Tivat – Montenegro’s own Monaco

By | April 5, 2021

In Tivat, glamor and expensive life are not far away, as the renovated port city surprises the tourist with its splendor. Tivat is full of the glamor of expensive life, streamlined yachts, luxury hotels, but also beautiful scenery and Finnish small villages.

TIVAT

Luxury yachts and beaches

Tivat is a small beach town on the picturesque Bay of Kotor in Montenegro . Its long coastline provides a great setting for a beach holiday, and it is not difficult for a tourist to get from the beaches to nature or activities.

Tivat is different from all other cities in Montenegro: Porto Montenegro’s guest marina was renovated with a large sum of money to meet the aspirations of luxury yachts, and it welcomes wealthy tourists from all over the world.

In Tivat you can learn about the history of the sea in the Maritime Museum, walk in the beautiful parks and the Renaissance summer house of the Buća family, which now serves as a museum and venue.

The city also has easy access by water to the islands off Tivat and to the neighboring towns of Budva, Perast and Kotor by land . The old village of Gornja Lastva is also worth a visit, located just three kilometers north of Tivat.

In spring, you can enjoy the scent of flowering trees in Tivat.

flowering trees in Tivat

The sunniest in the Bay of Kotor

Tivat is said to be the sunniest city in the Gulf of Kotor, with more than 200 sunny days a year. The temperature also stays above 20 degrees for almost half a year, making the city an excellent beach holiday destination even in spring and autumn.

Filled with magnolia trees, Tivat is a beautiful destination all year round, but if you want to see the magnificent inflorescences, you should go in the spring. After the warm sea water and lingering summer, it is worth going to Tivat in the autumn.

The hottest in Montenegro is in July, when the temperature is sure to rise above 30 degrees. The coolest in Tivat is from December to February, when the coldest temperatures are close to zero.

Beach, activities and day trips

In addition to a relaxed beach holiday, you can enjoy numerous water sports in Tivat, from water skiing to sailing, sup boarding and diving.

The city’s central location between Kotor and Budva also offers good opportunities for day trips in neighboring cities. Renting a car is worth it, as you can easily get from one destination to another by driving.

Compared to Finland, the price level in Montenegro is quite affordable. Especially outside the most popular holiday months, you can get accommodation cheaply, and the prices do not dazzle even during the busiest travel times, if you compare them with other European beach destinations. Montenegro’s currency is the euro, so it is easy for Finns to compare prices.

FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN TIVAT

FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN TIVATI

There are direct flights from Finland to Tivat.

On direct flights from Finland

Of the airlines, Norwegian flies direct flights from Helsinki to Tivat in the summer. Summer season flights are available from spring to autumn, when the trip folds in about three hours. The Montenegrin side is also fairly easily accessible from neighboring Croatia . The nearest airport is in Dubrovnik , where both Norwegian and Finnair fly .

Outside the summer season, there are no direct flights, so you can compare alternative flights to the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica.

Many tour operators offer package tours to Tivat during the summer season. In addition to Tivat, a popular destination is its neighboring town of Budva, which offers convenient day trips to Tivat.

Affordable accommodation

For the time being, the price level in Montenegro is cheaper than the price level in Finland, which is also reflected in the price of hotels and other accommodation options. Due to its glamor, Tivat is somewhat more expensive than, for example, the inland capital Podgorica.

In Tivat, you can choose between expensive luxury hotels and cheap hostels, which cost twenty euros at best.

In addition to hotels, tourists can stay in Montenegro in inns and hostels, but the popular home accommodation culture in the Balkans also operates in Montenegro.

The cheapest way to find a good place to stay is to book a room or even an entire apartment from a local for the duration of your stay. The apartment can be booked in advance through accommodation services such as Airbnb.

A rental car is worth it

Montenegro is best reached by car or bus. Ferries also operate along the coast.

Getting a rental car can be a good option if you move a lot from one place to another and your nerves can sometimes withstand quite narrow and winding mountain roads. A Balkan driving style also requires flexibility from a Finn accustomed to strict rules.

ATTRACTIONS OF TIVAT

ATTRACTIONS OF TIVAT

Porto Montenegro has all the characteristics of a luxury destination, from an infinity pool to quality hotels, pleasure boats and quality restaurants.

Porto Montenegro

Filled with glamor, Porto Montenegro is like a city in the middle of the city: the marina has stylish shops, restaurants and cafés, as well as a maritime museum.

Although the shops in Porto Montenegro are more expensive than elsewhere in Montenegro, they are still negotiable from a Finnish point of view – the reason is the prices for ship crews rather than for the rich who spend their lives on the jetset.

Maritime Museum

The Naval Heritage Collection Maritime Museum in Porto Montenegro introduces the visitor to the time when the Porto Montenegro area served as a naval base. The museum’s most spectacular artifacts are too large to be housed in a museum building: outside, you can explore two Yugoslav-era warships.

Buća-Luković Museum Gallery

Over the years, many aristocrats have built their summer villas in sunny Tivat, and the Buća family-like summer residence resembling a fortress is one of them.

Visit the exhibitions in the museum gallery, the tower and the apartment’s own Catholic chapel.

I spotted many beaches

Tivat has a long coastline and numerous beaches, many of the best of which are located on the islands off the town, such as Ostrvo Cvijeća and Sveti Marko.

If you want an easy beach close to the center of Tivat, the beaches of Zupa and Belan are just around the corner, and you can also swim on the beaches of Donja Lastva and Opatovo a couple to three kilometers from the center.

Gornja Lastva

Gornja Lastva is a small population center on Vrmac Hill, located between the Kotor and Tivat areas. The village is 300 meters above sea level, with a magnificent view of the Gulf of Tivat and, in good weather, even the open sea.

Gornja Lastva has been inhabited for a long time, which is why you can get acquainted with old buildings and ruins as well as the ancient history of the area. The self-sufficient village still had its own school and administration until World War II. After the wars, the villagers began to move closer to the sea and the village became deserted.

THE BEST OF TIVAT

THE BEST OF TIVAT

The old village of Gornja Lastva is located a few kilometers from Tivat.

The main attractions

  1. Porto Montenegro
  2. Maritime Museum
  3. Buća-Luković Museum Gallery
  4. Tivat beaches
  5. Gornja Lastva