Perast

Perast is one long waterfront street of grey stone baroque palaces built by sea captains, backed by a steep mountain and facing two small islands. St George is natural, with a Benedictine monastery and cypresses; Our Lady of the Rocks is not - local sailors created it over centuries by sinking old ships and dropping stones after a Madonna icon was found on a reef there, and the tradition of adding rocks continues each July in a boat procession called fasinada. The town has no through traffic, which makes it one of the calmest places on a bay that gets extremely busy.

What you actually see

• Our Lady of the Rocks - the man-made islet church and its museum.
• The waterfront palaces - captains' houses along the single street.
• St Nicholas bell tower - the climb for the bay view.
• The fasinada - the July boat procession that keeps building the island.

When to go

May, June, September and October are the sweet months - warm water and manageable crowds. July and August bring cruise-ship day traffic through the bay and packed boat shuttles. The fasinada falls in late July. Winter is beautifully quiet with most places closed.

Honest expectations

Boats to the islet run constantly and cost little, but touts on the promenade quote inflated prices - the standard fare is modest. Swimming in Perast is from concrete platforms and small pebble patches rather than proper beaches. Parking is severely limited and paid; arriving by bus or boat from Kotor is easier. Restaurants on the waterfront charge for the view.

Nearby

Kotor old town, Risan's Roman mosaics and the bay road to Herceg Novi.