Where’s Mom?
Oh… she’s in Montenegro.

Montenegro gave us two completely different trips in five days.

The first half was all blue water, stone villages, speedboats, seafood, and evenings wandering through Kotor’s Old Town.

The second half was mountain cabins, forest lakes, wildflowers, zip lining, and a rafting trip where we were each handed a paddle but didn’t actually use it.

We started along the Bay of Kotor in Dobrota, drove into the mountains near Žabljak and Durmitor National Park, explored the Tara River Canyon, and eventually flew out of Tivat.

It was beautiful.

But I definitely have opinions about which half I would choose next time.

Day 1: A Private Dock, Kotor Old Town & the Best Mussels of My Life

We arrived in Dobrota around 3 p.m.

Part of our group checked into Huma Kotor Bay Hotel & Villas, while my husband, Kim, and I stayed at a VRBO about eight minutes down the road.

And honestly?

I loved our little apartment.

It was inside a gorgeous old home right on the water. The house was more than 600 years old, and we had our own stone patio and private dock with chairs and an umbrella already set up for us.

It felt like we had our own tiny piece of the Bay of Kotor.

There was street parking right outside, and a market up the back steps where we could buy fresh bread for about 60 cents and local jam.

The listing had made us think we would have access to a washing machine.
We did not.
Instead, the hosts did our laundry for us.

A little awkward handing someone a bag of dirty clothes?
Yes.

Did we still do it?
Also yes.

We spent the first few hours sitting by the sea before heading into Kotor.

Kotor’s Old Town, or Stari Grad Kotor, is surrounded by stone walls with old entrance gates, narrow streets, little squares, churches, restaurants, and an enormous fortress climbing up the mountain behind it.

It looks magical during the day.

But at night, especially in the rain, it feels like you have stepped inside a story.

We had dinner at Pepe Nero, and this may have been my favorite meal in Montenegro.
The mussels were the best mussels I have ever eaten.
The sea bass was also the best sea bass I have ever eaten.

Apparently everything that night was the best thing I had ever eaten.
The only problem was that the chocolate cake needed to be twice the size.

Rain started pouring down while we were in town, but we didn’t care. The wet stone streets reflected all the lights, and somehow the rain made Old Town feel even more atmospheric.

I immediately loved Kotor.

Day 2: Speedboats, Perast, Blue Caves & the Kotor Cable Car

We had a slow morning enjoying the apartment and sitting by the sea.

At noon, a speedboat picked us up directly from our dock.
This is exactly the kind of service I would like everywhere.

The three-hour tour cost €40 per person and took us around the Bay of Kotor.

Our first stop was Perast, a beautiful old sailors’ village along the bay.

We were told that Perast once had only about 200 residents but roughly 300 boats, which tells you everything you need to know about the town’s relationship with the sea.

From there, we went out toward Our Lady of the Rocks.

Our guide told us the legend of two boys who found an image of Mary on a rock while fishing. They took it home and prayed that their sick brother would recover.

By morning, the brother had been healed, but the image was gone.

They found it again in the same place on the rock, so the local sailors began placing stones there to create an island in honor of Mary.

Over time, enough rocks were added to form the island where the church now stands.

Next to it is St. George Island, which has a Benedictine monastery surrounded by dark cypress trees.

The two islands sit right next to each other, but they feel completely different.

One is bright, open, and filled with visitors.
The other is quiet, shaded, and mysterious.

From there, we toured old submarine tunnels built into the cliffs and passed Mamula Island, a former military defense site that has now been transformed into a hotel.

Then we headed toward the Blue Cave.

To enter the cave, the driver had to carefully time the boat with the waves so we wouldn’t hit the top of the entrance.

Very reassuring.

Once we were inside, though, the water glowed an incredible blue.

We also stopped in a gorgeous cove where we could swim. We found a small cave, swam through it, climbed out onto a rock, jumped back into the water, and swam to the boat.

It was such a fun afternoon.

After the tour, we went into town for lunch at La Catedral.

Everything was delicious, but my favorite was the avocado pasta.

Then we drove to the Kotor Cable Car and rode up the mountain for the views and sunset.

