Herceg Novi Holidays

Three fortresses, a 7km seaside promenade, and a front-row seat to the Bay of Kotor, Herceg Novi is one of the most underrated resorts in Montenegro.

Highlights of your Holidays to Herceg Novi

• Kanli Kula – A 16th-century Ottoman fortress once called the "Bloody Tower" (cheerful, we know) that's now an open-air amphitheatre with 1,000 seats and views over the bay that make you forget its grim past (until the acts start 'killing it.')

• The Bay of Kotor – Herceg Novi sits at the mouth of Europe's southernmost fjord. You wake up, open your shutters, and there it is: mountains dropping into mirror-still water. Not a bad way to start the day.

• The promenade – Seven kilometres of seafront path (Setaliste Pet Danica) connecting Herceg Novi to Igalo, lined with palm trees, cafés, swimming spots and the kind of benches where you sit down for five minutes and somehow lose an hour.

• Blue Cave – A sea cave on the Lustica Peninsula where the water glows electric blue. Boat trips run from the harbour, usually with a swimming stop at Zanjic beach on the way back. Bring your underwater camera.

• Savina Monastery – An 11th-century Orthodox monastery tucked into the cypress trees east of town, with frescoes, ancient manuscripts and a winery next door doing tastings of local vranac red. Culture and wine in one stop.

Good to Know

☀️ Weather – They call it the "City of the Sun" and it earns the name: hot dry summers (28-32°C), warm springs and autumns, and over 200 sunny days a year. The bay stays swimmable from June to September (23-25°C).

💶 Money – A seafood lunch at a waterfront konoba runs €10-€16, a beer is €2-€3, a coffee is €1. Properly good value for a coastline this beautiful.

🏰 Fun Fact – Herceg Novi has been ruled by the Bosnians, Ottomans, Spanish, Venetians, Russians, French, Austrians and Montenegrins. That's eight different empires and you can see the fingerprints of every single one of them in the Old Town's buildings, fortresses and churches. The architecture is basically a history version of Neapolitan ice-cream.

🏨 Hotels

See all hotels in Herceg Novi or browse our top picks below...

💑 Couples

• Lazure Hotel & Marina. An 18th-century building converted into a slick waterfront hotel with modern suites, an indoor pool, sauna, gym and direct beach access. Two restaurants, a coffee shop and cocktail bars. Savina Monastery is a seven-minute walk. The kind of place where the building does half the romantic heavy lifting for you.

• Boutique Hotel & Spa Casa del Mare Mediterraneo. Seventeen rooms, each themed around Mediterranean plants and flowers (lavender, olive, pomegranate). Right on the bay with the beach 15 metres from the door. Diving, sailing, kayaking and cycling all bookable through the hotel.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families

• Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi. A 4-star all-inclusive on a private beach with an outdoor pool, rooftop terrace bar, Star Camp kids' activity programme and professional animation shows. Mediterranean and Montenegrin buffet restaurant plus four bars. The go-to family pick.

• Carine Hotel Kumbor Superior. A 4-star on the Bay of Kotor seafront with a private beach, infinity pools and a choice of buffet or à la carte dining. Modern rooms with balconies or terraces, and entertainment for younger guests.

✨ Luxury

• Iberostar Selection Kumbor. The 5-star in the set. Private beach, infinity pools, a spa, and two restaurants including an à la carte option. Consistently strong guest reviews. If you want the polish and the pampering, this is the one.

💰 Value

• Carine Hotel Park. In Bijela on the Bay of Kotor, a short drive from Herceg Novi town. Bay views, a restaurant with buffet options, and a straightforward, well-priced base. Good for anyone who wants to be on the water without the premium.

👉 All hotels in Herceg Novi

Beaches

Herceg Novi's beaches are mostly pebbly rather than sandy, but the water is crystal clear and the beautiful bay setting makes up for any lack of sand between your toes.

• Town beach – Pebbles and kayak hire next to the marina, right below the Old Town. Convenient, busy, and you can swim with the fortress walls looming above you.

• Baby Beach – Fine sand and small pebbles just north of the marina. The calmest, shallowest option for young children.

