3 nights in Igalo, Montenegro

We ended our Balkan road trip with 3 nights in Montenegro. We chose to base ourselves in Igalo which was a great base for exploring some of the Bay of Kotor and just over the boarder from Croatia.

Where we stayed:

We stayed at the Palmon Bay Hotel and Spa which was a a really lovely hotel with everything we needed and a great base for exploring the area. Read about our stay here.

What we did:

We had slightly run out of steam by the time we got to Montenegro and we also had a birthday to celebrate so we didn’t fill our days with as much as we could have.

Perast:

A small coastal village about an hour’s drive from Igalo. There is a parking area before you enter the village with an attendant taking money and then the village is mostly car free. There is several bars and restaurants and a couple of shops but it is totally worth a visit for the spectacular scenery.

When we visited there were at least 3 weddings happening in restaurants on the sea front and it is such an idyllic place to get married.

The sea in the foreground and some of the houses of Perast and a fishing boat in the background.

A 10 year old girl dressed in a blue and white striped t-shirt and blue shorts is sat on a wall in front of the Perast sign and has the sea and some of the town in the distance behind her. the persist sign is a red and blue striped frame that looks like an airmail envelope with a stamp in the top right corner and the word Perast at the top.

Oysters:

There are several floating oyster bars on the Bay of Kotor. These tiny restaurants have a menu that is mainly limited to oysters and sometimes mussles and when you order they

Definitely worth a stop if you like oysters. We visited Oyster Montenegro (https://www.instagram.com/oysters_montenegro/) but there are lots along the coast.

The floating kitchen of an oyster restaurant with work benches and a roof to provide shade.

A man in a white t-shirt and sunglasses eating an oyster.

Herceg Novi:

Another small town on the Bay of Kotor, it’s definitely worth a wander through the old streets and interesting architecture. We especially enjoyed meeting the local cats.

Herceg Novi also has a fortress which you are able to explore.

A photo of the front of a tiny old church with the door, a circular floral design window and the bell tower with 3 bells visible.

A 10 year old girl in a rainbow striped vest top, blue shorts and with a green jumper tied around her waist stood in front of an old wooden door painted blue with a floral design.

Igalo:

Igalo is a tyical seaside town which comes to life at night with restaurants, bars and some fun fair type rides for the kids. We had a lovely wander down the sea front for a drink on an evening.

Getting around:

It was useful to have a car as the coastal towns are very spread out. As we had our own transport we didn’t look in to taxis or public transport but it was nice to be able to explore at our own pace and stop when we wanted.

Thoughts on Montenegro:

Montenegro is stunningly beautiful but is definitely not as geared up for tourism as it’s neighbour Croatia. It was more of a slow paced trip amongst beautiful scenery rather than a fast paced adventure which was perfect for what we needed and we would love to go back.

We visited in August 2022 when Pip was 10.

Go everywhere, Do everything

Travel and Adventure