Montenegro island of flowers how to get there. Island of Flowers (Mikholska Prevlaka). Kalardovo has several obvious advantages

(Miholska Prevlaka) in Tivat, famous for its large amount of greenery, there is a beach of the same name. Previously, during the existence of Yugoslavia, a closed sanatorium for senior officials from military circles was located on the island. Nowadays, lovers of nature and relaxing time in the shade of green spaces prefer to relax here. The island is very small (about 300 meters in length), the beach is located almost along its entire perimeter.

The length of the beach on the island of Miholska Prevlaka in Tivat is about 1.2 km around the island.

However, it should be borne in mind that the beach strip is not continuous; there are several coastal areas for recreation on the island. Among them there are sandy and shell-pebble beaches. Some hotels equip their areas with concrete slabs.

Tourists in their reviews note that many people come here during the holiday season, so it’s worth walking around the island to find a place convenient for yourself. Vacationers also note that swimming on the beach of the island of Miholska Prevlaka is very comfortable, thanks to the warm and clean water. The sea here heats up to +20 degrees by June. Travelers are warned not to expect to see many flowers on the island. According to some versions, the local flora was severely damaged as a result of the war, after which Yugoslavia was divided into several countries: the refugees living here destroyed a significant part of the blooming nature and well-kept gardens.

Some write about the dirt on the beach and island, as well as the unkempt greenery. Miholska Prevlaka can hardly be called a secluded place, since it is connected to the mainland by an isthmus that can be driven by car. This crossing is only flooded during high tides. Therefore, sometimes disputes arise that this is not actually an island, but a peninsula.

Infrastructure

Despite the fact that on the large beach of the island of Miholska Prevlaka there are areas owned by hotels, entry to all areas is free for everyone. There are beaches here equipped for a comfortable stay with all the necessary equipment: sun loungers and umbrellas, changing cabins, toilets and showers. In such areas, rescue services are on duty, and more convenient entrances to the water are equipped there. The long coastal strip also has many “wild” beaches, which are chosen by those who like a more secluded and relaxing holiday. However, here you need to be careful and monitor the safety of children. The beaches, as a rule, have a rocky, small-pebble bottom, but the water is clean and calm. You can see all the beach areas by climbing to the top of the island.

Local residents also like to come to the beach on the island of Miholska Prevlaka for walks among the greenery and for organizing picnics. Thanks to the large amount of vegetation, on the coast you can enjoy fragrant air mixed with sea air.

Beach guests can dine at one of the island's many cafes and restaurants, which offer Montenegrin and Mediterranean cuisine, as well as local wines. The establishments are open only during the holiday season.

One of the few entertainments on the beach of the Island of Flowers is boat or yacht trips, as many coastal areas are equipped with piers. Water skiing services are sometimes offered. Locals also go fishing.

Souvenirs can be purchased in a small store at the monastery of the Archangel Michael - an ancient landmark of the island with a tragic history. The beach is famous for its picturesque views of the mainland and neighboring islands, as well as for the fact that from here you can see planes taking off and landing. Such unusual views are explained by the fact that Tivat airport is located very close.

How to get to the beach of the Island of Flowers

The beach is located in the Tivat Bay of the Bay of Kotor. The distance to the center of Tivat is 6 kilometers. There is a narrow bridge leading to the island, which you can cross on foot or by car. The journey by car from Tivat will take about 15 minutes: you need to follow the Jadran highway; there is free parking on the island. Travelers recommend leaving the car at the entrance to the island and strolling through the green area on foot. You can also get here by water - by boat, speedboat or yacht from the Tivat pier. Some tourists ride rented bicycles.

There are also buses from Tivat to the island; you need to get off at the final stop “Ostrvo cvijeća”. There are only 3 flights per day, it is recommended to keep an eye on the schedule.

You can get to the beach of the island of Miholska Prevlaka by taxi: SmartTaxi and “Guide to Montenegro” services operate in Montenegro.

Panoramic view of the entrance to the Island of Flowers:

Video filming of the island of Miholska Prevlaka:

Unique island

In Montenegro, located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, due to the small territory of fertile land, every piece of it has always been used to the maximum. And therefore, the inhabitants of this country have always been very careful about its nature. One of the main proofs of this can be the Island of Prevlaka, located near the city of Tivat. It has a second name - the Island of Flowers. The Miholska Prevlaka monastery, which is famous for its ancient amazing history, was located here.

Sometimes Prevlaka Island is considered a peninsula, but it is not. The island is connected to land only by a small bridge. But this natural object of Tivat received its name for its unusually beautiful riot of vegetation and flowers. It seems that all the nature of Tivat has gathered here on a small piece of land between the waves of the Adriatic Sea.

No wonder this place was chosen by monks in the early Middle Ages. However, due to treachery, the monastery was destroyed, and the land went to plants. The island of Prevlaka near Tivat was empty until a resort for the Yugoslav military was organized here. At that time this place was closed, and not everyone could get here. But due to the collapse of Yugoslavia, the resort was closed. After the war began, refugees began to be brought here. They cut down a significant part of the trees of Prevlaka Island for their needs, but still tried to keep the nature of this place intact.

History of the Miholska Prevlaka Monastery

According to church traditions, the Apostle Paul preached in the monastery of the Archangel Michael (Miholska Prevlaka). Until 1452, the episcopal throne was located here. However, in 1452, during one of the holidays, the Venetians poisoned all the monks. Then a rumor was spread that the monks had died due to an epidemic, and the monastery was destroyed.

A little later, Countess Ekaterina Vlastelinovich wanted to restore the monastery of the Archangel Michael, but only managed to build a temple. It contains the relics of 70 martyred monks who can be venerated. And in the monastery live two monks and a nun.

A long time ago, the monastery occupied the entire island, but at the moment all that remains of it is a small building with cells and the Trinity Church. Next to it is the destroyed temple of the Archangel Michael from the 6th century.

Meaning of the island

In addition to its undoubted historical value, the island of Prevlaka, located near Tivat, has an even more important tourist and recreational function. The nature of this place, although seriously modified by people, still remains one of the most important ecological monuments in the vicinity of the city of Tivat.

Nowhere else, except on the Island of Prevlaka, has such a wide variety of plants been preserved. Literally all the flowers of the Balkans gathered on this small piece of land.

Tourists, in addition to walking through the forest, can visit a wonderful beach. At one time it was equipped with the latest fashion and technology, and now it is a very good place for a relaxing holiday on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. Among the townspeople of Tivat, this place is considered one of the best places to relax. This shows their good attitude towards this island. Of course, local residents and the authorities of Tivat need to work a lot to return Prevlaka Island to its former appearance. However, we can only hope that the residents of Montenegro will not neglect to take care of this amazing natural object and restore its magnificent appearance.

Despite the official name, the Island of Flowers is more correctly called a peninsula, because it is connected to the rest of the coast by a small strip of land, which is only slightly covered with water at high tide. The island received its second beautiful name for the abundance of Mediterranean vegetation blooming on it, and the monastery of St. Michael the Archangel, located here in ancient times, brought it the greatest fame.

Location: municipality, Tivat Islands archipelago.

The Island of Flowers, also known in ancient times as Prevlaka, is located in the Tivat Bay not far from, and can be reached by road through a special bridge. The fact is that Prevlaka is an island only in words (or was so a long time ago), and today the Island of Flowers is separated from the main shore by only a small space, filled with water only during periods of high tide.

The dimensions of the island are small - approximately 300 m in length and 200 m in width. In its best years, it was covered with a thick layer of palm trees, olive groves and other Mediterranean plants, which bloomed very beautifully, which made it possible to give the island such a figurative name. During socialist Yugoslavia, there was a closed resort for the military here, but today little remains of its former flourishing appearance. During the collapse of the country and hostilities, refugees from Bosnia settled here and most of the gardens were destroyed. However, the island still has a beautiful one, planted with flowering plants, in the shade of which you can hide from the bright sun.

Island of Flowers with the Monastery of the Archangel Michael on the map

The second attraction of the Island of Flowers is the remains of an ancient monastery, the former residence of the Zeta Metropolitan.

Monastery of St. Michael the Archangel (Miholska Prevlaka)

The first monastery on the island - Miholska Prevlaka - was built in the 6th century, and from the 13th century, during the heyday of the ancient Slavic state of Zeta, the residence of the country's Orthodox metropolitan was located here. The throne of the Zeta diocese was located in the monastery of St. Michael the Archangel until the middle of the 15th century, when a tragic event occurred on the island.

