Lady of the Rocks: The Man-Made Island and Its Legend
How do you get to Lady of the Rocks from Perast?
Small water taxis depart from Perast waterfront continuously in season, fare €1 per person each way, journey 5–7 minutes. Most Bay of Kotor boat tours also include a stop here.
The island that was built stone by stone
Off the waterfront of Perast, in the inner Bay of Kotor, two small islands sit approximately 150 m apart. One, Sveti Đorđe (Saint George), is a natural islet crowned by a Benedictine monastery dating to the 12th century — private, closed to visitors, and one of the most quietly dramatic sights in the Bay. The other, Gospa od Škrpjela — Our Lady of the Rocks — is entirely man-made.
The story of Lady of the Rocks is one of the most distinctive origin stories in the entire Adriatic. According to local tradition, two sailors from Perast found an icon of the Madonna on a reef in the bay on 22 July 1452. They were healed from illness after praying to it. They and the other sailors of Perast began placing rocks on the submerged reef, gradually building it up. This became tradition: every passing sailor who had survived a storm or voyage dropped a rock on the growing mound, along with votive offerings — silver plaques, paintings, objects associated with their safe return.
Over the following 500 years, the island grew to its current size. The church built upon it now contains 68 silver votive plates — hand-crafted portraits of sailors and their ships, offered in gratitude for preservation at sea — and a remarkable collection of paintings by Tripo Kokolja (1661–1713), the most celebrated Baroque painter of the Boka Bay region.
The island is small: you can walk its perimeter in three minutes. But what it contains, and the story behind it, rewards a longer visit.
Inside the church
The votive plates: The 68 silver bas-relief plaques lining the walls are the centrepiece. Each was commissioned by a sailor or his family after a safe return from a dangerous voyage. They date from the 17th to the 20th century and vary from sophisticated silverwork to naive but heartfelt pieces. The imagery is always maritime: ships in storms, figures praying, coastlines glimpsed through breaking waves.
Tripo Kokolja’s paintings: The interior is covered in Baroque canvases by this Perast-born master. The most important work is the large altarpiece of the Madonna, dating to around 1700, but the ceiling and side paintings are equally impressive in scale and quality. The standard of the work is genuinely surprising for such a remote location — Kokolja studied in Venice and brought the full Baroque idiom back to the Bay.
The embroidered icon: The original icon of the Madonna, discovered on the reef in 1452, is displayed above the altar. A remarkable piece of embroidery accompanies it: a votive work created by a local woman, Jacinta Kunić, who is said to have spent 25 years embroidering the cloth using her own hair as the thread, as eyesight failed in later years. Whether entirely true or partly legend, the work is extraordinary.
The museum: A small museum room adjacent to the church holds additional silver votive pieces, model ships, and documentation of the island’s construction history. Entry to the church and museum together costs €1–2 per person; the fee goes directly to maintenance.
The church is working — Mass is still said on the island on religious occasions. Appropriate dress is expected (shoulders and knees covered).
The Fasinada festival — 22 July each year
Every year on 22 July, Perast commemorates the discovery of the original Madonna icon with the Fasinada — a procession of boats from Perast to the island, each carrying rocks to continue the tradition of building up the islet. The boats circle the island, crews throw stones into the water, and the occasion is marked by music, celebration, and the gathering of the entire Perast community.
The Fasinada is one of the most authentic local festivals on the Montenegrin coast — it has been happening continuously since 1452 (with occasional wartime interruptions) and has not been manufactured for tourism. Visitors are welcome but the event is firmly local in character.
If your travel dates include 22 July, planning your Perast visit to coincide with the Fasinada is worthwhile. The waterfront fills with boats and people from mid-morning; the procession typically begins in the early afternoon.
How to visit: the water taxi
The simplest way to reach Lady of the Rocks is the water taxi from Perast waterfront.
Operation: Small wooden boats (capacity 6–10 passengers) operate continuously throughout the day in season, roughly 8 am to sunset. There is no timetable — boats depart when full or close to full.
Fare: €1 per person each way — one of the last genuinely cheap boat fares in the Adriatic. Pay on board.
Journey: 5–7 minutes across calm water. The approach from the water gives a beautiful view of both islands and the Perast waterfront.
Return: Boats return continuously from the island; you will never wait more than 15–20 minutes for a return trip.
The taxi is so straightforward that most visitors to Perast spend 45–60 minutes on Lady of the Rocks without any advance planning.
How to visit: as part of a Bay of Kotor tour
Lady of the Rocks is included in virtually every Bay of Kotor boat tour as a standard stop. The difference from the water taxi is context: guided tours explain the history of the island and church, and the stop is typically 20–30 minutes (enough to see the church interior and look around the island).
From Kotor, several options:
Kotor: Perast & Lady of the Rock Boat Tour Blue Cave & Lady of the Rocks Group Boat Tour Kotor: Cable Car, Perast & Lady of the RocksFrom Perast directly:
Perast: Boat to Lady of the RocksCombining with Perast
Lady of the Rocks and Perast are a natural pairing — you can do both in half a day.
