Montenegro Luštica Peninsula

Luštica is just one part of a bigger trip around the country: we gathered more ideas in our guide to the must-see places in Montenegro.

And if you would like to take home more than memories from Luštica, we would love to help: we are photographers and we live in Montenegro ourselves.

Where the Luštica peninsula is and what makes it special

The Luštica peninsula sits right at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor: on one side the calm water of the bay, on the other the open Adriatic. It seems to stand guard over the way into the bay, a role it has played for centuries, which is why old forts still line its shores.

Administratively, Luštica is split between two municipalities. The far end of the peninsula, with the beaches of Žanjice, Mirišta and Arza and the village of Rose, belongs to Herceg Novi. The eastern side, with the villages of Radovići and Krašići, the sandy Plavi Horizonti beach and the Lustica Bay resort, belongs to Tivat. The peninsula has around fifteen settlements and more than twenty old churches.

Luštica has a character all its own: olive groves, stone villages, narrow roads and clear water. All around lies the Bay of Kotor, with its mountains and quiet coves. This is one of the few places on the coast with almost no large-scale development.

Luštica's beaches: where to go and why they are worth it

The beaches are the main reason to come to Luštica. At the far end of the peninsula you will find wild pebble coves with crystal-clear water, and on the Tivat side the only large sandy beach on the whole peninsula. Here is how they differ.

Žanjice and Mirišta

Žanjice is classic Luštica: a wide pebble cove right at the edge of the peninsula and one of the best loved along the whole coast. The water here is astonishingly clear, and in summer excursion boats pull in from the sea. Right next door lies Mirišta, a little quieter and shaded by pines. Across the water from it, a tiny island holds the church of Gospa od Milosti, Our Lady of Mercy, a wonderfully picturesque shot.

No public transport runs to this far end of the peninsula, so it is best reached by car or by boat. Žanjice can get busy in summer, while neighbouring Mirišta is usually calmer.

Arza and Dobreč

Arza and Dobreč are for those after complete solitude. Arza beach is a small wild cove with crystal-clear water right below the old Arza fort on the very cape. There are almost no facilities, so bring water and everything you need with you. The fort itself is best admired from the outside, from the beach or the water: it is in private hands, and getting inside is not straightforward.

Dobreč is even more secluded: a tiny pebble cove you can only reach from the water. There is no road to it, and that is exactly why it stays untouched. People come here by boat or water taxi to swim in complete quiet.

RT Veslo is another wild spot for anyone chasing real solitude: a clifftop campsite right above the sea, with water that turns an astonishing blue. You can jump straight off the rocks into the water and cast a line for fish, and there is no real beach, just stone and the open Adriatic.

Plavi Horizonti

Plavi Horizonti is the complete opposite of the wild coves at the far end. The beach lies in Pržno bay near the village of Radovići, on the Tivat side of the peninsula. It is a rare thing on the Montenegrin coast: long, soft sand, with water that stays shallow far from shore. The beach flies a Blue Flag, olives and cypresses ring it, and there is a paid entrance, sunbeds and a restaurant. It is about 15 minutes by car from both Tivat and Kotor.

The Blue Cave and boat trips

The Blue Cave, Plava špilja in the local language, is a sea grotto in the limestone cliffs of Luštica. It is famous for the way it glows: sunlight passes through the water, reflects off the pale seabed and floods the cave with a bright blue light. You can only get inside from the water, by boat.

The Blue Cave is usually visited as part of a boat trip. A tour like this lasts about 3 hours and often combines the cave itself, Mamula island and Žanjice beach. Boats leave from the Lustica Bay marina and from Herceg Novi, and the trip to the cave takes around 15-20 minutes. Check the exact programme and price with the operator: they change with the season and the boat.

Many tours also start from Kotor, so you can pair the trip with a walk around the old town if you like.

The old forts: Arza, Mamula and the Austro-Hungarian legacy

Luštica closes off the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, so its shores were fortified for centuries. The best known stronghold is Mamula, on a small island right by the cape. It is a round Austro-Hungarian fortress built in 1853. During the Second World War the island held an Italian prison camp, and in 2023 the fortress was turned into a luxury hotel. So the only way inside now is as a hotel guest, and for the ordinary traveller Mamula is above all a striking sight from the water during a boat trip.

Mamula, the Arza fort on the cape and the Prevlaka fort together formed a single Austro-Hungarian system of defences that guarded the entrance to the bay. Later, in 1895-1897, another ring of forts and batteries went up on the peninsula: Luštica, Kabala and the Klinci battery. Fort Grabovac, on the hill of the same name, covered Luštica and Tivat. The Arza fort itself rises above the beach of the same name and was built in the mid-19th c.

