Our Lady of the Rocks by taxi

Perast and where a car can stop

Perast is a single baroque street along the water with the hillside stacked behind it, and it has almost no room for cars. From late spring to early autumn the waterfront is closed to traffic; the main road runs above the town, and vehicles drop passengers at the entrances at either end, where there are small parking areas and the steps down to the quay. Outside the season the restriction eases, but the honest advice for any month is the same: expect to be dropped at an entrance and walk the waterfront, which is the point of coming.

A MonteGO driver coming from Kotor uses the Kotor-side entrance; from Herceg Novi or the Kamenari ferry, the far end. Both are a few minutes on foot from the quay where the boats leave. If you have a restaurant reservation, say which one; the driver will pick the closer end.

The boats to the island

Small boats leave from the quay in front of the town for the short crossing to Our Lady of the Rocks; you pay the boatman for the return trip and he waits or comes back for you. The island holds the church, its museum and a walk around the walls, and most visits take well under an hour. The neighbouring island of St George is a monastery and closed to visitors, so the boats go to one island only. Go early or late in summer to avoid the cruise-excursion wave from Kotor in the middle of the day.

From Kotor, the airport and the coast

From Kotor the ride follows the bay road along the water through Dobrota and Orahovac, one of the prettiest short drives in the country, and it is the standard half-day out from the walled town. From Tivat Airport the driver takes the tunnel into the bay and turns up the shore; guests staying in Perast itself arrive this way with luggage, and the driver brings you to the entrance nearest your accommodation. From Budva it is a longer ride over the ridge and through Kotor, still comfortable as a day trip with the return scheduled.

Getting back from Perast

Coverage in Perast itself is thinner than in Kotor, especially in the evening, because few cars are based here. Two ways to avoid a wait: schedule the return when you book the outbound ride, or request the ride back in the app as you finish lunch rather than after you have climbed the steps. Set the pickup at the entrance where you were dropped, and step up to the road when the app shows the car close. For a late dinner in Perast, scheduling is the sensible choice.

Other ways to reach Perast

Honest comparison. The Blue Line local bus runs along the bay from Kotor and stops on the main road above Perast; it is cheap and fine in daytime if the timetable suits. Boat tours from Kotor and Tivat visit the island directly and include Perast for a short stop; good if you want the water rather than the town. Driving yourself means the parking problem above. For a half day with lunch, a taxi in and a taxi back is the simplest combination.