There is also an alpine coaster at the top, but ticket sales had already ended for the day.

So here is your warning: Buy your alpine coaster tickets earlier in the day.

Also, bring a jacket.
It was incredibly windy at the top.

We stayed for sunset and then rode back down while the sky was still glowing over the bay.

That evening, we returned to Old Town and stopped at Perché Gelateria for dessert.
I tried the Paris-Brest, which was fine, but not nearly as good as the one we had eaten in Chamonix.

Then I tried the chocolate and raspberry gelato.
Usually fruit gelato is closer to a sorbet, but this raspberry flavor was creamy like a true gelato.

It may be my favorite gelato I had this entire trip.

Apparently Montenegro was becoming a trip full of my favorite foods of all time.

We somehow finished the night inside a bar with a group of Bosnians watching Canada play Bosnia.

The match ended in a 1–1 tie.

Was this part of our carefully planned Montenegro itinerary?
No.
But sometimes you just follow the crowd into a bar and see what happens.

Day 3: The Drive to Žabljak, Black Lake & a Graduation Parade

We checked out around 10:30 the next morning and started driving into the mountains.

The drive was beautiful, with winding roads, dramatic views, and several lookout points where we stopped for photos.

We also bought some local honey along the way.

Eventually, we arrived in Žabljak and checked into our Airbnb, a cute little wooden cabin surrounded by mountain scenery.

We tried to rent bikes so we could explore the area.

The bikes were literally falling apart.

The brakes did not work.

Which feels like an important feature when biking through the mountains.

We returned them and drove to Durmitor National Park instead.

There, we walked the trail around Black Lake.

The scenery was completely different from Kotor Bay. It was quiet, cool, forested, and very green, with the mountains rising behind the dark water.

After the hike, we went back into Žabljak and had dinner at Or’o.

I ordered the beefsteak with mushroom risotto, and it was warm, delicious, and exactly what I needed after being outside all afternoon.

When we finished dinner, we noticed crowds gathering along the town’s main street.
Naturally, we went to see what was happening.

It turned out to be the final day of school, and the whole town had come out to celebrate the graduates.

The students promenaded down the street dressed in their formal gowns and suits while everyone cheered.

It was so cute.

I love accidentally finding local traditions like this.

You can visit all the major attractions in a country, but sometimes the most memorable moments are the ones you didn’t know were happening.

Day 4: Tara Bridge, Zip Lining & the Rafting Trip Without Rafting

We had another slow morning enjoying the cabin and the mountain views before heading toward the Đurđevića Tara Bridge.

Unfortunately, the bridge was under construction during our visit.

We were told that China had helped provide money and workers for the restoration because the bridge had appeared in well-known Chinese films.

There was scaffolding everywhere, so it was not exactly looking its best.

The construction also meant that the bridge was closed for most of the day and only opened during specific windows.

During our visit, it opened from noon to 2 p.m. and again from 4:15 to 6 p.m.

It was a bit of a logistical nightmare.

Before crossing, we went zip lining on our side of the bridge.

This was a very informal operation.

No names.
No waivers.
Very few instructions.

Just a yellow van and someone telling us to walk about 60 meters down the road and then head up to the right.

Eventually, we found the zip line.

They placed us into sling-like seats, and because there were two lines, we could ride beside each other.

It was fast, fun, and surprisingly easy.

Afterward, they drove us back across the bridge in the back of a truck once the road reopened.

Very official.

We then drove to a restaurant that served as the meeting point for our Tara River rafting trip.

They gave us wetsuits, life jackets, helmets, and paddles before loading us into a van and driving us to the river.

We were each handed a paddle.

We did not use them.

Not once.

Calling it rafting may be generous.

It was more of a peaceful float down the river while someone else handled everything.

But the water was unbelievably clear and such a beautiful blue that nobody cared.

We stopped at a waterfall that came directly out of the rocks, did a little cliff jumping, and continued floating down the river beneath the bridge.

The whole trip took about two hours.

Afterward, they brought us back to the restaurant and served us lunch overlooking the canyon and bridge.

The view was wonderful.

