Blue mind in Montenegro
When we were shown to our room at the Regent Porto Montenegro and the porter swept back the curtains revealing the spectacular marina, sea and mountain views, I knew we were in for a relaxing holiday. A few days earlier I’d been sat in a HR workshop hearing about the benefits of blue (water) and green (nature) spaces to reduce stress and boost mental health and wellbeing and now I had a week with a blue and green view to put that into practice.
When people asked where I was heading on holiday and I said Montenegro, they either said ‘why are you going there?’ or ‘where is that?’, so it’s possibly not on everyone’s list for a summer break. If you’re thinking the same thing, I’d say that it should be, it’s the perfect adults-only break.
Montenegro is in the Balkans, below Croatia on the Adriatic coast (do a day trip from Dubrovnik for a taster of the Kotor Bay area, it’s only a 90-minute drive). You can fly into Tivat from a handful of UK airports – we went from Gatwick with EasyJet in about 2.5 hours – or you can fly into Dubrovnik. Montenegro is not yet in the EU (but it does use the Euro) so in 2026, the added bonus was avoiding the lengthy border security queues troubling some airports in Europe.
Home to around 625,000 Montenegrins, the small but beautifully formed country is perfect for a summer break. The Bay of Kotor area is home to Tivat (and Porto Montenegro where I stayed), Kotor, Perast and Herceg Novi. Montenegro means black mountains and it’s also a popular winter holiday destination as around 60% of the country is above 1000 metres and ideal for skiing.
The luxury marina of Porto Montenegro is a 10-minute drive from Tivat airport and is packed with super yachts (the $200 million Black Pearl was in during our stay – charter it for $950,000 a week…). It’s great for a short break or a longer stay and has plenty of restaurants and bars, designer shops, a casino and a beach club. A 10-minute walk takes you into Tivat and more sea-front bars and restaurants.
Central and right on the marina is the Regent Porto Montenegro hotel and residences which has a restaurant, bar, café, spa and a well thought out pool area overlooking the marina. It’s not a child-free hotel, but it is more set up for adults. Most people are staying 2 or 3 nights and moving on – by boat or as part of a longer European trip.
We’d booked a sea view room for a dose of blue mind in Montenegro (the front entrance of the hotel faces the mountains which are also stunning) and were thrilled to be upgraded to a suite. Room 424 was superb with three balcony areas and panoramic views. Having the lounge area to sit and cool off was a definite bonus.
We wanted a relaxing break after a busy spell at work and made good use of the hotel facilities. We only used the hotel restaurant for breakfast, but it was consistently good. The weather in early June was mid-twenties and we sat outside every morning, helping ourselves to the wide hot and cold buffet selection.
You can also order from the menu and we loved the waffles and the omelettes. Spa use is included in your stay (treatments extra) and we found that the small pool was always quiet. The reason is clear when you go to the main pool area as there are two infinity pools, one facing the marina and one facing the residences behind the hotel. We never had trouble finding loungers, there were sheltered cabanas, lots of umbrellas and there were plenty of staff on hand to supply food and drinks from the pool bar area.
Even if you’re staying a week in Porto Montenegro like we did, you will not run out of bars and restaurants to try. We loved MayaBay in the hotel. Thai-Japanese fusion with gorgeous décor and great service – the yellowtail on crispy rice and the lobster in prick prao sauce were outstanding.
The black risotto at Bokka Modern was worthy of a mention and finding a spot at Crush Winebar to sit and people watch after the sun disappears behind the mountains is another must-do. It’s worth stepping back from the marina and trying some places without a waterfront view. We loved Il Pescatore for great value seafood burgers, Nama for poke bowls and Lumiere Bistro for a chic French-inspired menu. On the seafront at Tivat, Divino was a beautiful spot to watch the sunset while sharing a seafood platter.
Getting out on the water is a must-do and there are plenty of ways to do it. The hotel will organise a private speedboat tour for around 350 Euros. There are vendors along the Tivat front with a range of options too, from around 50 Euros per person. We did a shared speedboat experience from Kotor which sped across the bay; stopped off in the submarine tunnels – abandoned Cold War-era hideouts with a distinct James Bond villain’s lair vibe; out into the Adriatic and past Mamula Island (exclusive Banyan Tree hotel with incredible views); and on to the beautiful blue cave for a swim before returning to Kotor.
Seeing more of the bay area by land and some more traditional Motenegrin spots also lured us away from the marina. Our tour included Kotor old town, Perast, a boat over to Our Lady of the Rocks church island and a cable car ride up a mountain. I recommend checking how many cruise ships are coming into Kotor before booking as the old town is small and thousands of people will quickly pack the narrow alleys and jam the surrounding roads.
Our tour guide Nikola (highly recommend him, so knowledgeable and a brilliant ambassador for Montenegro) warned that traffic can grind to a halt on cruise days. The scenery was stunning all along the coast and the views from the cable car as you ascend to 1350 metres in 11 minutes are out of this world. Just be prepared for your ears to pop. And then to be amazed that there is a bar, restaurant, mini-rollercoaster and shops at the top of a mountain!
We definitely achieved a full dose of blue and green during our week in Montenegro and got the wellbeing boost we needed. Book now before Montenegro is added to everyone’s list!
