5 days in Igalo: the town and day trips

Raffaelo is a beach club on the Pet Danica promenade, with sun loungers, cabanas, showers, and changing rooms. A bar and restaurant sit beside the beach, making it a good choice for visitors who want loungers and facilities on site.

Allow 20 minutes to walk from central Igalo to Raffaelo, starting the day around 9:00. That leaves four hours for swimming and relaxing, until 13:20.

From central Igalo, follow the promenade towards Topla to the beach club entrance.

The walk back from Topla takes about 20 minutes, with the same amount of time to change. Lunch in Igalo can begin around 14:00. There is an hour for the meal and another hour to rest before walking to Andric's house.

For places near your accommodation, see where to eat in Igalo.

Photographs of Ivo Andric and Milica Babic show their years in Herceg Novi, while the upstairs exhibition also explores the writer's literary and diplomatic work. Replicas of his Nobel diploma and medal are on display. A period mirror is the only surviving original item from the house. The restored garden contains 51 plant species, following a list compiled by Andric himself.

Allow 30 minutes to walk from central Igalo to the house at 79 Njegoseva Street. There are 45 minutes for the exhibition and garden, from 16:30 to 17:15, followed by another half hour for the walk back. An individual ticket costs €4. Herceg Fest lists daily opening hours of 9:00-22:00 from 25 June. This visit also fits within the shorter Sunday hours of 10:00-18:00 listed by the tourist board.

From the waterfront promenade, head up to Njegoseva Street in Topla and continue to number 79.

Blatna Beach, also known as Stara Banja, is at the western end of Igalo's waterfront. Its fine sandy surface has a mud-like texture.

Allow 10 minutes to get there from Igalo's promenade, starting the day around 9:00. The four hours for swimming and relaxing end at 13:10.

The walk back to nearby accommodation takes 10 minutes, with another half hour to change. Lunch can begin around 13:50. There are 60 minutes for the meal, followed by another half hour to rest. For places near your accommodation, see where to eat in Igalo.

Amphorae recovered from shipwrecks, shipboard tableware, and furniture from town houses are displayed in the former home of Mirko and Olga Komnenovic. Mirko's desk is a particular highlight, alongside objects from his ancestors' maritime collection. The garden, with plants brought back from sea voyages, adds to the picture of a town whose residents brought their connections with the wider world into their homes.

Allow 25 minutes to walk from Igalo to the museum and 55 minutes for the collections and garden, from 15:45 to 16:40. The museum is at 9 Mirka Komnenovica Street in Topla. The published museum hours are Monday-Saturday, 8:00-17:00, so the visit ends before closing.

Reaching the museum in Topla involves leaving the promenade and heading up to the house at 9 Mirka Komnenovica Street.

The passage beneath the Clock Tower leads towards the Old Town's steps and stone squares. At Belavista, the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel stands among palm trees. Its carved stone from Korcula and mix of Byzantine, Romanesque-Gothic, and Islamic details reward a closer look. The church is viewed from the outside.

Allow 25 minutes to walk from the museum towards the Old Town. Another 45 minutes cover the squares, stairways, and sights around the Clock Tower and Belavista.

Kanli Kula is an Ottoman fortress that also served as a prison. Its high stone walls now enclose the stage and seating of a summer theatre, with views over the Old Town and the bay.

Allow 10 minutes to walk from Belavista to the fortress and 40 minutes to look around. An individual ticket costs €4. Herceg Fest lists opening hours of 9:00-21:00 from 25 June. Spring hours are 9:00-19:00. The 18:40 finish is before the earlier closing time. The approach includes stairs.

From Kanli Kula, the steps lead down to Skver. The Pet Danica promenade then continues through Topla to Igalo. Allow 50 minutes for the walk back and a 15-minute break along the way.

The road to Kotor follows the northern shore of the Bay of Kotor through Kamenari and Risan. Along the coastal stretches, the sea runs beside the road, with steep mountains and settlements across the bay.

Allow 90-110 minutes to drive from Igalo to Kotor, starting the day around 9:00. Another 15 minutes cover parking at Benovo, followed by 10 minutes to walk to the Old Town. For a passenger car with up to five seats, Benovo costs €1.90 per hour or part of an hour from April to the end of October. See parking in Kotor for access options. A long summer traffic queue can exceed the travel allowance.

For more on the northern coastal route, see Risan, Perast, and Kotor by car from Herceg Novi.

Old sea charts, portraits, and ship models in Grgurina Palace trace the history of shipping in the Bay of Kotor. In the salon of the Florio family from Prcanj, lemonwood-veneered furniture stands alongside paintings of the bay's sailing ships.

Allow 10 minutes to reach the museum from the Old Town entrance, 5 minutes for a ticket, and an hour for the collections. The visit ends between 12:10 and 12:30. From 1 May to 1 October, the Maritime Museum is open 9:00-18:00 on weekdays and 9:00-13:00 at weekends and on public holidays. Adult admission is €5.

The twin bell towers of Saint Tryphon bear traces of rebuilding after the 1667 earthquake. Nearby, Pima Palace shows the grandeur of a former noble residence in its stone balconies. Farther along the streets, little Saint Luke's stands beside the much larger Church of Saint Nicholas. Their differences in scale and age are visible without going inside: Saint Luke's dates from 1195, while Saint Nicholas was built in the early 20th century.

