5 Things I Love about Boka Bay

Nikki Gonzales

Jan 30, 20202 min read

Updated: Feb 6, 2020

It’s not the most ideal destination for digital nomads — no co-working spaces, nor meetup events, not even an expat community. Instead, there were mostly day tourists, and locals. And yet, I found myself comfortably staying in Montenegro’s Boka Bay for one month. Here’s why:

1. Landscape

Boka bay (also known as Bay of Kotor) is a bay inlet of the Adriatic Sea, surrounded by two massifs on both sides. The shorelines have been inhibited since the earliest times, and in it are well-preserved medieval towns which attract tourists. Despite having a backdrop of rugged and steep mountains, there is a softness of energy in the waterside towns. It was easy to settle in and I felt at peace and welcome in this place.

2. Cruise ships

I don’t know what it is, but there’s something exciting about seeing these large cruise ships anchored out in the bay. Hoards of tourists come in for the day, and it always warmed my heart to see them having a good time with loved ones while enjoying the sights of Old Town Kotor. Plus, I always bumped into Filipinos who work at the ships. They said about 70% of the crew is from the Philippines!

3. Locals

Montenegrins are one of the warmest and most genuine bunch of people I met. They are all so friendly and open, I often had chitchats with people I came across at the grocery and park. I lived in an area called Dobrota, which has more locals than tourists. I would recommend to stay here as it is more serene and less crowded.

Boardwalk in Dobrota, 10min walk to Old Town of Kotor

4. Seafood

Not the most beautiful photos, but these seafood were yums

Sticking to a pescetarian diet was so easy to do in Boka bay. The restos by the board walk close to my apartment were the best places to eat at! It’s inexpensive, and portions are huge. For dinners at home, I usually bought these fresh water fish from the grocery for less than 2euros. So tasty!

5. Cats

There’s lots, and I mean looots of cats roaming the streets of Kotor. The people weren’t clearly sure how that came to be. These cats were so chill, friendly, and (seemed) clean. I was happy to pet them get some dose of oxytocin.

It a shame that it's only recently that learned about the country of Montenegro and Yugoslavian history. Most of my friends don’t know about it as well, so I’m writing about it here. If you are planning to take a trip to the Balkans, be sure to add Kotor to your itinerary. It is small, but there’s so many things to do, like: