Single-handedly responsible for Tivat's transformation, this surreal town-within-a-town occupies 24 hectares which once were the historic Arsenal shipyard and naval base. It's a work in progress, with only 4.5 hectares developed at the time of writing, but it already has five upmarket apartment buildings, a 'lifestyle village' of fancy shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities, a museum, and berths for 250 yachts. A Regent Hotel was set to open in May 2014, and eventually 630 luxury yachts will be able to dock here, including 130 superyachts.
The project isn’t without controversy: 3500 locals took to the streets to protest the sale of this state asset to foreign investors (an international consortium of the exceedingly rich led by Candian businessman Peter Munk) and the loss of 480 jobs. Yet many naysayers have been silenced by the improvements that are already evident in the town.
The Porto complex is open to the public and it's a pleasant place to stroll and oggle oppulent yachts – if you're not prone to fits of rage at the injustices of contemporary economics. Kids will love the playground shaped like a pirate ship near the main entrance.
The success of such of a venture relies partially on enticing yacht crews to dock here for the winter, so bars, restaurants and activity providers operate year-round (unlike most of the Montenegrin coast). Prices are generally geared more towards crew-members than oligarchs and, while expensive for Montenegro, are reasonable by European standards.
