Porto Montenegro is a superlative marina village that offers the best in quality, comfort and service for the luxury yachting community. The owners of the multiaward-winning marina are continuing to enhance its development and solidify its reputation as a premier destination for shopping and leisure. Marina Director Tony Browne spoke to Andy Probert about how the marina continues to set the pace.
The marina is in the UNESCO-protected Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, also known as Boka Bay. Part of the quintessentially beautiful Adriatic Sea, Porto Montenegro is a superyacht marina that is going places.
With its infrastructure and supermodern facilities, Porto Montenegro caters to the needs of the largest yachts, their owners, guests and crew. It has luxury apartments, superior retail offerings, restaurants, bars and cafes, five-star hotels, and concierge services
“We have sought to challenge the approach of what a marina represents,” said Marina Director Tony Browne. “It is not a place to simply moor a superyacht; it is a living, thriving venue and community, designed to ensure guests experience a life less ordinary.”
Porto Montenegro is a waterfront destination with year-round appeal: and that is before considering its stellar events calendar. This summer’s high point will see the marina host its first Rubix Festival, a mix of classical and orchestral music, and electronic and experimental sounds. Attendees include Morcheeba, John Malkovich the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Francesco Tristano.
Along with fashion shows, photographic exhibitions, a polo tournament, an all-star cricket festival and multiple A-list celebrities, influencers, business heads and entrepreneurs for the Gumball 300 rally, all compasses invariably point to Boka Bay in 2023
Built on a master vision
The visionary of Porto Montenegro was the late Canadian billionaire Peter Munk who sought to revive the defunct
o nce-Communist-era naval base. Also, a former thriving shipyard, it was a base used by the Serbian and Yugoslavian navies prior to the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
T he location emerged as a potential alternative to the overly crowded yacht marinas of France and Southern Europe –ready to accommodate a new generation of superyacht owners.
Initially, with 25 hectares of land and a further 65 hectares leased by the Montenegrin Government, the marina became one of the biggest private-sector investments in the country by the mid-2010s.
The marina, extended in 2015, operates 450 berths, of which more than half cater to superyachts above 100m in length, with one at 250m being the world’s largest superyacht berth.
Five neighbourhoods will be inclusive of the marina’s diverse community. The first already built is the suburban South Village,
which accommodates more than 440 residences in gated communities, a five-star hotel, 75 bars, restaurants and retail outlets.
Next is Boka Place, an innovative vision on the cusp of realisation. This will set the standard for wellness-led modern living: a complementary collection of apartments around a central square, served by lively shopping, dining and socialising spaces. The SIRO Hotel and Residences concept will underpin Boka Place’s ethos, seamlessly blending a boutique retreat hotel and wellness hub with privately-owned and serviced residences.
The third phase will see the repurposing of the marina’s iconic Synchro building, already
a vital social and entertainment setting for music, fashion and culture aficionados. It will become a long-term entertainment and events centre, improving the yacht club and associated amenities, with the addition of a five-star hotel, waterside residences and a beach environment. There are also plans for a multiplex cinema and over 45 retail spaces.
This will be followed by plans for a tenniscentric North Village, and eventually the luxurious water world of Park Gardens.
Overseeing the continued development is the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), which acquired Porto Montenegro in 2016. ICD is the Government of Dubai’s principal investment arm, with holdings that span
“A ban on fishing in the marina has boosted the natural eco-system. We have also urged food and beverage operators to replace single-use plastic”
financial services, transportation, energy and industries, real estate, leisure, and retail interests.
Award-laden
Employing 350 people full-time, growing to 600 in the summer, Porto Montenegro has earned several accolades and is leading the way for other luxury marinas. In 2017, it received five Gold Anchors from the Yacht Harbour Association (YHA) – the highest accolade for service and operational standards available in the industry. That same year, it was the first superyacht marina to receive the Marina of Distinction award for three years of consecutive customer service excellence.
It earned the YHA’s Five Gold Anchor Platinum award in recognition of its Clean
Marina Standards: Porto Montenegro was one of the first marinas to install sea bins in the marina basin, placing great emphasis on dealing with grey and blackwater, segregated and hazardous waste.
In 2021, it was awarded ACREW’s prestigious World’s Best Superyacht Marina at the Superyacht Business Awards after being voted by ACREW’s network of around 15,000 captains and crew members. The marina has always advocated strong links with superyacht crews, holding events and activities throughout the year.
“External accreditation from our peers often speaks volumes and we are happy to be judged on that,” said Mr Browne. Another milestone is the marina is running at above 100 per cent occupancy through a novel lease and license operation for yacht owners, while available retail space is over-subscribed.
New plans
An exciting development has been the launch of Adriatic42, a joint venture between PM Holdings LLC, an ICD company, and Drydocks World Dubai – a DP World company – to run the former Bijela shipyard at Herceg Novi, close to Porto Montenegro.
Located in one of the safest natural harbours in the world, it has undergone a comprehensive redesign, transforming it into a premium superyacht refit, overhaul, repair and maintenance facility.
“It is being positioned as among the world’s main locations for yacht overhaul , striving to provide reliability and high
technical standards for clients,” Mr Browne said.
Adriatic42 already employs about 100 staff who bring a long tradition of maritime expertise to the yard, which is nearly 100 years old and was the largest ship repair yard in the Southern Adriatic.
Over €40 million has been invested to date, including the acquisition of stateof-the-art infrastructure and sustainable technologies. Preserving the natural environment is a key priority, while Adriatic42’s sustainable approach i ncludes the highest environmental and safety standards to prevent pollution.
The facility recently added a $1 million new generation 180m floating dock from the renowned Turkish Hat-San Shipyard. It has a 10,000-tonne lift capacity that can accommodate the world’s largest y achts. This is in addition to the acquisition of a new travel hoist with a 720-tonne
capacity, the largest of its kind in the region.
Porto Montenegro is steadfast in delivering quality while investing in sustainable practices to minimise its carbon footprint. “We are a marina that supports and advocates sustainability wherever possible,” Mr Browne added. “A ban on fishing in the marina has boosted the natural eco-system. We have also urged food and beverage operators to replace single-use plastic.”
Agreeing that Porto Montenegro operates within the top 1% of marinas globally, Mr Browne remained grounded in reality: “Porto Montenegro is where it is today and recognised globally because of its team,” he concluded. “Everyone strives to ensure it offers a unique and excellent experience to the luxury yachting community.” n
