travel
P M
ortonovi
Montenegro LUXURY MARINA
Where is there to go now that is only a few hours flight from London, still pretty unexploited,
yet guarantees beautiful
landscapes and is at the cusp of becoming the next global luxury destination? Somewhere fresh and exciting, that combines the old world European style and luxury, yet still provides a little adventure?
ontenegro, or Black Mountain, not only has a brilliant name that will soon become a byword for great food, glamorous celebrities
and luxury hotels, it is also becoming one of the foremost destinations for luxury yachts and even superyachts. Azmont Investments have developed a supremely luxurious new marina and living environment, aimed at an elite clientele seeking the very best location to bring their yachts, friends, business and family. The Portonovi Montenegro Marina has an idyllic location, at the entrance to Boka Bay, with a 240 berth marina and 290 premium residences. All designed by leading international companies, such as Winch Designs and Harrods and boasting Europe’s first One&Only resort and Espace Chenot Health Wellness Spa.
I was staying at the Palmon Bay Hotel and Spa in Igalo, with a view out on the whole Bay of Kotor, all the way over to Tivat on the other side. It’s a great location, but anywhere along this scenic inland sea is a perfect base to visit the whole of Montenegro. You could spend your entire trip out on the water or visiting the different beaches, but to get a real feel for the country I would recommend travelling widely as the region is still unspoilt and full of wonderful treasures to discover. On the way in from the airport we stopped off at the Savina Vineyard, owned by successful businessman Zoran Obradović and his wife, for a few olives, hors d’oeuvres and a small personal wine tasting. The winery is set on the side of the hills overlooking the bay, with a magnificent terrace view. We sat at the wooden tables in the sunshine and sampled the new reds and whites, while Zoran described them with great knowledge and passion.
That evening we toured the old town of Herceg Novi, which reminded me of a mixture of Gassin in the South of France and Lake Garda, with lovely old churches, restaurants and bars overlooking the bay. We dined at the seafood restaurant Konoba Feral, overlooking the little marina. A small owner run restaurant on two floors, a stone entrance and a picturesque Roman ships decor. The food is fresh, plentiful and the service is very friendly. The grilled squid is exquisite and the Rakija or fruit brandy
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goes down a treat and enlivens an already happy atmosphere. By the way “cheers” is “Živjeli” in Montenegrin.
The next morning I met up with friends behind the hotel where our Fjord 48 motor yacht was waiting to take us on a tour of Boca Bay. The Fjord is the ideal yacht to tour the Adriatic, perfect for sunbathing whilst cruising along, fast enough at 40 knots to keep it fun and nimble enough to get to any of the lovely inlets with ease. We took the boat into one of the four decaying and unused submarine tunnels that were used to hide the Italian boats from the allies during the war. These are imposing cement tubes cut into the waterside cliffs around the bay have a lot of atmosphere, redolent with history. There are numerous old forts dotted about these little island hilltops that were used to hold prisoners of war, very much reminiscent of the Count of Monte Cristo, with natural barriers preventing any escape, thick ancient stone walls and treacherous rocks, surrounded by open sea, crisscrossed by strong currents.
We cruised past the new Portonovi Montenegro Marina, impressed by the low key footprint
of the buildings, clearly designed to blend into the landscape, maintaining historical building traditions and materials. Located half way into the Bay of Kotor, so the yachts berthed at the marina would be well protected in all weathers and centrally located. The low, tile roofed apartments look out over a magnificent unspoiled bay view, curtailed only by the scenic and pristine hills on the opposite side. The apartments and beaches along the marina are all south facing for that perfect sunset moment at the end of the day.
The most memorable island is Our Lady Of The Rocks, a quaint oval islet, built by fisherman
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