Allow 20 minutes to walk between these squares and 55 minutes to look around outside. Time for going inside the cathedral or climbing to the fortress is not included.

Lunch can begin between 13:50 and 14:10, depending on the drive from Igalo. The estimate includes 60 minutes for the meal, a 25-minute break beforehand, and another 45 minutes to rest afterwards.

For places to eat in town, see where to eat in Kotor.

Beyond the town walls, the view opens onto the water again. A walk along the beginning of Dobrota's waterfront shows another side of Kotor: the sea in front of the houses and mountains across the bay, rather than narrow passages between palaces.

Allow 20 minutes to reach the waterfront, half an hour to walk and linger, a 15-minute break, and 20 minutes to return towards the Old Town. The walk ends at the Old Town's Sea Gate.

Allow 10 minutes to walk from the Old Town to the car, then 90-120 minutes to drive back through Risan and Kamenari. Another five minutes cover parking in Igalo. This route does not use the ferry.

In Risan, the floor of a former Roman villa survives, with rooms arranged around a central space. Its most striking mosaic depicts the winged Hypnos, god of sleep, surrounded by geometric and plant motifs. The preserved domestic setting offers a glimpse of ancient life around the Bay of Kotor, before the later maritime palaces of Perast.

Allow 60-80 minutes to drive from Igalo through Kamenari and Morinj, starting the day around 8:30. Another 15 minutes cover parking and the walk to the site. Allow five minutes for a ticket and 40 minutes for the mosaics. From 15 April to 15 October, the Roman Mosaics are open Tuesday-Sunday, 8:00-20:00. An individual ticket costs €6, or €12 for a combined ticket with the Perast Town Museum.

Leave the car at Porto Risan car park, a five-minute walk from the mosaics. The Roman Mosaics and the Perast Town Museum are closed on Mondays, Orthodox Easter, and 1 May. The combined ticket covers both sites and is bought before the first visit.

The salon in Bujovic Palace displays sea captains' portraits, nautical instruments, and a model of Adriana, the last sailing ship in the Perast fleet. The Women's Room on the ground floor contains dowry chests, traditional clothing, and handicrafts from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Allow five minutes to walk from the mosaics to the car, 20-25 minutes to drive to Perast's entrance car park, 10 minutes to park, and 15-20 minutes to walk to the museum. There is an hour for the exhibition. From 15 April to 15 October, the museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, 8:00-20:00. An individual ticket costs €8.

Leave the car at the entrance car park on the Kotor side of town, then walk along the waterfront to the museum. The same closures apply as at the Roman Mosaics.

Perast's stone facades line a narrow strip of shore, with the tall bell tower of Saint Nicholas rising above them. Two islands lie offshore: Sveti Djordje and Our Lady of the Rocks, whose church is surrounded by the sea.

Allow 35 minutes to walk and linger along the waterfront, followed by another 45 minutes of free time before the meal. Lunch can begin between 13:40 and 14:10. There is an hour for the meal and another half hour to rest. The boat crossing follows afterwards.

Crossing to Our Lady of the Rocks gives you a different view of Perast. Its palaces and bell tower now stand across the water beneath a steep mountainside. From the island, you can also see the shores of the inner bay and neighbouring Sveti Djordje. This visit covers time outdoors and a look at the church from the outside.

The local boat operator lists a crossing time of 7-10 minutes each way, with return departures every 30 minutes. The estimate allows 10 minutes on the water each way, 30 minutes on the island, 10 minutes in total for boarding, and two waiting allowances of 30 minutes each. The crossing price, island access fee, and exact boarding point need to be confirmed when arranging the trip. Time inside the church and its museum is not included in this estimate.

This is a short return crossing from Perast, separate from the longer tours around the bay. Its timing depends on a confirmed departure and sailing conditions.

Allow 15-20 minutes to walk from the waterfront to the entrance car park, then 60-80 minutes to drive through Risan and Kamenari. Another five minutes cover parking in Igalo. The return route follows the bay's northern shore without a ferry crossing.

Allow 45 minutes to walk from Igalo to the boarding point at Skver, starting the day around 9:00. Another 15 minutes cover boarding. The suggested boat departure is at 10:00, with the return at 17:00, by prior arrangement. Montenegro Wild Boat lists a standard return transfer for 1-6 passengers at €160 per boat. The advertised journey is approximately 16 minutes. The itinerary allows 30 minutes each way for the crossing and disembarking.

The 10:00 and 17:00 times are suggested booking times, not a published public service timetable. This schedule requires a confirmed direct return transfer from Skver.

The pebble cove at Zanjice lies in front of olive groves, on the side of Lustica facing the entrance to the bay. Across the water, Mamula draws the eye: an island fortress between the bay's shores and the open Adriatic. Swimming here comes with a very different landscape from Igalo's muddy shoreline and the waterfront terraces of Topla.

The four-hour stay on the beach runs from around 10:30 to around 14:30. The boat journey and later lunch are separate from those four hours.

Porto Adriatic is beside the beach at Zanjice.

After four hours on the beach, there are 15 minutes to change, so lunch can begin around 14:45. The estimate allows 60 minutes for the meal, followed by another 45 minutes to rest before getting ready for the return boat.

Allow 30 minutes to get ready and board before the agreed departure at 17:00. Another half hour covers the crossing and disembarking at Skver, followed by a walk of about 45 minutes back to Igalo. Sailing depends on the weather and confirmation from the operator.