Kotor beaches, swimming in the Bay of Kotor

If you’re picturing the long sandy beaches of the Algarve or the Costa del Sol, reset your expectations before you reach Kotor. Swimming here means pebbles, concrete lidos and jetties, in still water framed by mountains over a thousand metres high. The bay has 105.7 km of shoreline and nearly every village along it has its own place to swim. Here’s what the National Tourism Organisation lists, and how I’d choose.

Is there a beach in Kotor old town?

No. None of the official lists put a beach inside the walls, and the old town’s waterfront is the port. Head north along the shore, though, and a string of small beaches begins. The nearest on the list is Dobrota, where people swim off the promenade a short walk from the Sea Gate. Keep following the water and you reach Orahovac, Perast, Risan, Morinj and Kostanjica, while across the bay are Prčanj and Markov rt.

Bajova kula, the one I’d head for

It’s on the road from Kotor to Perast, at Dražin Vrt according to OpenStreetMap, and it’s the National Tourism Organisation’s pick as Kotor’s romantic beach. Expect pebbles, see-through water, a jetty and a beach bar on the shore where sunbeds are hired, with the smell of bay laurel coming down from the slope behind. The listing gives about €20 for a set of sunbeds, depending on the season, and advises booking because it fills up. It also notes a small stretch where you can lay a towel for free.

For me it’s the best balance in the bay between setting and comfort. In August I’d arrive early or book the day before.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Kotor for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Markov rt, for families

On the Prčanj shore, Markov rt is a long pebble beach where the water deepens gradually, which is exactly what you want with toddlers. There are sunbeds, a café, a restaurant, parking and a boat jetty, like most of Kotor’s family beaches according to the National Tourism Organisation. It sits on the same headland as the Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay resort.

Perast and the inner bay

On the edge of Perast there’s a concrete section with sunbeds for hire and a café, and the official listing sells it with a detail I rather like, that it’s ideal for jumping off the jetty. Swimming with Perast’s two islands just across the water is one of those moments that makes the trip.

Further round, Risan, Morinj and Kostanjica sit at the far end of the bay, away from the cruise ships, and appear on the same family list. The National Tourism Organisation also adds Žukovica and Trsteno to Kotor’s list, out on the open coast towards Budva (OpenStreetMap places them in Budva municipality).

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Kotor for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Planning a beach day from Kotor

Without a car, Dobrota on foot and a taxi to Bajova kula are the easy options. With one, I’d spend a morning at Perast and an afternoon at Bajova kula. And if you want to swim somewhere the road doesn’t reach, look at the Kotor boat trips round the bay, which stop for a dip depending on the route.