Lustica Bay is a gated resort development with valet-style handover at the marina or your residence, and the car is driven to the entrance gate and signed over there.
Popular rental cars in Luštica Bay
The graded resort roads take any standard car comfortably, but switch to an SUV only for the rough tracks toward Rose.
A new resort on the old peninsula
Rent a car at Luštica Bay and the marina promenade, the peninsula beaches, and the bay road to Kotor are all within easy reach without transfers. Car rental is the only practical way to use the resort fully, since the peninsula has no public transport, and the resort shuttle covers only the airport run to the gate. The resort sits on the inner, eastern side of the Luštica Peninsula, built on a sheltered cove roughly 12 km by road from Tivat Airport. Renting a car at Tivat Airport and driving down through Radovici puts the marina gate about 15 minutes away, one of the shorter airport-to-accommodation runs on this side of the bay.
The project, developed by the Egyptian investment group Orascom Development Holding, covers a site of 7 million square metres, most of it still unbuilt, and sits within a broader landscape of olive groves, Mediterranean scrub, and old stone farmhouses that remain largely unchanged outside the resort boundary. Construction began around 2014, with the first marina and hotel buildings opening in 2018 to 2019 and further phases following through 2022 and beyond. As of 2025, over 600 residents call Luštica Bay home, and the development is still far from its stated eventual target of 6,000 residents, 3,000 apartments, and more than 300 villas.
The design language is Adriatic-vernacular, with local stone, terracotta tiles, stepped buildings following hillside contours, and narrow lanes between the blocks. The aim was a built-from-scratch version of a historic bay village rather than a tower-block resort, and the result reads quite differently from the concrete mass developments of the 1980s Montenegrin coast. Whether the village atmosphere of the concept translates into the lived experience depends somewhat on the season. In July the promenade is genuinely animated, and in November it can feel quiet and half-empty even with the residential population present.
The marina and waterfront
The marina at Luštica Bay currently accommodates berths for well over a hundred boats for yachts up to 45 metres, with expansion planned. The waterfront promenade is lined with restaurants, cafes, and a provisions shop serving boats at berth. The beach club below the marina offers loungers, food service, and swimming in season. The cove the resort occupies is sheltered from the outer bay swell by the surrounding headlands, and the water inside the marina basin is calm even when the outer bay is choppy. The inner-cove position gives the waterfront a collected, almost Italian-riviera feel, closer in atmosphere to Portofino than to the exposed south-facing beaches of the Budva coast, which can be rough when the Jugo wind is running.
The resort is positioned explicitly above Porto Montenegro in terms of price point and exclusivity, though the comparison is somewhat awkward given that Porto Montenegro (in Tivat, 10 km north) serves much larger superyachts and has been operational longer. Luštica Bay's offer is more land-based, including residential real estate, hotel stays, and golf, with the marina as atmosphere rather than the primary product. Prices for apartments and villas in the completed phases reflect the premium positioning, with waterfront units in Marina Village among the most expensive residential property in Montenegro.
See live rates and availability for delivery to the Luštica Bay resort.
Free cancellation on most rates · resort and airport delivery
The Chedi hotel and accommodation
The Chedi Luštica Bay is the principal hotel on the marina waterfront, a five-star property operated by GHM Hotels that opened in 2019. It has 111 rooms and suites, indoor and outdoor pools, three bars, a spa, and a fitness centre, all directly on the promenade. The Chedi operates a water taxi service for guests travelling between the marina and the outer beach areas. Beyond The Chedi, the resort's accommodation is primarily privately owned apartments sold through the Orascom development programme, many of which are let short-term through the summer. A second hotel is in planning for the later phases of development. The overall accommodation capacity at the resort remains limited relative to the ultimate build-out vision, which makes high-season availability tight and prices correspondingly strong.
The golf course
Luštica Bay is developing Montenegro's first full golf course, an 18-hole design by Gary Player Design spanning 86 hectares on the peninsula's higher ground. The course stretches 6,519 metres, plays to a par 72, and sits on terrain with gradients of 25 to 30 per cent, challenging topography that was part of the design brief. The course occupies the plateau above the resort buildings, with views south toward the outer bay and the open Adriatic. The first nine holes are planned to be playable from 2026, with the full 18 completing in 2028. This would make Luštica Bay one of a very small number of golf destinations in the Western Balkans and the only one in Montenegro.
Wider day trips from the peninsula
Luštica Bay is a workable base for day trips around the Bay of Kotor. The Kamenari ferry terminal is 14 km north by road, giving access to Herceg Novi and the Croatian border in under an hour. Kotor old town is 28 km away via the southern bay road through Tivat. The full inner Bay of Kotor drive (Tivat, Kotor, Risan, Orahovac, Kamenari ferry, Herceg Novi) covers around 80 km of bay road and works as a half-day loop. For the outer coast, the peninsula road west from the resort leads to Krasici and then to Rose at the tip, a 30-minute drive to the bay entrance viewpoint. The Plavi Horizont sandy beach is 2 km from the resort on the same road, making it accessible in five minutes by car on a beach day. A rental car extends the day-trip range to Kotor, Perast, and the full northern shore with ease.
