Our Lady of the Rocks, from the water

An island made by sailors

Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela) isn’t a natural island. According to legend, local seamen from Perast found an icon of the Madonna and Child on a rock in the sea on 22 July 1452. From then on, sailors returning safely from a voyage dropped a stone at the spot — and over the centuries, with old ships sunk and loaded with rocks, an islet rose out of the bay.

The tradition still lives: every year at sunset on 22 July, locals row out in decorated boats and throw stones into the sea around the island. It’s called the Fašinada.

What’s inside

The church, renovated in 1722, is lined with paintings by Tripo Kokolja, Perast’s 17th-century Baroque master — the museum holds 68 of his works. Look for the silver votive tablets left by sailors’ families, and the famous embroidery by Jacinta Kunić-Mijović, who stitched it over 25 years while waiting for her husband to return from sea, finally weaving in her own hair.

Next to it sits St George (Sveti Đorđe), a natural island with a Benedictine abbey and tall cypresses. Most boats circle it slowly for photos — Our Lady of the Rocks is the island you step onto.

How to visit

• From Perast: small boats shuttle across from the waterfront through the day in season — the shortest option.
• From Kotor or Tivat: the island is a stop on the Perast & Islands and Classic Boka tours, so you don’t need to drive to Perast at all.
• Privately: a boat of your own lets you arrive before the crowds and add St George, Risan or a swim stop.