Islands of Perast
Two lovely islets break the waters of Kotor bay, off the coast of Perast. Both of them complete the already scenic landscape, making the place look more colorful. Although they might look somewhat similar, in reality they couldn’t be any more different from one another.
Perast and the islands from the Lipci road
the two islets zoomed in from a distance
Sveti Dorde, also known as the Island of Saint George, is the smaller one. Unlike the other island, St. George has trees on it and is actually a natural island. It is home to the Saint George Benedictine Monastery, dating back to the 12th century, and old graveyard where the nobility of Perast was buried. It isn’t open to tourists, so one can only admire its beauty from the other islet.
Perast seen from the boat next to St. George island
Saint George Island, Montenegro
Saint George Island, Montenegro
The larger island located right next to St. George is called Our Lady of the Rocks, which is an artificial island, made up of old sunken ships and bulwark of rocks. The island is open to tourists, and we actually took a boat trip to it, and participated in a guided tour.
approaching Our Lady of the Rocks
The main attraction on the island is the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks, which was constructed in 1632. It is dedicated to the Madonna, after some fishermen found an icon of her and the Child on a rock in 1452, according to the local legend. The church contains an impressive collection of paintings and artifacts dedicated to her, the protector of seamen.Â
Church of Our Lady of the Rocks
details of Our Lady of the Rocks
The most interesting piece is an embroidered tapestry made by a woman from Perast, who completed the piece while she was waiting for her husband to get back from the sea. The masterpiece took 25 years to complete and its uniqueness stands in the fact that Jacinta Kunić-Mijović didn’t only embroider various fabrics she got as presents from her husband when he occasionally returned from his journeys, but she also used her own hair to complete her creation.
view from the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks
A couple of hours can easily be spent on this small island. After the guided tour of the church just sit back and enjoy the stunning views of Perast and the bay.
enjoying the view from Our Lady of the Rocks
view of Perast from Our Lady of the Rocks
Before heading back to Perast, be sure to look back on the lovely island, and snap a few more photos to have as a unique memory.
leaving Our Lady of the Rocks
leaving Our Lady of the Rocks
Locals will gladly take you to the island of Our Lady of the Rocks for a couple of euros, and even circle around St. George so you can observe it’s natural beauty. Would you visit the small islands of Perast?Â
Take a look at a few other astonishing places in the area, such as The three best views of Kotor Bay, the 7 Must-sees of Kotor Old Town and The Picturesque Montenegrin village of Perast.
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Ahhhh, so pretty!!! I desperately want to visit Montenegro and every post I see reminds me of that. Fingers crossed it can happen next year! 😀 PS: stop posting those gorgeous photos! 😛
Thanks, Vlad! I know you’ll make it here next year 😉 And there are plenty of gorgeous photos waiting to be published haha!
What a wonderful place! I really would like to visit Montenegro! Everyone says it is such an awesome place! Your pictures are so beautiful!
Thank you! I’ve been to Montenegro twice in the past year and can only recommend it! It is truly stunning and still unspoiled 🙂
I would definitively visit these little islands. They seem so peaceful 🙂
Thank you for your comment 🙂 They are lovely and even though small, the artificial one has quite an amazing story!