Car rental at Luštica Bay
The resort is 12 km from Tivat Airport via the Radovici junction and the peninsula road, and the drive takes 15 to 20 minutes in normal conditions. Tivat town centre is 10 km away with Porto Montenegro marina, main supermarkets, and the hospital. Within the resort, the four neighbourhoods (Marina Village, Centrale, The Peaks, and Horizon) are connected by internal roads, and a rental car is useful for the outlying areas and the golf course plateau above. The peninsula road from the resort entrance connects west to Krasici and then to Rose at the tip, an easy extension from the resort. Without a car rental, the full peninsula circuit and the inner bay road to Kotor and Herceg Novi require separate transfers each time.
Common routes from Luštica Bay
Tivat Airport and Porto Montenegro (short hop)
Twelve kilometres by road via the Radovici junction reaches Tivat Airport, with the resort gate around 15 to 20 minutes from the terminal. Tivat town with Porto Montenegro marina, the main supermarkets and the hospital sits a further 10 km on.
Plavi Horizont and Krašići (under 15 minutes)
Two kilometres along the peninsula road reaches the sandy Plavi Horizont beach, around 300 metres of pale sand with a shallow entry and a Blue Flag award since 2004. Krašići and its olive shore lie a little further west on the same lane.
Rose viewpoint at the peninsula tip (around 30 minutes)
The peninsula road west reaches Rose at the bay entrance in around 30 minutes, with the final approach single-track and passing places used freely. Both coastlines are visible from the ridge crossing at the high point.
Inner-bay loop to Kotor and Perast (half day)
East to the Vrmac tunnel and then on to Kotor old town, around 22 km on the bay road. Continue around the inner shore for Perast, Risan and the Kamenari ferry to close the loop, roughly 80 km in total.
Insurance cover at Luštica Bay
Luštica Bay is a modern resort reached on newer, well-graded roads from Tivat Airport via Radovici, so the approach is easier than the older peninsula lanes nearby. Within the resort, parking is managed and orderly, which keeps the routine scrape risk low, and the standard around €100 deposit is usually sufficient for a resort-based stay.
If you plan side trips onto the older Luštica tracks toward Rose or the coves, the rougher surfaces shift the risk to tyres and underbody, so weigh the tyre and underbody cover for those excursions.
When does Luštica Bay make sense as your base?
Luštica Bay fits travellers after resort polish with the water right outside. The marina, the Chedi hotel and beach club sit together, a Gary Player golf course is opening on the hillside above, and parking is managed throughout. The airport and working town of Tivat are a quick drive back down the graded road, and the quieter olive-grove shore at Krašići lies along the inner Luštica shore for a contrast, an easy rental-car detour on any resort day.
Lustica Bay car hire FAQs
Luštica Bay flips the usual peninsula worry on its head, because instead of rough tracks, the resort is reached on newer graded roads from Tivat, so the questions turn to airport transfer times, whether the marina parking is sorted on arrival, and how easily you can slip off to the older coves nearby.
How do I cancel my Montenegro car rental booking?
Use the cancellation link in your booking confirmation email. On cars carrying the free cancellation badge, cancelling more than 24 hours before pickup returns the full advance payment. Within 24 hours, the advance is not refunded.
Are luxury rental cars in Montenegro mostly automatic?
Yes. The Lux category (50+ vehicles) skews strongly toward automatic gearboxes, as does the SUV category (80+ vehicles). Filter by Lux or SUV plus gearbox set to automatic to see your options.
Is a booster seat available with a Montenegro rental car?
Yes. A booster seat is one of the three child-seat options offered alongside the infant seat (0 to 10 kg) and standard child seat. Add it at checkout when booking; prices vary by vehicle.
How do I get to Lustica Bay by car?
Drive via Radovici and follow signs for Lustica Bay. The approach road is well-signposted from the main Tivat to Herceg Novi highway. The peninsula roads are winding, so allow extra time compared to straight-line distances.
How far is Lustica Bay from Tivat Airport?
Lustica Bay is roughly 13 km from Tivat Airport, usually around 20 minutes by car. A rental car is the most practical way to make this transfer and to get around once you are at the resort.
Are the roads on the Lustica Peninsula suitable for all car types?
The peninsula roads are paved but narrow and winding in sections. A compact or standard car handles them comfortably. A large SUV or van may feel restrictive on the tighter lanes, so economy or standard class is generally the right choice for the area. See what to expect driving in Montenegro before you pick the car.
Base at the marina and a peninsula full of coves is yours to explore.
Met at the resort or Tivat