April vs May

Strong option

The bay comes alive — warm enough for the terrace at Stari Grad, wet enough to keep crowds away.

• ↑April is genuinely pleasant in Kotor Bay — 17°C, noticeably more sunshine, and the surrounding mountains still snow-capped above the medieval town. The blue of Boka Bay against the white peaks and the rust-red Venetian rooftops is the postcard image of Montenegro and it is achievable without sharing it with cruise ship passengers.
• ↑The climb to the Fortress of San Giovanni is excellent in April: cool enough for effort, clear enough for views across the entire bay to the Orjen mountain range. The restored walls and the path up through the old city are in good condition.

Best match

The optimal window: warm, genuinely beautiful, and before the cruise ship armada arrives in force.

• ↑May is the month that experienced Adriatic travellers point to as Kotor's best. Temperatures reach 22°C, the bay is a flawless blue-green, and the cruise ship season is beginning but not yet overwhelming — fewer than 50 ships typically call in May versus 300+ across the June–September season. The Old Town in May has its authentic Venetian-influenced character intact: the cats on the piazza steps, the fishing nets on the harbour wall, the konoba owners still glad to see you.
• ↑Kayaking across the bay to Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela) — the artificial island church off Perast built from coral and ex-votos over 200 years — is one of the finest half-day activities on the Adriatic. In May you can paddle to it without sharing the water with speed boats ferrying cruise passengers.