Montenegro: the Spectacular Bay of Kotor

Sunrise on the Bay of Kotor

Thursday, July 7 - Trip Day 8

Early morning on the Bay of Kotor with a fierce wind making noise in the rigging:

Thursday, July 7 - Trip Day 8

This is the most beautiful morning of the trip.  I was up at 5 AM, because I wanted to see our journey into the Boka Kotorska - the Bay of Kotor.  As you can see on the map below, it's a complex body of water, which requires a convoluted set of turns. The bay is shaped like a butterfly or angel wings.  At the top, where the left wing is located on the map, is Perast and the shrine of Our Lady of the Rocks.  On the right, at the very end of the bay, is the town of Kotor - our next port of call.  We pass the narrowest opening, the Strait of Verige, to reach the two "wings" of the bay.

The sunrise occurred at 5:17.  We were in the first narrowing of the bay, near the town of Kumbor and headed toward Tivat.  I was in my favorite spot on the Sea Cloud - the foredeck.  Its location, just aft of the foremast and above the bridge, was a lofty perch from which to watch our progress.  I went there every morning - and almost always was alone.  To reach this perch, you must climb up a rung ladder attached to a wall, which probably discouraged a few from climbing to this perfect location.

Today, the wind was screaming in my face, coming fiercely from the wind tunnel formed by the narrow neck of water where the two peninsulas of land come together.  The sound of the wind in the rigging was so noisy it drowned out any other noises.  I could hardly hold my iPhone steady to take videos, as the wind was buffeting everything that posed any surface for resistance.  It was exhilarating.  I went back to the midship to grab a cup of tea and to wake Michael - this transit was a site not to be missed.  Ironically, when I looked astern, there was a huge cruise ship following us in - at a respectable distance.   I don't think two  of those cruise ships can pass through the narrow Strait of Verige approaching Perast at the same time. Too tight.

Map of the Boka Kotorska and our location for the next few photos below

Montenegro means "black mountain" - thought to be called so because of the dark pine forests

Sharing this fun morning with Michael and some coffee and tea

A submarine docking location carved in the mountain from Yugoslavian times

Approaching the narrowest channel of this "fjord" - the Strait of Verige

Once through these narrows, the bay opens its wings to the left (Perast) and the right (Kotor)

Multiple sunrises, as we ducked behind the shadows of various peaks along the peninsulas

Large cruise ship following our path; Church of St. Nicholas on right

As we passed through the ferocious wind tunnel formed by the narrow opening at the top of the bay, the sunlight streamed down the mountainsides.  In front of us, blocking the sun still in places, was Mount Lovcen and the town of Kotor at its base to the right.  Mount Lovcen rises 5,738 feet above the bay and is the inspiration for the name of Montenegro (Crna Gora or Black Mountain).  It is part of the Dinaric Alps, which cover this section of the Balkan peninsula

The seaside town of Perast was in front of us, and on our left, the man-made island with its sailor's shrine, Our Lady of the Rocks.  To its right, the natural island of St. George, with it's Benedictine Monastery.

The islands of Our Lady of the Rocks and St. George

Sunny and way less windy now that we're through the straits

The town of Perast, also in the video below:

Approaching the port of Kotor

Morning sun streaming over Kotor and St. Matthias church

Our anchorage in Kotor - and a large cruise ship in port

The medieval city walls and fortifications climb the lower slopes of Mount Lovcen above Kotor