Perast
Perast is a small city in Montenegro.
This is a small quiet town with a population of less than 400 where you can escape Montenegro's the busier seaside resorts such as Kotor bay and Budva and enjoy a couple of leisurely hours strolling through the streets, and visiting a few museums and churches. It has a beautiful view towards the peaks around Kotor, and from here you can go to the small island in the bay, with a small monastery.
Get in
By car
The main road bypasses the town by going above it. There is only one drivable road in Perast. It is recommended to leave your car on the parking right on the entrance to town, because the road is very narrow and most parking spaces are private or already taken.
If you enter from the West or southern side beware of scammers that will tell you that you cannot drive into town. They will demand payment for the parking. Ignore them, bypass the city and enter from the other side where parking is free of such activities.
By bus
Perast is reachable by bus and car from Kotor (15-30 min drive).
From Kotor's old town, the bus stops at the southern end of the fresh market (no actual bus stop, look for people waiting around the light poles). In Perast, you can find the glass bus stop in front of the main church. Look for the Blue Line minibuses, which cost only €1 per ride. As of 2017 the Blue Line buses picked up passengers every 30 to 60 minutes until 22:30. To ensure the bus stops, it is advised to wave it down, otherwise it will not always stop. Other (long-distance) buses traveling between Kotor and Perast might also stop, if you wait and wave on the main road to Perast, and take you to Perast. There are also several open tourist buses driving along the coast after the hop-on hop-off principle. It stops here as well.
By boat
Several boat trips from Kotor and Budva takes you through the bay and sets you off at the small island church of Our Lady of the Rock. Here you have a view towards Perast town itself and the surrounding bay area. These boat trips are found many places along the beaches of Kotor and Budva.
Get around
Walking from one end to another is a relaxing mere 15-20 min stroll, so no other options than that are really necessary.
See
- 1 Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela) (Take a 5-10min boat ride from Perast). Our Lady of the Rocks is an artificial island made from sunken ships and rocks said to have formed because of oaths seamen made after finding an icon of Madonna and Child. The Church of Our Lady of Rocks is the prime attraction of the island with its blue domes rising from the tranquil bay. See the many silver votive tablets and paintings inside. You can catch water taxis from €5 for a return ticket from the water front. Just look out for the sandwich boards.
- 2 Island of St. George (Sveti Đorđe). A natural island unlike Our Lady of the Rocks. A Benedictine monastery occupies the land. The island is inaccessible to tourists. However, views of the island, monastery, and surrounding bay can be captured from Our Lady of the Rocks or on the boat ride there.
- 3 Vranovo Brdo. A mountain, 743 m tall, near Perast. The trail is signposted, and starts east from the city centre. Use walking sticks to remove countless spider webs, start early to avoid the heat (5:00 AM is a good estimate) and expect to walk at least 3 hours up. There is an abandoned church about halfway, and a fortress near the top. Great views. free.
Do
Perast doesn't have sandy beaches, however it does have stony beaches, at both north and south ends, close to its public parkings. You can sunbathe there, on the numerous small stone and concrete docks jutting out into the sea, or at a beach club.
Buy
Eat / Drink
- Konoba Milinovic, near the Boka Bay Bed & Breakfast.
- Cafe Dardin, near the city square. Serves excellent comfort food (e.g. pizza) and has great service. Accepts Mastercard.
- Conte Nautilus. Open air restaurant with extensive wine list at the Hotel Conte. Also serves breakfast for non-guests.
Sleep
- Amfora Hotel, close to city center of Perast, ☏ +382 32 305 857, fax: +382 32 305 852. Check-in: 24h, check-out: 12h. 4 Star Hotel with private beach, sauna and fish restaurant. Open 24 hours and all 365 days a year. It's at the beach Orahovac. Very quite cosy rooms with seaview overlooking Fjord of Kotor From €30 to €99.
- Boka Bay Bed & Breakfast. Two apartments with kitchenettes above family home
- Hotel Conte. Upper end apartment rooms
- Palace Jelena, ☏ +382 32 373 549. Very beautiful, and reasonably price hotel on the bay. The hotel is part of a restaurant building. Therefore, any hotel related questions (e.g. when is check out?) must be asked to the servers in the restaurant. It can be a little confusing because not all servers know the answer to hotel questions. Otherwise, the hotel is a pleasant experience. All rooms have complimentary Wi-Fi, but it can come and go at times. Mastercard is accepted.
- 1 Bluemarine Perast - Rooms & Apartments (100 meters walk from Perast Museum direction Kotor), gudelj_branko@hotmail.com. Check-in: 14:00 to 22:00, check-out: 07:00 to 11:00. from €25 to €85.