1. Why charter from Kotor
The medieval-town harbour. Kotor is the only port in the Adriatic where the marina sits fifty metres from the Sea Gate of a fortified UNESCO old town. Rent a yacht in Kotor and the boat is a 30-second walk from the old town squares - few places in the Mediterranean let you step off your charter straight into a 12th-century cathedral courtyard.
The shortest run to the postcard. Five kilometres of dead-calm water to Our Lady of the Rocks, against eleven from Tivat and twenty-eight from Budva. If the two islands of Perast are why you came to Boka, Kotor is the cleanest starting point - and the boat is back at the pier in time for a late lunch in the old town.
Walking back to dinner. After a sunset cruise you tie up under the walls, walk through the Sea Gate, and you are in one of the old-town squares in three minutes. From a Tivat embarkation the same evening means a half-hour drive back through the tunnel after the boat.
2. What is around Kotor by boat
Perast and the two islands. The 17th-century village of stone captains' houses sits five kilometres north of Kotor. Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela) is the artificial island built by Perast fishermen dropping stones onto a reef over four centuries; Saint George (Sveti Đorđe) is the natural island next to it, with a closed Benedictine monastery and a cypress-shaded cemetery. Anchor between them, dinghy to the church, swim back.
Dobrota and Prčanj. Three kilometres of waterfront on the northwestern shore - row after row of old captains' houses, family chapels, the Roman-Catholic church at Prčanj with its terrace overlooking the bay. The gentlest tour of the bay's maritime history is a slow cruise along this frontage with the boat at five knots.
Stoliv and Orahovac. Two small fishing villages on the southwestern shore. The Orahovac swim spot is the locals' favourite anchorage for a quick dip - twelve metres of clear water under the boat, no beach lounger noise.
Risan. The very head of the inner bay, the ancient Illyrian capital. The Roman floor mosaics (the Sleeping Hypnos is the most photographed) are five minutes' walk from the small fishing pier of Risan.
Verige strait. Seven kilometres west of Kotor at the bay's narrowest throat - 300 metres wide, the point where a medieval iron chain (verige) used to close the inner basin to enemy fleets.
The mountain backdrop. The walls of Saint John fortress climb 260 metres straight up from the harbour; from the water you see the full rampart line - the angle nobody gets from inside the city.
3. Half day, full day or sunset
Half day (3-4 hours). Kotor to Perast and the islands, swim from the anchorage, return along Dobrota. The standard trip - calm water all the way, no afternoon wind to worry about if you finish by two.
Full day (7-8 hours). The inner bay in the morning, then through Verige into the outer basin in the afternoon - Herceg Novi waterfront, Mamula island, the Blue Cave if the boat is fast and the sea is settled. Lunch at anchor near Bigova or Žanjic.
Sunset cruise (1.5-2 hours). The trip that makes Kotor yacht rental different from every other harbour in Boka. Out of the marina at 18:30 in July - slow run north along Dobrota with the light dropping behind the western mountain wall, the rampart line of Saint John fortress catching side light, the Perast islands silhouetted against the bay's far shore. Back as the old town's evening lights come on. Booked mostly by couples and birthday groups staying in the old-town hotels.
Multi-day. Almost all full-week charters in Montenegro start from Tivat, where the boat lives. From Kotor it is normally a one-way embark - take the boat south for the week and disembark in Tivat or Bar.
4. Two routes I book most often
Route A - Perast and the two islands, half day
Marina Kotor through the cruise-pier channel, past the three-kilometre Dobrota captains' frontage, into Perast bay. Anchor between Our Lady of the Rocks and Sveti Đorđe. Dinghy to the church for fifteen minutes - the museum upstairs has the silver votives left by sailors over four centuries - then swim back. Slow return down the western shore past Prčanj. The water inside the bay is glassy almost every morning until about eleven.
Route B - Kotor sunset
Marina Kotor at 18:30 in July (a little earlier in shoulder months). North along the Dobrota waterfront, past the captains' chapels. Drop the anchor off Perast as the light catches the western side of the islands. Light dinner or champagne on the flybridge. Run back as the harbour starts to glow. The light moves quickly here - 45 minutes from the first orange touch on the walls to dark, which is why this trip rewards a slow boat over a fast one.
5. Which boat fits your group
When you rent a boat in Kotor the available fleet on the day is smaller than at Porto Montenegro - Marina Kotor holds around thirty berths, and only a handful of charter boats are based here full-time. The rest come up from Tivat for the booking. The choice still covers everything from a six-metre RIB to a 30-metre motor yacht.
Speedboat or RIB (2-8 guests). The Loving Speed RIB and similar small craft come to Marina Kotor from Tivat on request. Fast enough to fit Perast, the islands and a swim into a short morning window.
Day-charter motor boat (6-10 guests). 30-40 ft motor boats with a small cabin and shaded aft deck. The comfortable size for a full-day from Kotor to Herceg Novi and back.
Catamaran (10-13 guests). The Nautitech 40 lives in Marina Kotor; the wider catamaran fleet (Bali Catspace, Lagoon 45, Aventura 36) arrives from Tivat for the day. Wide deck, stable platform, the family choice.
Sailing yacht (4-10 guests). Jeanneau, Bavaria, Dufour. Sailing inside the inner bay is fluky - the wind bounces off the mountain walls and shifts every twenty minutes - but the afternoon thermal from the south reliably fills the sails for a couple of hours.
Larger motor yacht (8-12 guests in comfort). Princess, Azimut, Marquis. Berthed at the super-yacht piers in Porto Montenegro and brought to Kotor for the day or the evening. The right scale for a corporate Kotor yacht rental or a milestone-birthday sunset cruise.
Full fleet with photos at the Montenegro yacht charter page - eighteen boats, each with its own detail page.
6. Where you board in Kotor
Marina Kotor sits at the foot of the city Sea Gate, between the cruise pier and the old fish market. It is the smallest of the three Boka marinas - around thirty berths - which is why most of the fleet is based in Tivat. Boats coming from Tivat for a Kotor charter add 30-45 minutes of transit each way; the day rate usually absorbs it but check the quote.
If you are staying in the old town the marina is a two- to three-minute walk from any of the gates. Pull your bag through the Sea Gate and you are at the pier.
Parking is the awkward part - the spaces in front of the marina fill by mid-morning. The larger public car park is at the southern end of Dobrota, ten minutes' walk along the promenade.
7. Pricing and how to book
Rough starting rates, high season, in euros. Boats arriving from Tivat for a Kotor charter normally fold the 30-45 minute transit into the day rate; the quote will say either way.
| Speedboat / RIB | 250-350 half day · 400-500 full day |
|---|---|
| Motor boat with cabin (8-12 m) | 450-750 per day |
| Sailing yacht (36-50 ft) + skipper | 350-700 per day + EUR 150-200 skipper |
| Catamaran 36-46 ft | 650-950 per day (transit from Tivat included where applicable) |
| Larger motor yacht (50-100 ft) | 1500-3500+ per day |
| Sunset cruise (1.5-2 hours) | 250-500, boat-dependent |
Shoulder months (May, June, September, October) run 20 to 30 percent below summer peak. A skipper is normally EUR 150-200 per day and is required on most boats unless you hold an ICC or RYA Day Skipper licence; on the speedboats and RIBs it is included.
To rent a boat in Kotor for a half-day to the islands and back, or to organise a longer Kotor yacht rental over several days, send three things on WhatsApp: dates, group size, and the type of boat you have in mind. We confirm the same day and send a firm quote with the pier at Marina Kotor, what is included in the rate, and the skipper option.
See all yachts to rent in Montenegro.