Full day Boka bay, Our Lady of the Rocks, Perast, Old town Tour

Our Lady of the Rocks is one of the two islets off the coast of Perast in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro (the other being Sveti Đorđe island). It is an artificial island created by bulwark of rocks and by sinking old and seized ships loaded with rocks. The Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rocks is the largest building on the islet, and has a museum attached to it. According to legend, the islet was made over the centuries by local seamen who kept an ancient oath after finding the icon of Madonna and Child on the rock in the sea on 22 July 1452. Upon returning from each successful voyage, they laid a rock in the Bay. Over time, the islet gradually emerged from the sea. The custom of throwing rocks into the sea is alive even nowadays. Every year on the sunset of 22 July, an event called fašinada in the local dialect, when local residents take their boats and throw rocks into the sea, widening the surface of the island, takes place. The church was renovated in 1722

Situated a few kilometers northwest of Kotor is the bodacious old town of Perast, a UNESCO site that whispers melancholic stories of days when its habitants lived in lavishness and splendor, enjoying an overall powerful reign. Dubbed one of the most beautiful places in the Bay of Kotor, Perast has an incontestable allure that’s charming guests with its ancient demeanor. The old town is facing the sea, overlooking two islets: St. George and Our Lady of the Rocks, each one with their respective graceful chapels. The contrasting beauties of old stone and water, perpetual dialogues of an ancient past with the curiosity of today’s world are just some of the many sensations this setting emits. The caves of Spila, above Perast, are literally museums housing artifacts that bespeak the presence of Neolithic culture and how civilizations like the Illyrians, Romans, and early Christians populated this area since prehistoric times.

Kotor is more than two thousand years old, and its name stems from the word Dekatera (from the old Greece katareo – meaning HOT). The written sources mention the “Upper town”, which referred to the oldest part of the lodgment on the top of the hill Sveti Ivan (St. Ivan) which is located above Kotor, and the “Lower town”, present old town Kotor. The rich history of Kotor, is parallel to the rich culture of the town with which many conquerors ruled: the Illyrians, the Venetians, the Austrians, the French… First the town was ruled by the Illyrians (III and II century B.C.). On the other hand the Romans are considered to be the founders of Kotor 168 B.C. – 476 A.D. Kotor was under their reign until the break of Roman Empire in 476 A.D under the name Akruvijum. After the Romans, until the year 1185 Kotor was under the reign of Byzantium. Under the Byzantium reign Kotor was named Dekaderon.

Our stop for swiming and refresh