In 1441, the Venetians, who had recently gained power over the island, destroyed the Orthodox monastery, declaring their actions as a plague epidemic that had allegedly begun on the island. But later research by the Belgrade Military Medical Academy refuted this point of view; after studying the remains of the monks, experts found that they died from arsenic poisoning, and not from disease. Comparing this data with other sources, it became clear that the murder of the monks was committed by Catholics from the Venetian Republic - they bribed the person who delivered food to the monastery, and poisoned all the inhabitants of the monastery during the patronal feast. And in order to hide the crime, they announced an epidemic and destroyed the old monastery.

Somewhat later, in 1833, Countess Ekaterina Vlastelinović decided to restore the monastery of the Archangel Michael; she built the Trinity Church on the island, which today houses the relics of 70 Prevlaka martyrs. But after her death, further construction stalled.

A new attempt to restore the holy place was made quite recently. So far, only the building with monastic cells and a small church have been restored from the monastery complex, which previously occupied the entire island. Only three monks live in the monastery.

Photo gallery

The main entrance to the Island of Flowers recalls the former resort of the Yugoslav Ministry of Defense

Tivat, Montenegro

Hotel Island of Flowers

Pension "Island of Flowers" is perfect for a family and relaxing holiday on the coast. The guesthouse is located near the sea (and this is the Tivat Bay, it is noticeably warmer than the Adriatic and the season lasts from May to November) and has Russian-speaking staff, its own transport and a wonderful tourist program suitable for any tourist request. The boarding house has a wardroom where guests can spend time playing games, watching TV and eating. The guesthouse has its own parking lot and provides bicycles for rent for those who are planning an independent trip around the city.

Location of the guesthouse Island of Flowers

The hotel is located on the coast of Tivat, within walking distance of the city's sandy or pebble beaches. You can reach resorts such as Kotor, Budva and Dubrovnik in just 30 minutes.

Rooms at the Island of Flowers boarding house

The boarding house is small and has 10 apartments. Apartment equipment: shower, air conditioning, refrigerator, satellite TV with Russian-language channels, Wi-Fi internet, wardrobes, carpets, mirrors and bedside tables.

The apartments sleep from two to four people, and a baby cot is available upon prior request. Some apartments offer panoramic sea views.

Restaurants, bars

The guesthouse's terrace is a great place to sit, surrounded by greenery. There are cozy tables where you can not only have a great time with friends, but also enjoy a meal from Chef Lilia.

Hotel services

parking
Internet
WiFi

In the room

telephone
TV
Russian TV channels
satellite or cable TV
Internet
WiFi
central air conditioner

For children

Crib

Sport

non-motorized water sports
motor water sports

Let's start our walk directly from the Jadransky Put highway; there is a noticeable sign at the turn. There are two inscriptions on it: “Monastery of the Archangel Michael” and “Kalardovo Beach”. This is exactly what we need.

Spotting at Tivat airport

Tivat airport is an excellent place for spotting (photography and watching planes), there are all the conditions for getting good pictures of planes taking off.

The road goes in such a way that the runway ends right in front of you. The fence in this place is tiny, it does not interfere with photography. When taking off, planes seem to be heading towards you, so this is the most advantageous point for Tivat spotting.

A little to the side you can see aircraft standing near the airport terminal building, waiting to take off. Tivat Airport is tiny, there are not many flights, especially at the beginning of the tourist season. If you are coming here specifically to take pictures of planes, then I recommend installing an application on your smartphone that shows in real time all the aircraft landing in Tivat.

Cucolina Beach

Next to the spotting point, there is one of the Tivat beaches - Kukolina beach. The place is of course not for everyone, and will suit everyone, but it has some kind of rustic charm. When I first saw this tiny beach, it reminded me of a river beach somewhere in the Russian outback.

Despite my criticism, Kukolina beach has minimal infrastructure and its own fans. I was amazed by the water slides (see photo), which are installed a meter from the shore, a kind of mini water park. :)

What else I didn’t like here: planes taking off make a lot of noise, there is a real reed jungle around the beach, and the shores are swampy. But here you feel one with nature, and there are not very many vacationers, which is a plus during the high tourist season.

The beach is located on a small sandy cape, from which there are views of the Bay of Kotor. On the right hand you can see the suburbs of Tivat, and in the distance the city itself. A little to the left, you can see the Island of Flowers with all the buildings, and right behind the island rise the hills of the Lustica Peninsula.

