The Bay of Kotor, Montenegro with a Baby: A Week on the Bay
A week in Kotor, Montenegro with a four-month-old: Kotor Old Town, a boat day to the Blue Cave and Herceg Novi, Budva and Sveti Stefan, Perast, the road up to Lovćen and the cable car at sunset.
If someone asked me for one place in Europe to take a baby, I’d say the Bay of Kotor without thinking about it. The mountains drop straight into calm water, the towns are small and walkable, the food is good, and life moves slowly. We gave it a full week, which felt like a lot when we booked it and not nearly enough when we left.
This is part two of our 5 weeks in Europe with a baby series. Andi was four months old.
- Route
- Paris → fly to Tivat → Kotor base, with day trips to Herceg Novi, Budva, Sveti Stefan, Perast and Lovćen
- How long
- 7 days
- Who came
- Colin, me and Andi (4 months)
- Getting around
- A rental car, a boat day, and the cable car up the mountain
- Best for
- Slow travel with a baby: calm water, short drives, long dinners
Getting to Kotor
We flew from Paris Orly to Tivat, which is the closest airport to Kotor and only a short drive away. We picked up a rental car at the airport, and that car made the week. Everything on the bay is a short drive, and with a baby it’s so much easier to load up and go on your own schedule.
Kotor Old Town and evenings on the bay
We spent our first couple of days settling in. Kotor’s Old Town is a tangle of stone alleys inside the walls. It’s fun to get lost in with a carrier, less fun with a stroller. Kotor gets cruise ships, so the Old Town is calmest early in the morning and in the evening.
Evenings were the best part. We’d walk along the water at sunset, watch the boats come in, and have a long dinner. One night the moon came up over the bay, and it was one of those moments I didn’t want to end.
A boat day to the Blue Cave and Herceg Novi
On the 28th we took a boat out of the bay to the Blue Cave on the Luštica peninsula, then on to Herceg Novi. Andi wore her own tiny infant life jacket and sat on Colin’s lap in her sun hat, completely unbothered.
If you’re doing a boat day with a baby, ask the company before you book whether they have an infant life jacket, or bring your own like we did. Shade on the boat matters too.
Budva and Sveti Stefan
On the 29th we drove down the coast to Budva and spent the day at the beach looking out at Sveti Stefan, the little walled island village that’s on every Montenegro postcard. We stayed for sunset in Budva, which was spectacular.
Perast
Perast was my favorite town on the bay. It’s tiny, it’s right on the water, and it has a church tower you can see from everywhere. We spent the 30th wandering the waterfront, then drove around Risan Bay to find quiet spots to dip our feet in.
The road up to Lovćen and the cable car at sunset
Our last big day was the 31st. We drove the switchback road up the mountain toward Lovćen National Park and Cetinje. The views back down over the bay are unreal. Take it slow, because it’s a lot of hairpin turns.
We ended the day on the Kotor cable car, which runs from just outside town up toward Lovćen. We rode up for sunset and had an Aperol at the top while the whole bay turned gold underneath us.
Earlier that day, down at the water, Andi did her Bay of Kotor pop-up. It’s still one of my favorites.
The Bay of Kotor with a baby: what worked
- Base yourself in one place for the week. Everything on the bay is a day trip.
- Rent a car. It turns every outing into a short, easy drive, and the car seat doubles as a nap spot.
- Do the Old Town early or late to avoid the cruise ship crowds.
- Bring a carrier. Kotor’s alleys and stairs are not stroller territory.
- Shade and a sun hat for boat days.
- Check your rental’s border policy if you’re driving on to Croatia like we did.
Next stop: Croatia
From Kotor we drove over the border to Dubrovnik and started our Croatia road trip. Read it next: Croatia with a baby.
