Things to do/places to visit
Things to do, Places to visit, Amenities
Lustica Coastal Area
The famous peninsular opposite Herceg Novi is famed for its many legends of pirates, sailors, fishermen, and even dynamite. Lustica is famous for its vast unique olive groves, its famous cheese in oil, dried fish, prosciutto, "caglje" (prairie jackals), mongoose, the largest number of churches with two altars anywhere in the world, and who knows what else. The peninsula also occupies the strategically important entrance to the historic Boka - Kotor fjord -the other side of the entrance is Croatian territory called Prevlaka. It is a small peninsula in southern Croatia, at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, in the eastern Adriatic. The word prevlaka means Isthmus. There are impressive views of the cape, Oštro, located at the tip of the peninsula and reporesents the southernmost point of mainland in Croatia. There is one main road from the village that circumnavigates Lustica peninsula and smaller roads drop down to the surrounding beaches and villages. Lustica has impressive wild country side covered in thick pine woods with untouched flora and fauna. Jackals and tortoise live in the wild and can often be spotted. Distintive olive tree plantations can be seen on either side of the main road, which eventuually leads to Radovici, Kotor Tivat and Budva. From the road there are impressive elevated views of the surrounding fjord and further away mountains (one of Montenegro’s highest mountain and mausoleum at Lovcen, 1,749m can be seen from Lustica), and the sparking blue Adriatic sea. From the main circular road around the peninsula you turn off at one of the many smaller roads leading down into small fishing villages and beaches to be found on the coast.
View of Island of Mamula, Prevlaka peninsula and monastery Island (from Mirista Beach)
Boka Kotor Fjord (Bay Of Kotor)
The entire length of the Boka Kotorska Bay (literally "inlet" and also known as the Bay of Kotor) is 15 nautical miles or 28 km. In the 4th century Bc the Greeks founded the town of Risan here (and Budva further down the coast). The Romans, after defeating the Illyrian tribes, settled in 2nd century Ad, renaming the coast Dalmatia. By the 5th century, after the division of the Roman empire, the Boka Kotorska remained under western influence while the rest of the land became part of Byzantium. But by the end of the 6th century the southern Slavs had taken all the territory inland and parts of the Dalmatian coast. Although from the early 15th centrury until 1797 the Republic of Venice was a significant presence in this inner part of the Boka Kotorska Bay and left such an indeilible mark, the region has always essentially been the domain of its indigenous seafares acclaimed over the centuries for their mastery of all maritime matters. The Bokar-Kotor fjord (Bay of Kotor) is alos commonly referred to as Europe’s most southerly fjord and is both an impressive geographic and historic area. It has a unique topography of dramatic karst mountains which drop sharply down into warm and clear Adriatic waters. Numerous historic towns, forts, churches, monasteries and other buildings, particularly dating from the 400-year Venetian occupation of the strategically important waterway, are to be found all around the fjord. The most notable nearby places to visit for shopping, churches, old stone squares and museums are Kotor, Perast, Herzeg Novi, Tivat and the Greek founded walled city of Budva ( which is outside the Fjord area). Visiting these places by car is a pleasant experience, but a more leisurely way of visiting the fjord is by boat! The famous island hotel of Sveti Stefan is also nearby and about 15 minutes drive away from Budva. In most of these places there is a lively night life and plenty of restaurants, stylish boutique and shops, as well as late night bars and cafes. Apart from impressive baroque, classical and gothic architectural gems, there is also significant Austro-Hungarian and communist era architecture in the area. Going back in time, significant remains dating from the pre-Slavic Illyrian inhabitants of the Balkan peninsula can also be found around the fjord as well as impressive Roman Mosaics at Risan.
