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11 Best Kotor Beaches and Beaches Near Kotor

BY SARAH

Kotor is undeniably beautiful and part of the allure is Kotor beaches, especially in summer.

Summer temperatures in the Bay of Kotor hover around 30°C (80°F) and the sea water is around 26-28°C (79-82°F), making it ideal for hitting the beach.

Although you can’t swim directly in front of Kotor old town because of the port and marina, the good news is there are beaches near Kotor old town.

You’ll find Kotor Bay beaches within walking distance, but it’s also worth hiring a car (try Localrent for the best prices and service) or taking a boat tour to check out other great beaches near Kotor.

In this article, I share the best beaches near Kotor, Montenegro. Some of these are popular destinations with trendy beach bars and some offer you the chance to escape the crowds and discover natural paradises.

And of course I give you my favorites and local tips!

About Kotor Beaches

Best Beaches in Kotor

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

About Kotor Beaches

In Kotor, all beaches are technically public, but they're often split into public and private sections. Here's what you need to know:

Public Beach Areas:

Completely free to use.
Space can be limited; it's best to arrive early, ideally before 10 am, to secure a spot.

Private Beach Sections:

You'll need to pay for sun loungers and an umbrella. These are usually rented out as a pair.
Prices vary significantly. Always check the price before renting.
If you find a beach bar you love, make a reservation because tables and sun loungers are often fully booked in summer.

Most private sections shut down in September. After this, the beaches remain open and free, but without the option to rent loungers or access to beachside restaurants.

Most beaches in the Bay of Kotor are pebbly or rocky, but you’ll also find a couple of sandy beaches.

Best Beaches in Kotor

1. Kotor Beach

Nestled along the picturesque coastline in Kotor, Kotor Beach is just a short walk from Kotor old town. With its easy accessibility and stunning surroundings, it's no wonder this beach attracts visitors looking to cool off and take a dive into those inviting waters.

Kotor’s main beach is a pebble beach, like most Bay of Kotor beaches, so you might want to bring water shoes if you’re not comfortable walking on pebbles and seagrass.

The small strip does get busy in the peak months of July and August and because it’s so popular, it’s not a free beach. Sun loungers cost €25 for two sunloungers and an umbrella, but the sea is front is roped off, so you know swimming there is safe which gives you peace of mind if you’re taking your kids to the beach.

There’s also a beachside café called Little Bay, so you don’t have to leave the beach at all when you get hungry. Little Bay serves modern Montenegrin dishes like ćevapi (Balkan sausages) and fries, prosciutto and cheese platters, tuna steaks and calamari. You can expect to spend around €15-20 per person here.

If you have limited time in Kotor and want to take a dip in the bay, I think it’s worth spending the money to enjoy a few hours on the beach in Kotor.

If you're staying in Kotor, staying in a beachfront hotel like HUMA Kotor Bay Hotel and Villas is a great option because you have free beach access included with your stay. You get the benefit of a beautiful beach and sun loungers without having to pay €25 every time.

HUMA Kotor Bay Hotel and Villas

2. Kotor Natural Beach

Kotor Natural Beach is a hidden gem if you’re looking for a free beach where you can park your towel and not have to shell out for sun loungers.

Tucked away on the opposite side of Kotor to Kotor Beach, this beach offers a more natural and rugged experience than Kotor Beach. There are no sun loungers and groomed shore like at other beaches near Kotor.

Instead, there is free parking, ruins of the Fjord Hotel and sometimes trash left behind by other beachgoers. But there are two small, local-style cafes, it’s within walking distance from Kotor and it has a great view of Kotor.

Again, due to the pebble and rocks on this wild beach, you may wish to bring aqua shoes when swimming here.

If you’re looking for a free place to park your towel within walking distance of Kotor, this is the beach for you!

3. Žanjice Beach

Žanjice Beach. Image: Deposit Photos

Žanjice Beach is actually quite far from Kotor, it lies just outside the entrance of the Bay of Kotor on the Adriatic Sea, but I’m listing it here because it’s one of the most visited from Kotor.

If you’re looking for clear blue seas where you can swim, sunbathe and snorkel, it’s worth taking a boat trip from Kotor that includes a stop at Žanjice Beach. Most of the boat tours from Kotor include stops at Our Lady of the Rocks and the Blue Cave, so it’s the perfect way to combine seeing the Bay of Kotor’s top sights with some relaxing beach time.

Žanjice Beach is a protected cove with a large pebble beach. You can lay a towel or hire loungers, and eat at the many local seaside restaurants. I love this area because the water is so clear and warm. Bring a mask for snorkelling and you’ll see fish, sea urchins and starfish. With rugged bush surrounding the beach, it’s an idyllic seaside getaway!

4. Bajova Kula Beach

Around 15 minutes’ drive from Kotor, Bajova Kula Beach offers the feeling of a getaway in the Bay of Kotor. Set in a small blink-and-you-miss-it village called Dražin Vrt, this is one of the best beaches in Kotor Bay.

Bajova Kula is a privately-run beach, meaning it’s groomed and you’ll find sun loungers, changing and toilet facilities and a restaurant. The sun loungers cost €30 a pair, including an umbrella.

