Five quiet coves around Luštica

Luštica is the peninsula that closes the Bay of Kotor from the south. One side faces Herceg Novi across the entrance to the bay, the other faces the open Adriatic. Its roads are narrow and few, olive groves cover most of it, and a good part of the shore is easiest to reach from the water.

"Quiet" needs a word of honesty. In July and August nothing on this coast is empty at midday. But these five places are calmer than the town beaches, and early or late in the day some of them come close to deserted.

1. Dobreč

A small pebble cove on the side facing Herceg Novi, backed by dense green slopes. No road leads to it, so practically everyone arrives by boat. The water is clear and deepens gradually, which makes it a good stop with children. There is a restaurant on the beach in season.

Because it is a classic boat stop, it fills up around lunchtime. Come in the morning and you may share it with a handful of people.

2. Rose

Rose is not a beach but a tiny fishing village on the inner tip of the peninsula, with stone houses along a short waterfront. You swim from the quay and the flat rocks beside it, then sit down with a coffee a few steps from the water. It is sheltered from most winds, so it is a dependable stop when the open sea is rough.

Good to know

There is little sand anywhere on Luštica. Water shoes make getting in and out over rocks and pebbles much more comfortable.

3. Mirište

Just around the corner from the better-known Žanjice lies Mirište, a smaller cove ringed by olive trees. A little islet with a monastery church sits right in front of it. The setting is prettier than its larger neighbour and the mood slower. Both coves are close to the Blue Cave, so many trips pair the cave with a long swim stop here.

4. Veslo

On the open-sea side, Veslo is a rocky inlet with no beach at all: you swim from the boat or from flat stone shelves. The reward is some of the clearest water on the peninsula, good for snorkelling along the rock walls. It is exposed to the south, so skippers choose it on calm days and skip it when there is swell.

5. Oblatno

Further south-east, where Luštica curves towards Tivat's open coast, the bay of Trašte holds several beaches. Oblatno is the one on the Luštica side: a pebble beach on a wide, well-protected bay. It has seen development in recent years, so it is not wild, but the bay is spacious and the water calm, and at anchor a little way off the beach you will have plenty of room.

The simplest way to find a quiet cove is to arrive before eleven or after four. The same beach can feel like two different places.

How to plan a day

A boat lets you combine what would be awkward by road. A relaxed half-day from Herceg Novi might look like this:

• An early swim at Dobreč while it is still empty.
• Coffee in Rose.
• Out past Mamula to the Blue Cave when the sun is high.
• A late swim and lunch at Mirište before heading back.

With a private boat you can change the order to suit the wind: inner side first when the open sea is choppy, outer side first when it is flat. Ask the skipper what they recommend that morning. They know which cove is sheltered in which wind.

A few manners at anchor

• Keep clear of the buoy lines that mark swimming areas.
• Take everything back with you, including cigarette ends and fruit peel.
• Keep music low. Sound carries a long way over still water, and quiet is the reason people come.

What to bring

• Water shoes, a mask and a snorkel.
• Plenty of drinking water and sun protection.
• Cash in euros for the trip, if it is paid in cash, and for the small beach restaurants, some of which may not take cards.

Luštica rewards slow travel. Two coves enjoyed properly are better than five ticked off in a hurry.