One of the more beautiful parts of a beautiful country, the Bay of Kotor is a stunning deepwater bay home to historic towns and spectacular scenery. One of the best ways to explore it is by boat, as I did between Kotor and Perast.

Kotor has become a popular alternative to Dubrovnik for cruises ships, with fewer limitations on numbers, and a similar Old Town, though Dubrovnik’s is much larger. They give a sense of scale for the mountainside rising out of the bay on all sides.

This sailing style cruise ship looked more attractive, other than the huge chimney of diesel exhausts.

There are communities all around the bay, looking pretty good from the water.

Close to Perast there are two islands. The Saint George Monastery is on a natural island, but you are not allowed to disembark.

The neighbouring Church of the Madonna dello Scalpello island is made man, and unlikely to last long with rising sea levels I suspect. It can be visited, and is a popular place judging by the number of people there later afternoon when I was there.

Perast is a little gem, away from the crowds of Kotor, looking lovely from the water.

And just as pleasant on shore, as cars are heavily restricted along the only road that runs along by the water.

The only real sight is the Church of Saint Nicholas, but it’s just a lovely place to wander around.

To return to Kotor to cover it’s Old Town, surrounded by sizeable defensive walls.

There were plenty of churches, including the sizeable Saint Nicholas Church, with a very silver Jesus.

The orthodox St Luke’s Church was much smaller, and rather atmospheric.

Crkva Svete Klare / Svetog Antuna was quite unusual inside, and much quieter than the others for some reason.

St. Tryphon’s Cathedral was quite different to what I expected inside, with quite an unusual interior restored after the 1979 Montenegro earthquake.

To finish with more shots from around the Old Town.