Later, we drove back toward Žabljak and explored Devil’s Lake and Fish Lake.

There was also an old cemetery with large stone markers nearby that was interesting to walk through.

The wildflowers were in full bloom, and the surrounding countryside was beautiful.

There was not a lot happening out there.
But it was pretty.
Sometimes that is the whole activity.

We ended the evening with pizza in town and packed for the next morning.

Day 5: The Ferry to Tivat & a Very Long Airport Wait

We checked out at 8 a.m. and drove back toward the coast.

The rest of our group continued across the border into Croatia to fly out of Dubrovnik.

Kim and I were flying from Tivat, so we were dropped off at the small on-demand ferry that crosses the narrow part of the bay.

Foot passengers ride for free, so we walked aboard with our luggage.

Once we reached the other side, we were lucky enough to flag down a taxi and made it to Tivat Airport.

This is where the day became less magical.

We learned that the airport had no luggage storage, and we were not allowed to check in for our flight until 2:30 p.m.

So we spent a very long time sitting at the airport café with all of our luggage.

Not every travel day can include a speedboat and private dock.

Sometimes it is just you, your suitcase, and several hours at an airport café.

Where We Stayed: Seaside Apartment vs. Huma Kotor Bay

Part of our group stayed at Huma Kotor Bay Hotel & Villas, while Kim and I stayed in the nearby VRBO.

I was very happy with our decision.

The hotel reportedly had the best breakfast of the entire trip, including wonderful fresh pastries.

That is a strong argument for the hotel.

But our apartment felt magical.

We were staying inside a centuries-old stone home, and we had the waterfront patio and dock entirely to ourselves.

We could sit beside the sea in the mornings, swim directly from the property, and have a boat pick us up without walking anywhere.

There was also something fun about taking the back steps to the neighborhood market for inexpensive fresh bread and local jam.

The hotel offered more amenities.

The apartment gave us a completely different experience.

For me, the private dock wins.

Things to Know Before Visiting Montenegro

Montenegro uses euros

Montenegro is not currently part of the European Union, but it uses the euro.

That made things easy since we were already traveling through nearby European countries.

Transportation takes planning

We did not find Uber available during our visit.

Taxis could also be tricky to arrange, and we often needed to call or reserve them ahead of time.

I would organize important rides in advance, especially airport transportation.

Communication can feel very direct

The communication style we encountered was much more abrupt and matter-of-fact than what we were used to.

There was not a lot of small talk or polite cushioning.

It was more like:

Go there.
Pay now.
Sit here.

At first, it could feel a little rude.

Eventually, we realized it was mostly just a very direct style of communicating.

Bring layers into the mountains

The weather along the water was pleasant, but the top of the Kotor Cable Car was extremely windy.

Bring a jacket, even if it feels warm near the bay.

Check temporary closures before driving to Tara Bridge

Construction made the bridge crossing difficult during our visit, and the opening windows affected our entire schedule.

Conditions and opening times may change, so check before making the drive.

What I Would Do Differently

If I were planning this trip again, I would spend more time beside the sea.

The mountains were beautiful, and I’m glad we saw Durmitor, Black Lake, and the Tara River.

But Kotor Bay was the part of Montenegro I loved most.

I would have happily added another boat day, spent more time swimming from our dock, explored additional towns around the bay, and climbed the fortress above Kotor.

We never had enough time to do the fortress hike, and that is the biggest thing I feel like we missed.

I would also book the alpine coaster tickets earlier.
Apparently I remain slightly bitter about this.

Final Thoughts

Montenegro is beautiful in a way that feels almost unfair.

The mountains rise straight out of the water. Medieval stone towns sit beside bright blue bays. Boats can pick you up from your own dock and take you past islands, caves, villages, and old submarine tunnels.

Then, within a few hours, you can be surrounded by forests, mountain lakes, wildflowers, and river canyons.

We saw a lot in five days.

But the place I keep thinking about is that little stone patio in Dobrota.

Fresh bread from the market.
Local jam.
Chairs beside the water.
A speedboat arriving at our dock.

And the best mussels of my life waiting somewhere inside Kotor’s Old Town.

That was Montenegro for me.