Perast itself is one of the most beautiful small towns in the Adriatic. At its peak in the 17th–18th centuries it was one of the most important maritime towns in the Adriatic, with a fleet of over 100 ships and a reputation for seamanship that led the Russian Tsar Peter the Great to send naval officers here for training (1698–1702). The St. Nicholas Church, the Bujović Palace (now a small maritime museum), and the simply extraordinary setting — stone baroque palaces rising from the water’s edge, the two islands framed perfectly ahead — make Perast worth a longer visit than most people give it.
See the Perast Boat Tour Guide for the full picture on visiting the town and combining the various boat options.
Getting to Perast
Perast is on the inner bay road, approximately 12 km from Kotor city (20 minutes by car) and 55 km from Budva (about 1 hour 15 minutes).
By car: The coastal road along the inner bay passes directly through Perast. Parking in the village is extremely limited (a handful of spaces on the waterfront, a small lot at the village entrance). In July–August, park at the entrance lot and walk 5–10 minutes to the waterfront.
By bus: Regular bus services from Kotor, approximately €2 and 20 minutes. Services also connect Herceg Novi and Budva via Kotor.
By organised tour: Day tours from Kotor, Budva, Tivat, and Herceg Novi all include Perast and Lady of the Rocks as standard stops.
The art in context: Tripo Kokolja and Boka Bay painting
Tripo Kokolja (1661–1713) is the most significant artist associated with the Bay of Kotor. Born in Perast, he trained in Venice — the standard path for talented young men from this part of the Adriatic who wanted serious artistic education — and returned to spend most of his career painting commissions across the bay towns.
His style is high Baroque: dramatic light, emotional figures, confident spatial organisation, and a palette that still reads clearly 300 years later in the well-maintained conditions of the Lady of the Rocks church interior. By the standards of contemporary provincial European painting, these works are genuinely accomplished — not merely significant as local history but worth looking at on aesthetic terms.
The Lady of the Rocks commission was major by local standards. Kokolja painted multiple scenes from the life of the Virgin and scenes of local maritime history across the interior walls and ceiling. Look particularly at the treatment of sea and sky — a painter who grew up on this bay understood how to render Mediterranean light.
Other Kokolja works are in Perast’s own churches (particularly St. Nicholas) and in private collections. Comparing his Lady of the Rocks work with the Perast church paintings gives a sense of his range and development.
Practical tips for visiting
Beat the groups: Lady of the Rocks gets busy when multiple group boats arrive simultaneously in high season. Those who want a quieter experience should take the €1 water taxi early (before 10 am, before the tour boats arrive) or visit in September.
Dress code: The church is active and expects modest dress — shoulders and knees covered. A light shawl in your beach bag solves this if you are coming from the beach.
Photography: Permitted throughout. The votive plates photograph well in natural light from the windows. The altarpiece is best photographed from the back of the church using a wider lens. The view back toward Perast from the island’s seaward edge is the essential exterior shot.
Duration on the island: Most visitors spend 35–50 minutes. A careful visitor interested in the art and history could spend 75–90 minutes. A quick photo stop is 20 minutes.
What to buy: A small shop inside sells local honey, lavender products, and religious items. The proceeds support island maintenance. Prices are fair.
FAQ
Is Lady of the Rocks man-made?
Yes — it was created over centuries by sailors and fishermen dropping rocks onto a submerged reef. The building and maintenance of the islet has been a continuous tradition since 1452.
How much does it cost to visit Lady of the Rocks?
The water taxi is €1 per person each way. Church entry costs €1–2 per person. Total cost under €5 per person — one of the best value cultural experiences in Montenegro.
Can you visit Lady of the Rocks independently?
Yes — take the water taxi from Perast waterfront, walk around the island (3 minutes), visit the church, and return. No guide required. English information boards inside the church explain the history.
What is on Saint George Island next to Lady of the Rocks?
Sveti Đorđe (Saint George) is a natural island with a Benedictine monastery dating to the 12th century. It is private and closed to visitors. Boats pass close to it but cannot land.
How long should I spend on Lady of the Rocks?
30–45 minutes is comfortable — enough to walk around the island and spend 20 minutes in the church. 60 minutes if you want to sit by the water and take in the view back toward Perast.
What is the Fasinada festival?
The annual commemoration on 22 July when residents of Perast sail to the island throwing rocks to continue the building tradition, marking the 1452 discovery of the original Madonna icon.
Is photography allowed inside the church?
Generally yes, though flash photography at the votive plates and paintings is discouraged. Check with the attendant on duty.
When was Lady of the Rocks built?
The island-building tradition began in 1452 when the original Madonna icon was found on the reef. The current church structure dates largely to 1630, with subsequent modifications through the 19th century. The Kokolja paintings were completed around 1700. The silver votive plates span from the 17th to 20th century.
Is the Fasinada festival only for locals?
No — visitors are welcome. The festival is a genuine community event rather than a tourist performance. Arriving by water taxi from Perast on 22 July gives the most authentic experience; the boats are crammed with locals and you join the procession naturally.
What is the votive plate tradition exactly?
Votive plates (zavjetne pločice) are silver bas-relief artworks commissioned by sailors or their families after surviving a dangerous voyage. Each plate tells a story — a ship in a storm, a figure praying, a coastline — and was donated to the church as a form of thanksgiving. The 68 plates at Lady of the Rocks span over three centuries of maritime history.