s Maritime Museum, Kampana Tower, the Kotor Sea Gate, St. Tryphon’s Cathedral, Gurdić Bastion and the Kotor Clock Tower.

When I say “stopped by,” I truly mean these were brief visits. I poked my head in and took a few photos, conducting short interviews on the way. Before I had returned to my hostel again, I was winded.

Tomorrow, I’ll spend a couple of short hours in Budva before resting on a bus, gradually trundling to Tirana, the capital of Albania.

Regardless, I enjoyed my time visiting Kotor tremendously. I’m a staunch fan of the city and region based on my limited time here.

That about sums up my time in Montenegro.  I need to get some rest now, and prep for my next hop in the morning.

Until I awake,

Best regards and excellent trails,

Old Sean

Written August 31st, 2018

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