At the restaurant you can get dishes like calamari, fish, chicken, pastas and risottos - typical dishes at Montenegrin restaurants. Although there’s no competition around, the restaurant’s prices are in line with other restaurants around the bay and you can expect to pay around €15-20 per person here.

The last time we were here we saw dolphins!

5. Morinj Beach

Idyllic beach in Morinj

Morinj is one of my favourite places to go to the beach. It’s a 30-minute drive from Kotor, so a little further away, but it’s a great spot if you’ve got kids.

The main beach is large for a Kotor beach, which are usually quite small, and it’s one of the very few sandy beaches in the bay. Unlike many other beaches around the bay, it doesn’t drop off and get very deep suddenly, another reason why it’s great for kids.

The only downside to Morinj Beach is the water is colder than elsewhere around the bay. Morinj is known for its many freshwater springs, and these bring the water temperature down. However, given that the water in Bay of Kotor can get up to 26-28°C (79-82°F) in summer, it can be quite pleasant when it’s a few degrees cooler.

At Morinj Beach you can just park your towel, so it’s free to use the beach, but it does get crowded in summer for that reason. Conveniently, there’s a large parking lot across the road from the beach which costs €2.

Morinj is also home to one of Kotor Bay’s best restaurants, Ćatovića Mlini, and I highly recommend eating here if you go to Morinj Beach. The restaurant serves excellent traditional-style seafood dishes like monkfish and whole fish cooked in salt, but the stand-out feature of this place is the grounds.

Based in a converted watermill, the stone buildings and terraces overlook creeks full of ducks and fish, strutting peacocks and beautiful, manicured lawns. It’s the perfect place to indulge in local cuisine, savoring fresh seafood delicacies paired with a glass of locally produced wine!

Ćatovića Mlini

6. Pirate Beach, Perast

Pirate Beach, located in the charming town of Perast, is the perfect place to stop when you visit Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks.

While Perast itself exudes old-world charm and nobility, Pirate Beach offers a more modern vibe. With lounge music playing from a lively beach bar and cocktails flowing, it’s a great place for a fun beach day just 15 minutes from Kotor.

The beach has imported gravel, so it’s comfortable on your feet and you can see how amazingly clear the water is in Kotor Bay.You can also hire sun loungers for €20 for a pair including an umbrella and sip cocktails overlooking Perast’s islands, Our Lady of the Rocks and Sveti Ɖorđe.

I think that’s great value for such a unique location!

Perast is an amazing place to stay in the Bay of Kotor. The entire town is made of stone houses and the shore is lined with baroque palaces.

The Heritage Grand Perast is a former palace that has been transformed into an incredible seafront hotel that's ideal for a seaside stay!

Heritage Grand Perast and waterfront

7. Verige Beach

Verige Beach is a small beach a 20-minute drive from Kotor. This charming little wild beach is in the narrowest part of the Bay of Kotor, where the Kotor Bay Ferry connects the bay.

The beach is made of fine pebbles and you can see little fish darting about in the crystal-clear water before it drops off into the deep blue of the bay. To make this beach even prettier, there is a beautiful little church, Church of Our Lady of Angels. The view of the church overlooking the bay, Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks is simply stunning!

The other thing I like about this beach is that it’s great for boat spotting. When you see a cruise ship passing through the narrow straits here, you appreciate how huge they are! You’ll also see lots of mega yachts and beautiful sailing boats passing by.

Next to the beach is a little restaurant with reasonable prices and you can hire sun loungers.

Church of Our Lady of Angels in Kotor Bay

Church of Our Lady of Angels. Image: Deposit Photos

8. Risan Beach

If you’re looking to get out of the tourist hubs and hit the beach with the locals, head over to Risan Bay.

You can lay a towel down at the wild beach Bolnička Plaža, which has authentic Kotor Bay stones and rocks. Not as pretty as the groomed beaches, but kids love exploring under the rocks and it has a very pretty view of 7th-century Banja Monastery with its towering cypress trees.

If you prefer a groomed beach, Smokvica Beach Bar has a lovely pebble beach with sun loungers at reasonable prices (€8 for a pair) and a restaurant with good-quality casual meals, also at reasonable prices.

9. Adriatica Beach Club

If you’re looking for something special, head over to Adriatica, on the Herceg Novi side of the Verige Strait. This upscale restaurant and beach is the place to spend a day in luxurious surroundings sipping champagne and revelling in the Bay of Kotor’s otherworldly sea views.

Adriatica’s beach is a proper white sand beach and you can hire sun loungers, lazy bags and bedouins (large, curtained loungers for up to 4 people) for €25 per person. They often have beach parties with dj’s and cocktails.

Adriatica also has a beautiful seaside restaurant with tables under 300-year-old olive trees that serves high-end seafood and Mediterranean dishes.

10. Plavi Horizonti

Plavi Horizonti

Plavi Horizonti (Blue Horizons) lies around 20 minutes’ drive from Kotor, so you’ll need to hire a car to get here (I recommend Localrent.com for the best deals, service and choice) but it’s worth it!

