Look at a map of the Bay of Kotor and you will see a long, green ridge in the middle of it. That is Vrmac. It runs along the peninsula that separates the inner bay, with Kotor at its end, from Tivat Bay on the other side. From the top you can see both, which is why Vrmac is one of the best places to understand how the whole bay fits together.
Where Vrmac is
Vrmac sits between Kotor and Tivat. Its coast on the Kotor side is lined with old seafaring villages such as Prčanj and Stoliv, while the Tivat side looks out over Tivat Bay toward the Luštica Peninsula. The highest point of the ridge is Saint Ilija (Sveti Ilija in Montenegrin), and from there the view opens over Kotor, Tivat, Luštica and, on a clear day, the open Adriatic.
A ridge full of history
Vrmac was a military position for a long time. In the 19th century, when the bay was under Austrian (later Austro-Hungarian) rule, the army built Fort Vrmac on the ridge, one of several forts that guarded Boka. Much of the network of old military roads that crosses the ridge dates from those times, and these roads are what our tours follow today: wide enough for a quad or a buggy, and leading straight to the viewpoints.
Forest, olive groves and chestnuts
Most of Vrmac is covered in forest, and part of our route passes through a 100-year-old forest. Lower down, on the slopes above Stoliv, olive groves and the old Stoliv chestnut forest surround stone villages that have hardly changed in generations. In summer the shade on the ridge is a welcome break from the heat by the sea.
Gornji Stoliv
One of those villages is Gornji Stoliv (Upper Stoliv), an old stone village on the slopes of Vrmac above Donji Stoliv, across the water from Perast. With its stone houses, the Church of St. Elijah and the view over the bay toward the islands off Perast, it is one of the quietest places in Boka. Our Gornji Stoliv tour goes there by buggy, with our driver.
How to explore Vrmac
Hikers climb Vrmac on foot from the Kotor side, a long and steep but rewarding walk. If you would rather ride, these are our tours on the ridge:
- Vrmac – Saint Ilija: the classic route, 2.5–3 hours by quad (group or private) or by private buggy with a picnic.
- Vrmac Night: the same ridge in the evening, a 3-hour group tour by quad, with the lights of Kotor and Tivat below.
- Vrmac Romantic Buggy: a 3-hour private buggy ride for two to the panoramic viewpoints.
- Gornji Stoliv: a 3.5–4 hour private buggy tour to the old village.
Tips for your visit
- Light. Mornings and late afternoons give the softest light over the bay; the evening ride shows the bay lit up.
- Heat. In July and August, bring water and sun protection even though much of the route is shaded.
- Clothing. Closed shoes and clothes that can get dusty. Evenings on the ridge are cooler than by the sea.
More practical advice is in what to know before an ATV tour in Montenegro.