• Savina beaches – Two small pebbly coves near the Lazure Hotel. Quiet, good for kids, and a short walk from the monastery.

• Zanjic beach – On the Lustica Peninsula, reachable by boat from the harbour. Pebbles, clear water, Blue Flag certified. Usually combined with a Blue Cave visit.

• Igalo beach – The large sandy beach in neighbouring Igalo, at the end of the promenade. The sand here has a reputation for therapeutic properties, which is why Igalo became a spa town.

Local Lingo

Montenegrin is the main language, with Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian all mutually understood. English is widely spoken in hotels and restaurants.

• Zdravo, ZDRAH-voh, Hello

• Hvala, HVAH-lah, Thank you

• Molim, MOH-leem, Please / You're welcome

• Racun, RAH-choon, The bill

• Zivjeli, ZHEE-vyeh-lee, Cheers

• Konoba, koh-NOH-bah, A traditional Montenegrin restaurant (you'll eat in a lot of these)

Travel Guide - Things to do in Herceg Novi 2026 / 2027

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families

• Forte Mare – The sea fortress right above the harbour. Free to explore, with thick walls, narrow passages and cannon slots that kids can peer through. There's a short film about the fortress's history in the basement (English subtitles).

• Promenade walk to Igalo – The 7km seafront path is flat and pushchair-friendly, with swimming spots, playgrounds, cafés and ice cream stops along the way. You can walk one way and get a taxi back.

• Blue Cave boat trip – Boats leave from the harbour and loop around the Lustica Peninsula to the glowing blue cave, usually with a stop at Zanjic beach for swimming. About two hours, the kids won't stop talking about the colour of the water.

• Kanli Kula – The Bloody Tower sounds terrifying but it's actually a crumbling fortress with a 1,000-seat amphitheatre and panoramic views. Entry is €4 (€2 with a Forte Mare ticket). The climb up is steep but the payoff is worth every step.

💑 Couples

• Savina Monastery and Winery – Walk to the 11th-century monastery (free entry, stunning frescoes), then continue uphill to Savina Winery for a tasting of local vranac and krstac wines with views over the bay. Book ahead.

• Sunset from Forte Mare – The sea fortress faces west. Grab a drink from one of the harbour bars and watch the sun drop behind the Lustica Peninsula. This is the photo.

• Dinner at a konoba – The waterfront restaurants along the promenade serve grilled fish, squid, and Montenegrin cheese with honey. Share a bottle of local red and take your time.

• Blue Cave private boat – For something more special than the group tour, book a private boat to the Blue Cave with a stop at the deserted Mamula island fortress (a former Austro-Hungarian military base turned boutique hotel site).

🎉 Groups

• Fortress crawl – Forte Mare, Kanli Kula and Spanjola in one afternoon. Three fortresses, three eras, escalating views. The climb to Spanjola (the Spanish fortress, 170m above sea level) is a workout but the abandoned overgrown ruins at the top are properly atmospheric.

• Boat trip to Kotor – Hire a boat or take a scheduled ferry along the Bay of Kotor. The bay narrows as you go, the mountains get steeper, and then Kotor's walled city appears at the end. One of the best boat trips in the Mediterranean.

• Promenade bar hop – The waterfront between the marina and Igalo has enough wine bars, cocktail terraces and late-night spots to keep a group busy. Herceg Novi's nightlife is relaxed rather than raging, which suits some groups perfectly.

More Destinations

• Montenegro – Medieval walled cities, fjord-like bays, Adriatic beaches, and the kind of value that makes your euros feel twice as heavy.

• Kotor – A UNESCO-listed walled city at the head of the bay. 1,350 steps to St John's Fortress, jaw-dropping views, and an old town that feels like a film set made of actual stone.

• Budva – Montenegro's tourism capital with a medieval old town, 11km of beaches, and the best nightlife on the coast. The liveliest resort on the Riviera.

• Becici – Home to the beach that won the Grand Prix for most beautiful in Europe. Award-winning sand, family-friendly all-inclusives, and a gentler pace than Budva next door.

• Tivat – Porto Montenegro's superyacht marina gives it a flashier edge. The closest resort to the airport, with good restaurants and a surprisingly cosmopolitan feel.