Mountains and Boka Kotor Flord with old island monastery in centre
Beaches
Two Beaches, Mirista and Janjice, are 5-10 mins by car or 20 mins leisurely walk through the surrounding countryside. Both beaches have a good choice of restaurants, cafes and shops and as well as providing beach chairs, umbrellas boats and water taxis (to go to nearby island and hidden beaches and one or two restaurants); and a lifeguard operates on both beaches during the high season. There are small piers from where boat services regularly ply the waters the nearby centres of Herzeg Novi, Tivat, and Budva. There are several other beaches on the peninsula of Lustica within a 15 minute drive, such as Oblatov, Rosa, Ponte Veslo and elsewhere. A highlight is the famouse Blue cave (Plava spilja). The popular and short boat trip (from Mirista and Janice) and takes you to unusual place, anattractive cave named after unusual blue color of water created by reflection of sunbeams that during sunny day reflect from the surface of water. When you jump into water you will feel that it is warm and very clear. Temperature of water in cave Plava spilja is often a few degrees wormer than water out side. Height of cave to top is 9 meters while depth is 3 4 meters. The views from these beaches invite you to visit the Island of Mamula, with its small beaches, clear waters and striking Austrian built fort, which guards the entrance of the Fjord. Zanjic beach is a pleasant cove deeply cut into the land of Lustica peninsula, located in an environment of celestial blue sea and old olive groves. This is a beach with white pebble stones, 300m long and 15 m wide, having the capacity of 1,000 people. Zanjic is surrounded by olive groves where you can rest in deep shade, taste some good vine and specialties of Lustica. In the vicinity there is the Plava spilja and Mamula Island with an old Austrian fortress, accessible by own boats or joining one of the tourist boats offered by travel agencies. Between the cove of Zanjic and Miriste capes there is a small beach called Miriste, for many the most attractive beach and area of Lustica and with modern beach facilities available. The beach gradually emerges from a dense olive wood, uniquely harmonizing with surrounding nature. A restaurant offers a wide selection of local dishes. Close-by is Rose, a fishermen's village of original stone architecture, with the sea on one side and leaning on the hill on the other, located at the very promontory of Lustica peninsula, facing Igalo. Rose is indeed one of the most beautiful spots on this whole Riviera. Its hinterland is covered in lush Mediterranean vegetation, having some extraordinary species of this type of vegetation. The coast is rocky, and the sea rather deep with sandy or rocky bottom, posing a real challenge for scuba divers and underwater fishing lovers. Once this place used to be quarantine for world seafarers, thus today you can here meet descendents of Portuguese and Spanish sailors. Rose is accessible both by road and by sea. Other beaches worth visting in the area are the clar waters of Ponte Veslo, Oblatov, which has many facilities, and the famous sandy and safe beach next to the Blus Horizon hotel.
Janice Beach, Lustica
Marovici Village
It won’t be long before you get to know the village, as there are only 11 houses, 3 of which are unoccupied. It is not hard to feel that you are more than a tourist, and part of a small rural community, especially if you meet the van that calls to Marovici to deliver staples, like fresh, fruit, vegetables and dairy products, daily). (More extensive shopping is available at the shops on the local beach, the local supermarkets in Radovici, while large supermarkets and fresh fruit, meat and vegetable open air markets are situated in Tivat, Kotor and Budva. Mornings start early in Marovici, and why not, with beautiful blue skies and warm sun spreading its light fingers across the lush green hills of ht epeninsula. There is lots to do in the area; including visiting the nearby local beaches, cycling and walking; visiting the numerous small Orthodox and Catholic churches; hiring a boat to visit nearby islands and hidden beaches; take a car or boat to visit the fjord area and historic old town centres of Herzeg Novi, Tivat, Kotor, Pearst, Budva, Sveti Stefan and much more. Roman Mosaics, prehistoric cave paintings. In Montenegro, the miuntains are never far away, and visits to Montenegro's second highest mountain and shrine at Lovcen; the formal royal capital at Cetinte and modern day capital Podgorica. Evenings can be spent relaxing in the peace of the village and around the house; visiting the local villages and trditional restaurants at Rose, Mirista and elsewhere.
Sleepy afternoon in Marovici !
Lovcen and Royal capital of Cetinje
Further afield, and driving directly above the towns of Kotor and Budva, there are numerous mountain towns and cities worth visiting. High above Kotor and following hairpin bends,brings you to the national shrine and Njegoš's Mausoleum at Lovcen. This is a very enjoyable drive with spectacular views and proximity to the mountain top is fairly straight forward with a road head close to the top. You can also take the main road from Budva to the former Royal capital Cetinje. Cetinje is pleasant drive about 2h30m into the mountainous interior of Montenegro. You can also use this road to get to Lovcen, Cetinje is a town of immense historical heritage, founded in the 15th century. It became the center of Montenegrin life and both a cradle of Montenegrin/Serbian culture and an Eastern Orthodox religious center. It is because of this and the heroic legend born after its eternal resistance from Ottoman intrusions, that it was nicknamed Serbian Sparta1 (Српска Спарта). It is because of its heritage as a long-term Montenegrin capital that it is today the honorary capital of Montenegro.