About Tivat

There are three different opinions regarding the origin of the name Tivat.

According to the first, the name Tivat is derived from the name of the Illyrian queen Teutes who, for a short while, had her capital in Risno, and maybe even summer houses near today’s Tivat. According to the second opinion, the name could be derived from names of Christian saints such as Sanctus Theodorus, Theodosius, Theodotus, Theodulus or Middle Age saints (XII c.) Theudo, Teodo. The third opinion is very short and without extensive explanation. According to this opinion the name has its origins in celtic word “touto” which means city.

Tivat is situated in the central part of the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), on the southwest slopes of Vrmac (765m). On the opposite side is the Tivat bay which is also the biggest of four bays in Boka Kotorska. The Tivat bay with the Krtolj archipellagus takes away the breath of every visitor.

Tivat occupies an area of 46 km2, with 5 km2 situated on the sea shore. According to the 2011 census, Tivat has around 14,000 inhabitants. It is located at 42°26' of north latitude and 18°42' of east longitude.

Along the shore near Tivat, there are small attractive ports, coves and numerous beaches. The length of the shore from Verige to Krašić is approximately 30,000 m2.

Tivat began developing as a city only in the late XIX century when the military seaport Arsenal was founded. Until the construction of Arsenal, the land in Tivat was mostly in the hands of feudal nobles from Prčanj, Perast, Dobrota and Kotor.

Today Tivat is a modern town oriented towards development of tourism.

With its position in the Bay of Kotor, numerous coves, peninsula Prevlaka and island St Marco, the famous beach Pržno, and the Porto Montenegro marina, Tivat is listed in the tourist maps as an attractive destination for tourists.

Tivat has a tipically Mediterranean climate, with mild but rainy winters and sunny and warm summers. One can say that Tivat has characteristic climate, caused nonhomogenic relief, so in such a small space you can feel local climate differences. The average yearly temperature is 15°C. This is the sunniest town in the Bay of Kotor with 2446.2 sunny hours a year. The most common winds are bora (northeast wind) in the winter and mistral (northwest wind) in the summer. Sirocco (jugo), a warm wind that brings a lot of rain is common in the fall and winter.

Precipitation in Tivat is exclusively in the form of rain, while other forms of precipitation here are very rare. The average annual rainfall is 1.755 mm. Precipitation are the most characteristic for the cold season. Such climatic conditions have made Tivat suitable for both summer and winter tourism.

On the Tivat Riviera the sea is clean and the air refreshingly mild. Thanks to the favorable climate and good geographical position, Tivat is rich in horticultural potential. In addition to various local Mediterranean plants, there are also a number of exotic plants which were brought by sailors from all over the world. Different species, such as magnolia, mimosa, camellia, oleander, agave, bougainvillea, eucalyptus, Chilean fir and other, acclimatized here because of the favourable climate.