Boat Rental Herceg Novi — 2027 Guide: Blue Cave, Mamula, Rose and Prices

Herceg Novi stands right at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), on the slopes of Mount Orjen, with its old town above the Forte Mare fortress and the Pet Danica promenade running along the sea from Igalo towards Meljine. Of all the towns in the bay it is the closest to the open sea: across the water lie the fishing village of Rose and the Luštica peninsula, at the mouth of the bay the islet with the Mamula fortress, and beyond Cape Arza the beaches of Žanjic and Mirište and the Blue Cave. That makes Herceg Novi the shortest starting point for the outer part of the Bay of Kotor, while the inner bay, with Perast and Kotor, is a longer full-day trip from here. This guide explains where to go by boat from Herceg Novi, how long the sailing takes, what a boat costs and when the sea is calmest.

The Bay of Herceg Novi

Herceg Novi lies in the first of the four bays that make up the Bay of Kotor. To the west are Igalo and Topla Bay, and to the east the coast continues through Meljine and Zelenika to Kumbor and the Kumbor Strait, which leads into the Bay of Tivat. On the south side of the bay is Luštica, and at the very entrance to the Bay of Kotor, between Montenegro's Cape Arza and Croatia's Cape Oštro on Prevlaka, the sea opens towards the Adriatic. From a boat, the old town is best seen from the water in front of Škver, the old town harbour below the fortress.

Where to go by boat from Herceg Novi

• Rose and the inner side of Luštica (about 2 nautical miles): Rose is an old fishing village with stone houses and a small harbour directly opposite the town. Along the Luštica shore towards the mouth of the bay there are small coves and Dobreč beach, which is reached mostly by sea.
• Mamula (about 3.5 nautical miles): the round fortress on the islet of Lastavica guards the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. Today it is a hotel, so most guests see it from the sea.
• Žanjic, Mirište and the Blue Cave (about 5 nautical miles): beyond Cape Arza the outer coast of Luštica begins. Mirište and Žanjic are beaches in sheltered coves, and a little further on is the Blue Cave (Plava špilja), where the water glows blue in the middle of the day. Of all the towns in the bay, Herceg Novi is the closest to the cave, so Rose, Mamula, Žanjic and the Blue Cave can be covered in a four-hour trip.
• The Kumbor Strait and the Bay of Tivat (about 4–6 nautical miles): sailing past Kumbor takes you through the strait into the wider Bay of Tivat. This route is sheltered from the open-sea swell and is a good alternative to the outer coast when the jugo blows.
• Perast and Prčanj (about 9–10 nautical miles, through the Verige Strait): Perast with the islets of Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela) and Sveti Đorđe, and Prčanj, an old seafaring village with a large church above the waterfront, are a full-day trip from Herceg Novi. Routes around the inner Bay of Kotor, including Kotor and the islands off Tivat, are covered in detail in our guide to boat rental in Tivat, and the coast towards Sveti Stefan in our guide to boat rental in Budva.

Across the border, west of the entrance to the bay, are Cavtat (about 15 nautical miles) and Dubrovnik (about 20 nautical miles). Sailing to Croatia means leaving Montenegro and entering the European Union, with border formalities on both sides, so it is a separate plan rather than a quick swim stop.

Boats in Herceg Novi

Both boats in Herceg Novi on Crystalium Booker are rented with a skipper, and prices are for the whole boat:

• Blue Cave Cruiser (open boat with a canopy, registered for 12 passengers): €350 for four hours, €500 for eight hours. The boat is known for its trips to the Blue Cave, and with a full 12 passengers a whole day works out at about €42 per person. View the listing.
• Lagoon 40 catamaran (11.74 m, up to 10 guests): €590 for a four-hour trip, €990 for a full eight-hour day, with captain and fuel. It has a wide sundeck, a shower and a fridge. View the listing.

Licence and getting there

• Licence. A licence is required to drive a boat in Montenegro, but with our listings in Herceg Novi a skipper drives the boat, so you do not need one.
• Getting there. The nearest airports are Tivat and, across the border, Dubrovnik. From Tivat the quickest road route to Herceg Novi is the Lepetane–Kamenari ferry across the Verige Strait.
• Town of stairs. The old town and much of Herceg Novi descend to the sea in steep streets and staircases, so allow a little more time to get down to the promenade and the departure point.

Season and winds at the entrance to the bay

• June and September: the most pleasant months, warm sea and fewer boats at the Blue Cave.
• July and August: the warmest sea and the most day-trippers; book ahead, especially for weekends.
• May and October: quieter coves, better for sightseeing than for long swims.
• The maestral blows from the open sea into the bay on summer afternoons. In the morning the sea at the entrance is calmest, so the outer coast of Luštica and the Blue Cave are visited before noon.
• The jugo raises waves right at the entrance to the bay and along the outer coast of Luštica. The trip is then steered through the Kumbor Strait towards the Bay of Tivat and Perast, where the sea is sheltered.
• The bura blows mostly outside the season and can arrive suddenly, in gusts.

Boat rental in Herceg Novi with Crystalium Booker

See all boats on the boats in Herceg Novi page. Booking works like this: you send an enquiry with your date and number of people, we check availability with the owner, you pay us the reservation, and you pay the rest to the owner on the day of the rental. Need a route or boat suggestion? Get in touch via our contact page. Do you rent out a boat in Herceg Novi or elsewhere in the Bay of Kotor? List it with us.