Tivat is in the middle part of the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska). Even though it's the youngest town in the area, Tivat has many interesting buildings and places worth exploring. It's also very close to the main tourist spots: from Tivat you can reach Kotor in 15 minutes and Budva in 30 minutes.
The town has made a name for itself as one of the sunniest places in the bay. Tivat felt to us like a pleasant stop for touring around the bay. It's a really handy base, especially for exploring the sweet villages of Vrmac. Vrmac is 9 km from Tivat, and the drive takes 25 minutes.
The town is quite small; you can park your car and easily explore it on foot. Parking along the streets in town is free!
The Airbnb house we stayed in had a bay view and the water was only 10-15 metres away, and the view from our house was amazing too! By the way, because of the accident we had in Kosovo we had to change our booking, and the hosts were so warm that they both changed the booking and talked to a garage about getting the car repaired.
If you'd like to use the Airbnb discount, the link is here!
Not to make it a dull intro, but we loved it here! An incredible atmosphere, you'll be en-chan-ted! :)
Porto Montenegro
Porto Montenegro is a must-see in the Bay of Kotor. The carefully rebuilt marina is full of luxury yachts, and as you stroll along the pier you won't be able to stop looking at them.
It may not be Bodrum Harbour, but there are some pretty eye-catching yachts. The marina is lively during the day, but as you can guess, it's quite lively at night too. If you're thinking of staying in Tivat, you should come here for an evening stroll.
Maritime Heritage Museum
The Maritime Heritage Museum is a little way from the centre of Porto Montenegro. But if there's time, why not visit?! Unfortunately, as luck would have it, the day we wanted to visit was a Sunday, so it was closed.
Porto Montenegro was once called the Arsenal, one of the largest naval bases on the Adriatic, founded in 1889 by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today the museum hosts more than 300 exhibits telling the region's maritime history.
The museum even has a restored Yugoslav submarine. This submarine, named P-821, met the water in 1967 and covered 461,659 nautical miles during its 23-year life.
The entrance fee is €2; you can visit Monday - Friday 09.00 - 16.00 and Saturday 13.00 - 17.00.
Closed on Sundays.
Tivat Waterfront
Tivat has a long promenade along the waterfront. It's an ideal place for a romantic walk. You can walk hand in hand watching the view. You'll be enchanted, I'll say it again.
We stayed in an Airbnb house, and we couldn't get enough of the terrace looking out on the view and of going down to the waterfront within walking distance. At every chance we took our tea or coffee and headed to the shore. Thanks to Ilija and Danka for hosting us!
We recommend the walking route that starts at the waterfront and goes through Porto Montenegro and along the promenade until it meets the Adriatic highway again.
Solila Botanical Garden
Tivatska Solila - a unique natural bird paradise on the site of old salt pans*. It's near Tivat, between Tivat airport and the Luštica peninsula.
*Described as flat ground covered in salt: salts and minerals accumulating in the water, which can't drain into the ground and doesn't evaporate.
People come here to watch animals like pink flamingos or Javan cormorants. Special paths have been built across the area for visitors. Before visiting, it's generally recommended to bring binoculars, because the birds don't usually stay where there's movement. They move around in quiet places where nobody is
Since the salt marshes haven't been used for their original purpose recently, migratory birds have chosen them as a habitat. Of the 111 bird species that can be seen here, only 4 are specific to Tivatska Solila.
Our next stop after Tivat is Lake Skadar! We're staying in a house overlooking Lake Skadar. It's in Rijeka Crnojevića, 76 km from Tivat. Our drive took about 1 hour 30 minutes.
We hope you go and love it!
6 km
7 km
19 km