The beach lies in a perfect horseshoe-shaped cove surrounded by dense bush. And the beach itself is a huge beach of fine sand that slopes gently into the water. It’s very shallow in most of the bay, so it’s ideal for everyone, including kids.

The water is always warm here because it’s so shallow, however it is prone to algae because of this and the water isn’t as clear as beaches with a rocky bottom like Žanjice Beach.

There are several restaurants with reasonably-priced meals (€8-15), showers and toilets which makes it ideal for an all-day beach experience. Parking costs €5 for the day and you can rent sun loungers for €20 for a pair.

This is a great place if you’re looking for a family-friendly place to spend a beach day!

11. Oblatno Beach

Oblatno Beach/Almara Beach Club

Oblatno Beach is also on the open sea, around 20 minutes’ drive from Kotor. If you’re looking for a beach day at a trendy beach club, this is the perfect place for you. Many of the yachts from Porto Montenegro and Portonovi make the trip over to Oblatno to spend the day here.

Like Plavi Horizonti Beach, Oblatno Beach is sandy and shallow so it’s great for kids and games of catch.

Part of the beach is free and part of it has sun loungers which you can hire from Almara Beach Club. This is the ideal place to grab a cocktail from the bar and soak up the sun overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

Almara Beach Club also has an upscale restaurant that serves dishes like crispy calamari, sea bass ceviche, squid ink tagliatelle and paella. Be prepared to pay a premium here though, starters and salads cost €15-20 and mains are priced at €25-45.

The only thing I don’t like about Oblatno Beach is it tends to attract wasps. Almara Beach Club does a great job burning coffee grinds to keep them away, but over on the free area of the beach they tend to buzz around, especially when you open food.

If you’re looking for a trendy beach club with lounge music, cocktails and a gorgeous sandy beach, you’ll love Oblatno Beach!

Frequently Asked Questions About Kotor Beaches

Does Kotor have good beaches?

Kotor has good beaches. You can find beaches within a short walk of Kotor old town and all around the Bay of Kotor. Some of the best beaches in Kotor Bay are within Kotor municipality, but not in Kotor itself so it’s worth hiring a car to travel to more secluded beaches.

Can you swim in Kotor Beach?

Yes, you can swim at Kotor Beach. Kotor Beach is just a few minutes’ walk from the old town and the water is very warm in summer at 26-28°C (79-82°F). You can use the free part of the beach or hire sun loungers for €25 per pair with a sun umbrella.

Is Kotor good for swimming?

Kotor is good for swimming. You’ll find little pebble and rocky beaches all around the Bay of Kotor. If you prefer big or sandy beaches, it’s best to head to a beach like Žanjice or Plavi Horizonti.

Can you swim at Kotor town?

Yes, you can swim at Kotor town. There is a marina and port directly in front of Kotor old town, so you can’t swim there, but you can swim at the beaches either side of the old town.

Does Kotor have sand beaches?

No, Kotor does not have sand beaches. The closest natural sand beach is at Morinj. Other popular sand beaches near Kotor are Plavi Horizonti, Oblatno and at Adriatica Beach Club.

Is Kotor Beach free?

Yes, Kotor Beach is free. Beaches in Kotor and around Montenegro must have free areas and areas with sun loungers, which are charged for. However, it can be difficult to get a free spot on Kotor Beach in the peak months of July and August.

If you plan to use the beach a lot, it's best to book a beachfront hotel like HUMA Kotor Bay Hotel and Villas where you can use the hotel beach for free.

Are there dolphins in Kotor?

Yes, there are often dolphins in Kotor. They often come into the Bay of Kotor to hunt fish and it’s always something special seeing them jumping and playing in the bay. If you’re lucky you might see some on a Kotor boat tour!

Can you snorkel in Kotor?

Yes, you can snorkel in Kotor. The water in Kotor tends to be less clear than in the open sea (Adriatic Sea) though, which is why I recommend taking a boat tour to the Blue Cave and Žanjice Beach where you’ll find incredibly clear waters that are perfect for snorkelling.

How deep is the water in Kotor?

The depth of the water in the Bay of Kotor is an average of 27.3m deep. The deepest point is through the Verige Strait, which is 60m deep. It’s this deep water in the bay that allows large cruise ships to enter and travel all the way to Kotor.

Final Thoughts About Kotor Beaches

Kotor is a great place to spend some time on the beach. The water is warm and calm and the views of the mountains around the Bay of Kotor are simply stunning!

You’ll find wild beaches where you can enjoy the beach for free, although these can, unfortunately, have lots of trash as some people don’t clean up after themselves. The nicest beaches are maintained privately and often have cafes, but you’ll have to pay for sun loungers to use these beaches and their facilities.

If you’re staying in Kotor and plan to go the beach a lot, booking a beachfront hotel like HUMA Kotor Bay Hotel and Villas or Hotel Forza Mare is best because you have access to the hotel beach and don’t have to pay for sun loungers every day.

If you’re interested in snorkelling, it’s best to visit beaches nearer to Herceg Novi because that’s where the water is clearest. Or take a boat tour from Kotor that includes swimming and beach time.

Whichever you choose, I’m sure you love your time on Kotor beaches!