A less-known alternative to next-door Croatia, Montenegro easily rivals its Balkan neighbour for coastal scenery and wild inland beauty.
This hidden treasure of a country has been quietly sliding onto the tourism radar for a few years now, popping up on Adriatic cruise itineraries with lines such as Celestyal and Azamara, and finding its way into tour operator portfolios.
EasyJet has upped flights to the coastal town of Tivat this year making the bays, beaches and private island resorts of Montenegro’s Mediterranean fjord-like coast easy to reach for summer holidays and short breaks. A new twice-weekly service will connect Bristol with Tivat from 24 June until 31 August, adding to easyJet’s existing spring and summer service from Gatwick and Luton.
Meanwhile, from 2 May, Jet2 and Jet2holidays’ new service to Tivat from Birmingham will see the destination become more accessible from the UK than ever before.
Bay watch
The Bay of Kotor is one of the country’s most popular spots for UK tourists, with local hotel Heritage Grand Perast by Rixos reporting that 45% of its guests currently come from the UK.
The hotel opened last spring inside an 18th-century palace and converted textile factory that was once part of the Venetian Republic, and the brand has plans to expand beyond the bay to tempt more travellers to the Adriatic Coast too, with the opening of a new five-star hotel in Bar.
The country has seen significant hotel openings in the last few years, not least hotel giant Hyatt’s debut last summer with the opening of five-star Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay.
Travellers in search of true luxury and exclusivity will be wowed by the private island resort of Villa Milocer in Sveti Stefan run by Aman, or five-star Mamula Island Resort, which also opened last summer in a 200-year-old converted offshore fortress not far from the Budva Riviera.
Mamula was developed by Orascom, which is also responsible for the new Lustica Bay tourism project to the south of Budva. Conceived as an eco-luxury resort, Lustica is only 10% finished but can already boast the 111-room Chedi resort among its high-end properties.
Lustica’s marina and three beaches are set to welcome more visitors as part of a 10-year plan that will eventually see seven five-star hotels open in the bay alongside the country’s first golf resort.
Tourism infrastructure got a boost last summer too, with the opening of the new Kotor Cable Car in August linking Tivat with the peaks and viewpoints of lofty Lovcen National Park. Visitors riding the cable car can now be transported 1,350 metres up to one of Montenegro’s most scenic spots overlooking the mountain-flanked Bay of Kotor in just 11 minutes.
At the top, new attractions include a 700-metre-long Alpine coaster, an amphitheatre set to host live entertainment and a chic locally-run restaurant. From here, guides take visitors to explore Lovcen National Park on e-bike and hiking tours, and a smooth new mountain road links up with the old capital and museum city of Cetinje.
Operator interest
Tour operators are also now showing more interest, with several high-end brands featuring the country. Elegant Resorts now features One&Only Portonovi in Boka Bay and the Chedi in the up-and-coming Lustica Bay development, while Lusso has added holidays to the destination too.
Having flagged Montenegro as one to watch, Kuoni has also added the country to its product range, offering holidays to Heritage Grand Perast by Rixos or Regent Porto Montenegro.