All these forts are clearly visible from the water on a boat trip, and that is a reason in itself to head out to sea.

The villages of Luštica: Rose, Klinci, Radovići and Krašići

Behind the beaches and forts hides a quiet, lived-in Luštica that is worth the trip in its own right. Rose is one of the oldest coastal settlements: captains' houses from the 17th and 18th centuries still stand along the waterfront, and small tavernas by the water serve fresh fish. Above the village, on the hill, rises the Kabala fort, reached by a short path of about 150 metres.

Klinci is a village among olive groves with lovingly restored stone architecture. Radovići and Krašići are calm settlements on the Tivat side: Radovići has the church of St Nicholas, Krašići the church of St Roch. This is the slow, real side of the peninsula, where it is a pleasure simply to wander between stone and olive trees.

Wild Luštica or Lustica Bay: what is the difference

When you come to Luštica, it helps to understand that the peninsula lives in two modes. Most of it is wild, almost untouched nature: pebble coves, olives, stone villages and narrow roads. And on the Tivat side a modern resort town, Lustica Bay, has grown up.

Lustica Bay is a new town on the water with a marina, a promenade and hotels. There is the Marina Village with its waterfront walk, the five-star hotel The Chedi Luštica Bay and the Centrale hotel under the Angsana brand, plus plenty to do: sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, cycling and hiking trails. The Gary Player golf course here is still being built and has not opened yet.

If you are after a bit of buzz and music rather than a quiet wild cove, the peninsula has beach clubs too. Almara in Lustica Bay, plus Movida and Nikki Beach, are the lively alternative to the pebble coves, with sunbeds and a bar right by the water.

How to get to the Luštica peninsula

Luštica sits very close to the resorts of the Bay of Kotor, so getting there is easy. The nearest airport is Tivat, which is closest to the peninsula. Here are the main options.

• By car. From Tivat airport to Lustica Bay it is about 12 km, and the drive via the interchange near Radovići takes 15-20 minutes. For the far end of the peninsula, Žanjice and Mirišta, it is easier to come from the Herceg Novi side.
• The Kamenari-Lepetane ferry. A quick note first: the ferry does not go to Luštica itself. It only crosses the narrows of the bay, the Verige strait, in about 5 minutes and shortens the drive from the Kotor side and the north of the bay, saving roughly 30 km of going around. You still need a car or a transfer to reach the peninsula itself. The crossing costs €5 per car, and it is free for pedestrians and cyclists. During the day the ferries run about every 20 minutes; check the exact schedule locally.
• Water taxi. A water taxi runs from Herceg Novi, from the Škver pier, to Žanjice, and the trip takes about 15-20 minutes. It costs around €5 and depends on the season.
• By boat. Many coves and the Blue Cave are easiest to see from the water, on a boat trip.

Where to eat on Luštica

A long lunch or dinner right by the water is a pleasure in itself on Luštica. There are not many restaurants here, but the ones there are we love and recommend ourselves.

• Miriste: a restaurant right on Mirišta beach, fresh fish and seafood by the water, calm and homey.
• Porto Adriatic: on Žanjice beach, a handy place for lunch between swims.
• Ribarsko selo: a restaurant and small beach club on the cliff with a lovely sea view, prices on the higher side.
• Restaurants in Lustica Bay: a handful of cafes and restaurants along the marina promenade, from morning coffee to dinner, at resort prices.
• Nikki Beach: a restaurant and beach club, stylish and lively, prices on the higher side.

When to visit Luštica

Swimming and sunbathing on Luštica are most comfortable from May to early October. July and August are the hottest and busiest months: the water is warm, but popular beaches like Žanjice can get crowded. Our advice: if you can choose, come in June or September. The sea is already, or still, warm, there is plenty of light, and the crowds are noticeably thinner, so the wild coves turn quiet again.

In spring and autumn Luštica is especially lovely for unhurried walks: soft light, green or golden olive slopes and empty trails. We wrote honestly about the strong and weak sides of a trip to the country in our guide to the pros and cons of visiting Montenegro.

Frequently asked questions about Luštica

The Luštica peninsula: a quick recap

The Luštica peninsula is the quiet, green and still wild part of Montenegro at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. People come for secluded pebble coves, the sandy Plavi Horizonti for families, the Blue Cave, the old forts and the stone villages, with the comfort of the Lustica Bay resort always close by. To plan a wider trip, take a look at our guide to the national parks of Montenegro.

We, Mariia Sosnina and Vasilii Khmelev, have lived and photographed in Montenegro for more than 10 years. If you are looking for a photographer in Montenegro to show you the peninsula at its best, just write to us.