When taking a road trip from Athens up through the Balkan coastline toward Herceg Novi and Dubrovnik, the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) is one of those places that naturally forces you to slow down. The coastal drive itself is breathtaking, but the real showstopper comes just as you approach the town of Perast: two small islets floating side-by-side in the middle of the bay, each carrying a completely different energy.

While most travelers head straight to the docks in Perast to catch a boat across, we ended up taking a slightly different approach.

If landing on the islands isn’t your main goal and you’re more interested in taking in the view and capturing incredible photos, there is a far better option than the crowded town promenade. About 13 kilometers past Perast along the coastal road, you’ll find a quiet roadside viewpoint.

It’s an ideal spot to pull the car over, relax, and—if you carry a drone—launch into the air. The vantage point from here offers an unobstructed, elevated angle of both islands framed by the towering fjord-like mountains.

Pro Tip: Aim to arrive in the late afternoon. As the sun begins to drop, the warm light illuminates the bay and casts rich, dramatic tones across the water and surrounding peaks.

Despite sitting just a few hundred meters apart, the two islets could not be more different in their origin, purpose, and accessibility.

The island featuring the bright blue dome of a Roman Catholic church is actually completely artificial.

According to local legend, on July 22, 1452, two fisherman brothers discovered an icon of the Virgin Mary resting on a rock in the bay. Taking it as a divine sign, locals swore an oath to build a church on that exact spot. For centuries, whenever local sailors returned safely from sea, they dropped stones around the rock. Over time, they also scuttled seized or old ships filled with rocks.

Slowly but surely, an island emerged from the sea. The tradition lives on today: every year on July 22 during a festival called Fašinada, locals take their boats out at sunset to cast stones into the water around the islet to keep its foundation strong.

Inside the 17th-century church and museum, you’ll find an impressive collection of silver votive tablets and historic artifacts. The most poignant exhibit is an intricate tapestry woven by a local woman, Jacinta Kunić-Mijović. While waiting 25 years for her sailor husband to return home, she embroidered an image of the Virgin Mary using gold, silver, and strands of her own hair—which visibly turn from dark to silver-gray across the piece as the years went by.

In contrast to its artificial neighbor, St. George is a natural island shaded by tall, dark cypress trees. Its mood is much more solemn and mysterious.

The islet houses a 12th-century Benedictine monastery and the historic cemetery for the noble families of Perast, which earned it the local moniker “The Island of the Dead.” Unlike Our Lady of the Rocks, Sveti Đorđe is privately owned by the church and strictly off-limits to visitors.

The Tragedy of Kotor’s Romeo and Juliet:

A local romantic tragedy is also tied to this island. During the Napoleonic Wars, a French soldier named Ante was stationed at the fortress on St. George. He fell in love with a local girl from Perast named Katica. During a military skirmish, Ante fired a cannon shot aimed at the town—unknowingly striking Katica’s house and killing her. Heartbroken, he laid down his military duties, became a monk on the island, and guarded her grave for the remainder of his life.

• If you want to step foot on the island: Head into Perast. Small shuttle boats constantly leave from the main promenade, taking you across to Our Lady of the Rocks in about 5 minutes for a few Euros. Keep in mind that boats only land at the man-made island; no visitor boats drop off at St. George.

• If you want freedom & aerial shots: Bypass the busy harbor, drive to the peaceful viewpoint 13 km past Perast, set up your camera or drone in the late afternoon, and take in one of the most picturesque vistas in the Balkans.