Everything from relaxing right next to the Adriatic Sea to birdwatching or paragliding…
Swim/Sunbathe
In Perast you are by the waterfront. There are plenty of small jetties and beaches available locally for sunbathing and swimming. Stretch out in the Summer sun and enjoy the gorgeous scenery, clear blue sea and warm sun.
Coast/Beach
Some of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean are within 30 minutes drive. The Adriatic coast and sandy beaches at Budva are very popular during the high season and have all the facilities you’d expect from a Western beach resort. Quieter beaches can be found on the Lustica peninsula with it’s beautiful wild landscape 20 mins drive from Perast.
Eating Out
The food and drink in Montenegro is excellent. Perast has several great restaurants serving local fish and good domestic and foreign wines. One of the best restaurants in the area, the ‘Stari Milini’ (set in a beautiful old watermill) is about 10 minutes drive away.
Partying
The romantic cobbled streets of Kotor old town (15 km away) has a party atmosphere at night and is a great way to chill out after a long day swimming and sunbathing. Uniquely you aren’t allowed to drive in the old town, you must leave your car outside the gates. This makes for a wonderfully peaceful evening without cars and motorcycles roaring up and down. The night life in Kotor is wonderful, the town really buzzes. There are plenty of outdoor cafes and bars to choose from in lively piazzas.
Windsurfing
The Montenegrin coast is perfect for windsurfing. The winds that blow create ideal conditions and there are great locations all along the coastline. It’s also possible to windsurf on the huge Skadar lake alongside Pelicans!
Diving
Kotor Bay is noted for it’s wrecks and caves – it is a haven for diving. The sea coast contains steep limestone cliffs with many small caverns, which have very convenient habitats for fish. Schools of fish such as dentexes, giltheads and cantors can be found as well as as very rare big fish like sea pigeons. The summer temperature of the water is between 21°C and 25°C, which is pleasant for diving. During the winter the temperature rarely goes bellow 13°C.
A list of diving schools can be found here: http://www.mdiving.cg.yu
Explore National Parks
There a four national parks in Montenegro:
- Biogradska Gora – 85km – A legally protected primeval forest
- Lovcen – Just the other side of Kotor – A beautiful park containing Mount Lovcen and it’s twin peaks, Stirnovik [1,749m] and Jezerski [1,657m] and also Njegos Mausoleum.
- Skadar Lake – 35km (straight line) – One of the largest lakes in Europe and one of the largest bird preserves in Europe and has some rare birds such at the Dalmatian pelican and the black ibis. This is a lovely area for painters as the views of the lake are so beautiful. On the west side of the lake is a swimming place so take your costumes as well as your binoculars.
- Durmitor Park – 65km (straight line) – This park has several peaks which offer mountaineering, hiking etc during the summer and excellent and cheap skiing in the Wint
Hiking
All of the Montenegrin countryside is largely unspoilt – to find a beautiful hike you just follow your nose.
Cycling
Cycling is a wonderful and cheap way of exploring the stunning countryside.
Horseriding
Explore the beautiful scenery of Bjelasica Mountain from the saddle.
Fishing
Fishing & Flyfishing trips can be made to the unspoiled waters of the Tara River near Kolasin. Try your skills against wild trout, grayling and river shark.
Birdwatching
Given the diversity of habitats – coast, islands, sea, lakes, ponds, swamps, rain forests and mountains there is an abundance of bird species. In particular Skadar Lake has five ornithological reserves where Dalmatian pelicans and cormorants can be seen (the second largest colony in Europe)
White water rafting
Rafting the Tara River is an incredible experience for adventurers and nature lovers. The Tara canyon, which is 1.3km deep at some points, is the deepest and longest in Europe. There are rocky and pebbly terraces, sandy beaches, high cliffs, and more than 80 large caves along the canyon. You can go rafting by boat or wooden raft along 100km of the most beautiful and the most exciting part of the Tara. The scenery simply takes your breath away! Most rafting trips take splace between June and October and last between 3 hours and 3 days.
For the more advenourous try a river trip in spring when the rivers are fullest and fastest.
See http://www.eco-tours.cg.yu for more info.
Skiing
The mountains of Durmitor and Bjelasica have ski resorts in the towns of Zabljak and Kolasi. Durmitor is covered with snow 120 days a year. Skiing is even possible even in July, since the snow is 2-3 meters high.
ParaGliding
Given the mountainous terrain in areas, it’s hardly surprising that this sport is rapidly gaining popularity in Montenegro.
