Bay of Kotor - Montenegro - page 118

In Donja Lastva there's a summer-only tourist office ( 8am-noon & 5-8pm Mon-Sat, 8am-noon Sun)
where you can make enquiries about private accommodation.

TOP OF CHAPTER

Tivat Тиват
POP 9400
In the throes of a major makeover, courtesy of the multi-million-dollar redevelopment of
its old naval base into a superyacht marina, Tivat is becoming noticeably more schmick
each year. Only a decade ago its palm-tree-lined waterfront was looking decidedly down-
at-heel, and coffee and pizza seemed to be the only forms of sustenance. Now the variety
of restaurants rivals anywhere in the country - but then so do the prices.
Tivat has a reputation as one of the sunniest spots on the Boka Kotorska. While it will
never rival Kotor for charm, it makes a pleasant stop on a trip around the bay, and a use-
ful base for exploring the sweet villages of the Vrmac and Luštica Peninsulas.
The town is home to the Boka's largest remaining Croat and Catholic community, rep-
resenting 17% and 21% of its population, respectively.

Sights

Porto Montenegro
( www.portomontenegro.com ; 7am-1am) Single-handedly responsible for Tivat's transformation,
this surreal town-within-a-town occupies 24 hectares which once were the historic Arsen-
al shipyard and naval base. It's a work in progress, with only 4.5 hectares developed at
the time of writing, but it already has five upmarket apartment buildings, a 'lifestyle vil-
lage' of fancy shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities, a museum, and berths for 250
yachts. A Regent Hotel was set to open in May 2014, and eventually 630 luxury yachts
will be able to dock here, including 130 superyachts.
The project isn't without controversy: 3500 locals took to the streets to protest the sale
of this state asset to foreign investors (an international consortium of the exceedingly rich
led by Canadian businessman Peter Munk) and the loss of 480 jobs. Yet many naysayers
have been silenced by the improvements that are already evident in the town.

MARINA, VILLAGE