Perast Travel Guide 2026: Island Churches, Baroque Palaces & the Bay
Perast travel guide 2026: Our Lady of the Rocks, Saint George island, baroque palaces, boat trips, where to stay and how to get there from Kotor.
Guides for Perast Travel Guide
Upcoming Events in Perast Travel Guide
- Fašinada — Our Lady of the Rocks Procession
perast
Centuries-old Perast tradition: a procession of decorated boats carrying stones and flowers across the bay to build up the island of Our Lady of the Rocks, accompanied by music and celebrations on the waterfront.
Perast is the most perfectly preserved Baroque village on the Bay of Kotor — a single street of 17th-century noble palaces and churches running along the waterfront, with two island churches visible directly offshore. The population today is a fraction of its historic peak; the village is essentially car-free in its historic core and almost unchanged since the Venetian era.
The two islands are the defining feature. Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela) is an artificial island built over centuries from rocks dropped by local sailors — the church inside has over 2,500 silver votive tablets. Saint George is a natural island with a Benedictine monastery, not generally open to visitors. Both are visible from the Perast waterfront and reachable by taxi boat.
Perast works best as a day trip from Kotor or as a one- or two-night stay for those who want the most atmospheric, quietest base on the bay.
Key facts
- Distance from Kotor: 12 km; 15–20 minutes by car; 20–25 minutes by bus
- Currency: Euro (€)
- Population: Around 350 permanent residents
- Character: Quiet, historic, very limited tourist infrastructure
What to see and do
- Our Lady of the Rocks — take a taxi boat from the waterfront (€5 return) and explore the church interior with its 2,500 silver tablets and nave paintings
- Walk the Perast waterfront — the full walking distance along the main street is about 500 m; 16 palaces survive in various states of preservation
- Maritime Museum of Perast — housed in the Bujović Palace, the museum covers the village’s seafaring history and the role of Perast in training Russian naval officers under Peter the Great
- Saint George island — visible from the waterfront; the monastery is not generally open to visitors, but the island can be circled by boat
Getting there
From Kotor: Bus (20 minutes, approx. €2) or car (15 minutes). Buses on the Kotor–Herceg Novi coastal route stop at Perast regularly.
By boat: Taxi boats operate between Kotor and Perast on demand; agree price in advance (approx. €15–25 one way for the boat).
Parking: Very limited in the village. The small car park at the village entrance fills quickly in peak season.
When to visit
Perast is at its best outside peak season. July–August brings day-trip crowds by midday; the village empties again by evening. May, June, September, and October offer the full atmosphere with significantly fewer people. The village is genuinely quiet in winter — beautiful but most services reduced.