Coasteering in Montenegro

Coasteering was invented in Wales and is pretty similar to canyoning, offering a unique blend of climbing, abseiling, swimming, and cliff jumping, all with one overarching goal in mind – unveiling the hidden wonders of beautiful coastlines. And since Montenegro’s Adriatic seashore is widely considered to be one of Europe’s prettiest, it totally makes sense that coasteering started to become increasingly popular here as well.

Coasteering is a ridiculously fun way to get familiar with cliffs and caves in an original way. There is something very Sylvester Stallone or James Bond about the multidisciplinary approach coasteering takes; one moment you scramble over rocks, then you walk or run along the seashore before finally jumping or abseiling down into a sea cave and doing some snorkeling.

The sport can be as challenging as you want it to be – all you need is a neoprene wetsuit, sports shoes, a harness, and a helmet. The wetsuit will protect you from all sorts of bruises, bumps, and scratches as you crawl and wiggle through caves and rocks. It is recommended to take a guide with knowledge of the local terrain to take you and your friends or family to some lesser-known coastal sections.

Our Experience

A while back, we were invited by our friends to join them for half a day of coasteering on the Lustica Peninsula and had really a great time. We couldn’t have asked for a better setting or professional to guide us. Marko equipped us with the best gear to keep us warm and safe: helmets, wetsuits, life jackets, and the reassurance of an experienced guide.

Our boat started in Herceg Novi and dropped us off close to the Arza Fortress, a former Austro-Hungarian defense structure guarding the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. Let the games begin! We started swimming to the shore and then climbed ashore, making our way across stunning rock formations that very few visitors can get to. What a golden opportunity to explore the wild and rugged Adriatic coastal scenery.

The sound of rough waves pounding against the rocks, the balmy gust of salty air, the seagulls cutting through the air, squawking and circling us, the sensation of rough coastline under our feet – what’s not to love when all our senses had awakened! We’d expected the Adriatic Sea to be a bit colder during this time of the year, it was Early October already, but with the wetsuit, it was warm and comfortable in every possible way.

An enthralling element of the coasteering experience are the cliff jumps, which seem frightening at first, but Marko calmed your nerves and directed us to the safest spots. We learned fast and could not wait to get out of the water and try jumping off ever larger cliffs – nothing really compares to this thrill of cliff leaping from great heights; we had a lot of fun.

Coasteering is still not widely known across the region but it sure will give you a new perspective on the coastal landscape. The Lustica Peninsula with its amazing coastline full of caves and low-hanging rocky cliffs is probably one of the best places in Montenegro to experience it for yourself.

Traversing the rough seashore brings us to the cliffs above Wolf’s Cave. After looking down, we realize that this final jump will also be one of the more exciting ones. We have some time left to explore the sea cave before our boat picks us up and we head to the more prominent Blue Cave which is just a short boat ride away.

The coastal stretch from Arza Beach to the cave is stunning, the sun was slowly setting, culminating in a breathtaking sunset, as we were finishing the day off with some refreshing drinks – we agreed, these five hours have been well spent! We learned a lot about the coastal ecosystems and wildlife, we did not expect to hear that the Mediterranean monk seal used to inhabit these sea caves until only a few decades ago.