Kalardovo beach

The road between the beaches runs between the runway and the marshy shore of the Bay of Kotor. Since nothing is visible through the reed thickets, all that remains is to admire the planes.

The airport is located at the foot of the Lovcen mountains, their peaks are clearly visible in the photograph. It is believed that it is because of Lovcen that Tivat airport is one of the most difficult to land at night. This is probably why it does not accept night flights. Do you see the antennas on the mountain? Next to them is the Njegos Mausoleum.

Soon the road leads us to an intersection; if you go straight, there will be the Tivat Solina nature reserve, and we need to turn right. From the hill you can clearly see the bay and the mountains surrounding Tivat. If you're lucky with the weather, you can take great photos.

After walking 100 meters, we turn right again, we are on Kalardovo beach. Free parking is available for motorists. At the beginning of the tourist season there is peace and quiet here.

I didn’t have any plans for swimming, I abandoned the rental car right in the middle of the road, you can clearly see it in the photo. While wandering around, photographing planes taking off, looking at butterflies, etc. 40 minutes passed, maybe more. All this time the car was in raskoryak, and this did not bother anyone. This is not to say that you too are hooligans, but to the fact that it is very calm here.

Kalardovo has several obvious advantages:

this is the only beach inside the bay that has the Blue Flag award, which is awarded with enviable regularity;
the length of the beach is 200 meters, which is a very decent figure for Boko Kotorka;
the beach is wide enough, so there is enough space for everyone.

I’m especially pleased that there is a separate children’s playground, a full-fledged restaurant, and a large parking lot. It is also worth noting that the beach and bottom here are sandy, the entrance is smooth, and the water warms up very quickly. All of the above is ideal for tourists with small children.

Local authorities regularly make attempts to improve the beach, of course I would like to speed them up. However, a good children's playground with all sorts of climbing frames and attractions has already been built and is functioning, there is an area for playing beach volleyball, and there is a decent restaurant.

In a word, for those who live in Tivat, Kalardovo beach is one of the best places for a family holiday.

Island of Flowers

We leave the swimming area and move towards the Island of Flowers. It is located at the end of the same road that led us to Kalardovo beach.

Exactly opposite the beach parking lot, you can see the ruins of a fortification structure, and immediately behind them a picturesque bay with sailboats.

The ruins are the Danchulovin tower (it is in the photo). It is believed that the tower was the first line of defense of the Monastery of St. Michael in Prevlaka. Some sources say that this was the summer residence of the Serbian king Dusan.

It’s hard to check and believe it. These days, the Dančulovina fortress tower and the neighboring Grgurovina tower look abandoned. The buildings are fenced but accessible for inspection. Be careful out there.

Next there will be a short, very calm and completely flat section of the road, immediately after it is the entrance to the Island of Flowers. This short section of the path is a very peaceful place, birds are singing, butterflies are flying, meadow flowers are fragrant and other amenities. If you are by car, walk this section of the route.

Entry to the island is through an old checkpoint, from which some buildings and signs remain. The roads on the island are unpaved and quite decent, but I recommend wandering here without a car.

The Island of Flowers is nothing but contradictions. There are no flowers on the island, and never have been, and the name “Island of Flowers” itself is modern; it previously had a different name. All historically important buildings, artifacts, and other important things were either destroyed or plundered, and these processes took place over the course of centuries. Nevertheless, the island is still worth visiting.

Part of the island is built up with some gigantic abandoned buildings. Awkward concrete buildings appeared here during the times of socialist Yugoslavia, but as time has shown, all these objects were out of place.

Monastery of St. Michael the Archangel

At the moment, there are only a few novices in the monastery compound, which by Montenegrin standards is not at all small. Services in the local church are held regularly, as indicated by the schedule at the entrance to the territory. If the Holy Trinity Church is open, be sure to visit inside.

It is believed that the temple contains the relics of the Prevlaka martyrs and a particle of the relics of the righteous Fyodor Ushakov, who fought for the independence of Montenegro. I have not seen the relics, but the icon with the face of Fyodor Ushakov is present.

The monastery compound is located in the very center of the tiny island, so Tivat’s surroundings and attractions are visible wherever you look. This photo shows the entire Lustica peninsula, with the suburbs of Herceg Novi in the background.

This photo shows the neighboring islands of the Tivat archipelago: the island of St. Mark and the island of Gospa od Milo.

I wish you a pleasant walk and positive emotions when visiting the monastery.